The s (

Devanagari Devanagari ( ; in script: , , ) is an Indic script used in the Indian subcontinent. It is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental Writing systems#Segmental systems: alphabets, writing system), based on the ancient ''Brāhmī script, Brā ...

:आन्ध्रभृत्य) was an Indian dynasty mentioned in the

Puranas Puranas (Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature
(1995 Editio ...

. Lists of Andhrabhrtyas have been mentioned in various Puranas. They are mostly identified with Satavahanas which replaced the house of the

Maurya The Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia with its power base in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya around c. 320 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The primary sourc ...

in the

Deccan The Deccan is a plateau extending over an area of and occupies the majority of the Indian peninsula. It stretches from the Satpura and Vindhya Ranges in the north to the northern fringes of Tamil Nadu in the south. It is bound by the mount ...

about 230 BC, reigning until the end of 3rd century AD. At the height of its power the dynasty succeeded in extending it reign far to the north, possibly right up to the

Magadha Magadha was a region and kingdom in ancient India, based in the eastern Ganges Plain. It was one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas during the Second Urbanization period. The region was ruled by several dynasties, which overshadowed, conquered, and ...

. The term Andhrabhrtya has been used very ambiguously by some historians, sometimes it is used to mean the Satavahanas and sometimes it is used to mean their

feudatories A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...

. Yet again certain historians claim that the Chutus, who were Nagas, the younger branch of the Imperial Andhras were called Andhrabhrtya. The designation ' or ' is found in the Puranas which represents its founder as or servant of the last king. Sir R. G. Bhandarkar following the

Vishnu Purana The Vishnu Purana () is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas, a genre of ancient and medieval texts of Hinduism. It is an important Pancharatra text in the Vaishnavism literature corpus. The manuscripts of ''Vishnu Purana'' have survived into ...

styles the dynasty founded by Simuka as Andhrabhrtya, i.e. Andhras who were once servants. But that designation is also applied to the seven s who are mentioned as the successors of the line of the Simuka.

References

See also