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The Satavahana rulers strove for the royal ideal set forth in the Dharmasastras. The king was represented as the upholder of dharma. To him were assigned a few divine attributes. The Satavahana king is represented as possessing the qualities of ancient gods such as Rama, Bhima, Kesava, Arjuna, etc. He is compared in prowess and lustre to these legendary figures and to supernatural forces. This was evidently meant to attribute divinity to the Satavahana king.
The Satavahanas kept some of the administrative units found in Asokan times. Their district was called ahara, as it was known in the time of Asoka. Their officials were known as amatyus and mahamatras, as they were known in Maurya times.
But we notice certain military and feudal elements in the administration of Satavahanas. It is significant that the senapati was appointed provincial governor. Since the tribal people in the Deccan were not thoroughly Hinduized and reconciled to the new rule, it was necessary to keep them under strong military control. The administration in the rural areas was placed in the hands of gaulmika, who was the head of a military regiment consisting of nine chariots, nine elephants, 25 horses, and 45 foot-soldiers. The head of the army platoon was therefore posted in the countryside to maintain peace and order.
The military character of the Satavahana rule is also evident from the common use of such terms as kataka and skandhayaras in their inscriptions. These were military camps and settlements which served as administrative centres so long as the king was there. Thus coercion played an important part in the Satavahana administration. The Satavahanas started the practice of granting tax-free villages to brahmanas and Buddhist monks. The cultivated fields and villages granted to them were declared free from molestation by royal policemen and soldiers, and all kinds of royal officers. These areas therefore became small independent islands within the Satavahana kingdom. Possibly the Buddhist monks also preached peace and rules of good conduct among the people they lived with and taught them to respect political authority and social order. The brahmanas, of course, helped enforce the rules of the varna system which made society stable.
The Satavahana kingdom had three grades of feudatories. The highest grade was formed by the king who was called raja and who had the right to strike coins. The second grade was formed by the mahabhoja, and the third grade by the senapati. It seems that these feudatories and landed beneficiaries enjoyed some authority in their respective localities.
The Satavahanas originally seem to have been a tribe of the Deccan. But they were brahmanized, and their most famous king, Gautamiputra Satakarni, claims to have established the four-fold varna system which had fallen into disorder. He boasts that he put an end to the intermixture between the people of different social orders. Such a confusion was obviously caused by the Saka infiltration and by the thin and superficial brahmanization of the tribes living in the Deccan.
Gautamiputra claims to have established the four-fold varna system. The absorption of the Sakas in Hindu society as kshatriyas was facilitated by intermarriage between the Sakas and the Satavahanas. Similarly, the indigenous tribal people were more and more acculturated by the Buddhist monks, who were induced by land grants to settle in the western Deccan. It is suggested that traders also supported the Buddhist monks, for the earliest caves seem to have been located on the trade routes. The Satavahanas were also the first rulers to make land grants to the brahmanas, although we have more instances of grants being made to Buddhist monks.
The absorption of the Sakas in Hindu societyAccording to the Dharmasastras, it was the function of the kshatriyas to rule, but the Satavahana rulers called themselves brahmanas. Gautamiputra boasts that he was the true brahmana. Since the Andhras are identified with the early Satavahanas, probably they were a local tribe who were converted to brahmanism. The orthodox brahmanas of the north looked upon the Andhras as a mixed caste. This shows that the Andhras were a tribal people who were brought within the fold of Hindu society as a mixed caste.
Traders also supported the Buddhist monks. Increasing craft and commerce in this period brought many merchants and artisans to the forefront. Merchants took pride in naming themselves after the towns to which they belonged. Both artisans and merchants made generous donations to the Buddhist cause. They set up small memorial tablets. Among the artisans, the gandhikas or the perfumers are repeatedly mentioned as donors. At a later stage, the term gandhika became so general as to denote all kinds of shopkeepers. The modern title Gandhi is derived from this ancient term.
The most interesting detail about the Satavahanas relates to their family structure. In Aryan society in north India, the father enjoyed greater importance than the mother, and the princes whom we have considered so far seem to have belonged to a patriarchal society. But the Satavahanas show traces of a matrilineal social structure. It was customary for their king to be named after his mother. Such names as Gautamiputra and Vasisthiputra indicate that in their society, the mother enjoyed a great deal of importance. At present in peninsular India, the son’s name includes a part of the father’s name, but in it, there is no place for the mother. Queens made important religious gifts in their own right, and some of them acted as regents. But basically, the Satavahana ruling family was patriarchal because succession to the throne passed to the male member.
The Satavahana rulers claim to have been brahmanas, and they represented the march of triumphant brahmanism. From the very beginning, kings and queens performed the Vedic sacrifices such as the asvamedha, vajapeya, etc. They also worshipped a large number of Vaishnava gods such as Krishna, Vasudeva, and others. They paid liberal sacrificial fees to the brahmanas.
However, the Satavahana rulers promoted Buddhism by granting land to the monks. In their kingdom, the Mahayana form of Buddhism commanded considerable following among the people. The Satavahana kings and queens made extensive grants to Buddhist monasteries. Nagaijunakonda and Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh became important centres of Mahayana Buddhism. The monasteries at these places were lavishly endowed by the Satavahana rulers and the wealthy merchants. Buddhism flourished in the Nasik and Junar areas of Maharashtra also.
The official language of the Satavahanas was Prakrit, which was used for inscriptions and official documents. One Prakrit text called Gathasaptasati, written by Hala, a Satavahana king, has survived to the present day. It is a collection of poems on love and other themes.
The Satavahanas were great builders. Many temples and monasteries were cut out of the solid rock. These rock-cut caves were used for a variety of purposes. They served as places of worship, as residences for monks, and as places of assembly. The earliest caves at Nasik belong to the Satavahana period.
The most famous chaitya is that of Karle near Pune. This chaitya is 148 feet deep and has a stupa at the far end. The facade of this cave is elaborately carved with a large horseshoe-shaped arch. The chaitya hall is flanked by pillars, and the interior is decorated with sculptures of Buddha, bodhisattvas, and other figures.
The viharas or monasteries at Ajanta and Ellora were also built during the Satavahana period. These viharas consist of a central hall surrounded by cells for the monks. The walls of the viharas are decorated with paintings depicting scenes from the life of Buddha and other Buddhist themes.
Rock-cut architecture reached its zenith in Andhra in the Krishna-Godavari region. The stupa was a large round structure, usually surmounted by a parasol. The stupa at Amaravati is one of the finest examples of Satavahana architecture. It is adorned with intricate carvings depicting scenes from the life of Buddha and other Buddhist motifs.
The Amaravati stupa was originally built by the Satavahana kings but was later renovated and expanded by the Ikshvaku and Pallava kings. The stupa at Nagarjunakonda is another important example of Satavahana architecture. It is surrounded by a circular railing and has elaborate carvings on its base.
Nagarjunakonda prospered most under the Ikshvakus, who succeeded the Satavahanas in Andhra. They built several Buddhist monasteries and stupas in the region.
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