The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v1.c8.s13.2

v1.c8.s13.2

At the head of the Vākāṭaka government was the king of the dynasty, whose post was hereditary. The second ruler of the house, Pravarasena I, made extensive conquests and found it convenient to entrust the different parts of his far-flung empire to the charge of his four sons, who eventually established practically independent houses after their father's death. This division weakened the empire and caused a number of complications in the reign of Rudrasena I, the successor of Pravarasena I. Later on therefore the same mistake was not repeated, and the kingdom was not again divided among rival brothers. Two of the three Vākāṭaka family branches, founded at the death of Pravarasena I, appear to have been reabsorbed in the main kingdom; but the house founded by his son Sarvasena at Vatsagulma (the modern Basim) continued to exist almost as an independent dynasty until the end of the fifth century. The unwisdom of the division of the kingdom into smaller semi-independent units was fully realized by the rulers of the direct line, and they appear not even to have permitted feudatories within their jurisdiction. Koṇḍarāja and Nārāyaṇa-Mahārāja no doubt figure in the records of Pravarasena II,¹ but their titles, *rājā* and *mahārāja*, seem to be purely formal. Even if they were feudatories, it does not seem that they enjoyed any considerable ruling power. They are seen requesting the Vākāṭaka king to make certain land grants for some projects in which they were interested. If they were feudatories at all, it is certain that their ruling powers were very limited. The available evidence shows that the Vākāṭaka empire was more united and centralized and less perforated by semi-independent feudatory states than was the case with the Sātavāhana, the Chālukya, or the Rāṣṭrakūṭa, empires.