The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v1.c8.s6.1

v1.c8.s6.1

² The view of V. A. Smith that Rudrasena, like Gautamīputra, never ascended the throne is untenable. He had advocated it primarily to explain the non-occurrence of the name of this ruler in the inscription in cave no. XVI at Ajaṇṭā. It is now clearly proved that the genealogy in that record is of the branch Vākāṭaka line then ruling at Basim and so could naturally not have included the name of Rudrasena II. Had Rudrasena died without being crowned, his wife would not have been described as *agramahiṣī*, the crowned queen, and he would not have been given the epithet *mahārāja*, king, in the Vākāṭaka records.