History of India, c. 150 A.D. to 350 A.D.: Naga–Vakataka Imperial Period c15.s1.1

c15.s1.1

52. From the Vākāṭaka inscriptions the following facts are well-established. A dynasty, which took for its name Vākāṭaka, came into existence about a century before Samudra Gupta’s conquests. The first king of the dynasty was Vindhyaśakti², a Brahmin. Their gotra was Viṣṇu-vṛddha—a subdivision of the Bhāradvājas. The second king of the dynasty was Pravarasena; the kings coming after him all assume their regnal names ending in °sena. Pravarasena, son of Vindhyaśakti, to be known hereafter as Pravarasena I, not only performed four aśvamedha sacrifices but also assumed the title of Samrāṭ, i.e. the Emperor of India. He had a long reign, so much so that his eldest son Gautamīputra could not succeed him, but his grandson Rudrasena I succeeded him. His son Gautamīputra was from a Brahmin lady, which is clear from his name. But Gautamīputra himself was married to the daughter of the Bhāraśiva king Bhava Nāga—a Kshatriya. The son of this union was Rudrasena, grandson of Pravarasena I and Bhava Nāga. We have to call him Rudrasena I, as names were repeated in consonance with the orthodox Hindu law—a practice also followed by the Guptas. Rudrasena’s son was Pṛthivīsheṇa I, by whose time the family had existed for 100 years: