The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v1.c7.s7.18

v1.c7.s7.18

The existence of another set of rulers is revealed by the coins discovered at Kolhāpur.⁷ There have been three kinds of legends: (1) Rāno Vaśiṣṭiputasa Vilivayakurasa, (2) Rāno Mādhariputasa Sivalakurasa, and (3) Rāno Gotamiputasa Vilivāyakurasa. Since No. 2 restruck the coins of No. 1, and since No. 3 treated similarly the coins of both No. 1 and No. 2, they appear to have ruled in the region of Kolhāpur in the order in which they are placed here. That their territories lay within the Sātavāhana dominions may be inferred from the fact that Gautamīputra Sātakarṇi was master of the lands as far south as Vaijayanti (Banavāsi) and that Kolhāpur lies north of Vaijayanti. Ptolemy, the Greek geographer, mentions Baleokouras as ruling at Hippokoura and Siri Polemaios at Baithan. If Sir R. G. Bhandarkar's identification of Baleokourous with Vilivāyakura be correct, Hippokoura may be assumed to be the Greek name for Kolhāpur. Siri Polemaios is obviously Śrī Puḷumāvi, the son of Gautamīputra Sātakarṇi. The Ujjain symbol which is invariably associated with the Sātavāhana coins is absent on those of the Vilivāyakuras. Hence these were either the feudatories of the Sātavāhanas or kings who were subordinate to them.¹ Their title *rāno* need not be construed as indicating their independent status, since Nahapāṇa, who was actually the feudatory of a northern power, bore the title of *rājan*.