History of India, c. 150 A.D. to 350 A.D.: Naga–Vakataka Imperial Period c15.s4.6

c15.s4.6

92. Narendrasena, about 455 A.D., passed through most troublesome days, which were troublesome both for the Gupta Emperor Kumāra Gupta, his maternal uncle, and for himself. The powerful Pushyamitra Republic, to whom were allied the Republics of the Paṭumitras and Padmamitras, rose and attacked the Imperial power. They had been subordinate to the Vākāṭakas and were somewhere in Western Malwā, near Māndhātā. Just about that time, evidently connected with that movement of rebellion or attempt at freedom, was the attempt of the Traikūṭakas, a dynasty which had been newly founded under that designation about that time by Dahrasena.¹ Dahrasena Traikūṭaka was in Aparānta² between the Taptiwestern Khandesh-Kanheri and the sea (above Bombay). Like his sovereigns or overlords the Vākāṭakas, Dahrasena adopts a dynastic designation (‘Traikūṭaka’) after a place-name and a name-ending -sena, although his father who was a commoner was Indra-datta. Without any conquests he performed an aśvamedha in advance and struck his coins. But he was soon brought back under Narendrasena's control, as he is found using the Vākāṭaka Era in 456 A.D. (see §§ 102-106). The Pushyamitras before 456 A.D. were defeated by the Imperial power. Narendrasena had the support of his father-in-law's kingdom situated next to Koṅkaṇa [Aparānta] and at that time either under Kākustha or Kākustha's son Śāntivarman who too was a very strong monarch.¹