History of India, c. 150 A.D. to 350 A.D.: Naga–Vakataka Imperial Period c15.s3.17

c15.s3.17

These subordinate kings of Mekalā, who were seven in number, are described by the Bhāgavata and several copies of the Vishnu as the Seven Āndhras, i.e., the seven kings of the Andhra Country.³ The Province of Mekalā evidently extended from the south of the present Maikal Range,⁴ in a straight line, covering the modern State of Bastar wherein begins the Andhra country. To the east of it lay the Province of Kosalā, i.e., the area of the feudatory states of Orissa, and Kalinga. It should be noted here that the region from Raipur to Bastar is marked with the remains of Nāga settlements where inscriptions of later Nāga families from the tenth century onwards have been found in abundance. The tract formed a part of the Nāga Empire with the rest of the Central Provinces. The dynastic identity of this branch of the Vindhyakas or of Vindhyaśakti, I shall discuss under the Southern History when I deal with the Pallavas (§ 173 ff.). It is sufficient to notice here that the Vindhyakas were rulers of Andhra-deśa, that their province of Mekalā included Andhra, and that a branch line of the family was established there as a feudatory family who ruled for seven successions. The ruling families of the other three dynasties came under the description ‘the dynasties of relations by marriage (vaivāhikāḥ)’¹. The Naishadha province was under a dynasty who claimed to have descended from Nala. Their capital was at Vidūra, which seems to be represented by Bidar, an ancient capital in the Nizam's Dominions; Vaidūrya is the Satpura. The Mahishin rulers consisted of two sets, one of Rājās as the lord of the Mahishins, and the Pushyamitras with two more communities who are not called kings. These are included amongst the Mahishins, that is, the people of Western Malwā which is called Mālava in the later Vākāṭaka inscriptions. These republican Mahishīs were evidently under this rājā, feudatory of the Vākāṭakas.