Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c18.s1.t2: The Nationality of the Northern Satraps
Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c18.s1.t2
- Language
- English
The Nationality of the Northern Satraps
c18.s1.t2.1
Cunningham held that the inscription P on the Mathurā Lion Capital—*Sarvasa Sakastanasa puyae*—gave decisive proof that Rājuvula or Rājula, Śoḍāsa and other connected Satraps were of Śaka nationality. Dr. Thomas shows, however, that the Satraps of Northern India were the representatives of a mixed Parthian and Śaka domination. This is strongly supported *a priori* by the fact that Patika of Taxila, who bears himself a Persian name, mentions as his overlord the great king Moga whose name is Śaka. The inscriptions on the Lion Capital exhibit a mixture of Persian and Śaka nomenclature.² Attention may, however, be called here to the fact that in the *Harivaṁśa* there is a passage³ which characterises the Pahlavas or Parthians as "*śmaśrudhāriṇaḥ*" (bearded).⁴ Judged by this test, kings of the family of Rājuvula and Nahapāna, who are not unoften taken to be Parthians, could not have belonged to that nationality as their portraits found on coins⁵ show no traces of beards and whiskers. They were, therefore, almost certainly Śakas.
c18.s1.t2.2
² *Ep. Ind.*, Vol. IX, pp. 138 ff.; *JRAS.*, 1906, 215 f. For Sten Konow's views see *Corpus*, II. i. xxxvii.
c18.s1.t2.3
³ I. 14, 17.
c18.s1.t2.4
⁴ The passage is also found in the *Vāyu Purāṇa*, Ch. 88, 141.
c18.s1.t2.5
⁵ *JRAS.*, 1913, between pp. 630-631.
Cites (2)
- Vāyupurāṇa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit
- Harivaṃśa — Vyāsa, Sanskrit