The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v1.c8.s10: Pṛithvīsheṇa II
The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v1.c8.s10
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Pṛithvīsheṇa II
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¹ In the Pandurangapalli grant of Avidheya this king, who was the grandfather of the grantor, is described as *Aṅga-Vidarbhāshmakavijetā*. See *MASR*, 1929, p. 197.
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(*c.* A.D. 460–80)
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In *c.* A.D. 460 Narendrasena was succeeded by his son Pṛithvīsheṇa II, who may be presumed to have reigned up to *c.* A.D. 480. His contemporary in the Basim branch was Devasena, who is described as a king who had his fill of pleasures. Devasena had obviously no military ambitions and his relations with Pṛithvīsheṇa were therefore doubtless cordial.
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We know few incidents regarding the reign of Pṛithvīsheṇa. He is described in his Bālāghāṭ grant as the elevator of his family, which had twice fallen on evil days. We, however, have no definite information as to the causes of the troubles which befell the Vākāṭakas during the reign of Pṛithvīsheṇa. The first misfortune above mentioned probably refers to the invasion of Mānamātra, the king of Śarabhapura in Chhattisgarh, who succeeded temporarily in occupying Berar and the southern Madhya Pradesha. He was, however, soon expelled from these territories by the exertions of Pṛithvīsheṇa.
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The Vākāṭaka family seems to have fallen on evil days again during the reign of Pṛithvīsheṇa following an attack by the Traikūṭakas in the west, a line of rulers which was fast rising into importance and power in northern Konkaṇa at this time. King Dahrasena of this family, who ruled from c. A.D. 445 to 475, had performed a horse-sacrifice. The expansion of power of which this sacrifice was a sign must obviously have taken place partly at the cost of Pṛithivīsheṇa, his eastern neighbour and perhaps at one time his overlord. Pṛithivīsheṇa’s victories were merely defensive actions; for the Traikūṭakas continued to prosper and to expand farther still during the reign of Vyāghrasena, the successor of Dahrasena.
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No ruler of the main Vākāṭaka house is known after Pṛithivīsheṇa II. It seems that he left no sons competent enough to succeed him and that the leadership of the Vākāṭaka family passed after his death to king Harisheṇa of the Basim branch. For this ruler is described in the Ajanta record as the conqueror of Kuntala, Avanti, Kaliṅga, Kośala, Trikūṭa, Lāṭa, and the Andhra countries. These achievements could only have been possible to him if he had first acquired effective control over the territory and resources of the main Vākāṭaka family. We shall now proceed to describe the career of this king, prefacing it with a short account of the history of the Basim branch.