Rudrasimha I on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
300px, Gunda inscription of Rudrasimha, Saka year 103.
Rudrasimha I was a Western Kshatrapa ruler, who reigned from 178 to 197 CE. He was son of Rudradaman I, grandson of Jayadaman, and grand-grandson of Chashtana. During his reign, the Abhiras became increasingly important. Some of them were even serving as generals. Ashvini Agrawal thinks that the Abhira king '' Isvardatta'' was a general in the service of Rudrasimha I who deposed his master in 188 A.D and ascended the throne. Ashvini Agrawal further says that Rudrasimha I soon deposed him and regained the throne in 190 A.D.
Rudrasimha I was a Western Kshatrapa ruler, who reigned from 178 to 197 CE. He was son of Rudradaman I, grandson of Jayadaman, and grand-grandson of Chashtana. During his reign, the Abhiras became increasingly important. Some of them were even serving as generals. Ashvini Agrawal thinks that the Abhira king '' Isvardatta'' was a general in the service of Rudrasimha I who deposed his master in 188 A.D and ascended the throne. Ashvini Agrawal further says that Rudrasimha I soon deposed him and regained the throne in 190 A.D.
Reign
Numismatics and Epigraphics
From the reigns of Jivadaman and Rudrasimha I, the date of minting of each coin, reckoned in theSaka era
The Shaka era (IAST: Śaka, Śāka) is a historical Hindu calendar era (year numbering), the epoch (its year zero) of which corresponds to Julian year 78.
The era has been widely used in different regions of the Indian subcontinent as well a ...
, is usually written on the obverse behind the king's head in Brahmi numerals
Brahmi numerals are a numeral system attested in the Indian subcontinent from the 3rd century BCE. It is the direct graphic ancestor of the modern Hindu–Arabic numeral system. However, the Brahmi numeral system was conceptually distinct from ...
, allowing for a quite precise datation of the rule of each king. This is a rather uncommon case in Indian numismatics. Some, such as the numismat R.C Senior considered that these dates might correspond to the much earlier Azes era instead.
Influence of Abhiras
During his reign, the Abhiras became increasingly important. Some of them were even serving as generals. Ashvini Agrawal thinks that the Abhira king '' Isvardatta'' was a general in the service of Rudrasimha I who deposed his master in 188 A.D and ascended the throne. Ashvini Agrawal further says that Rudrasimha I soon deposed him and regained the throne in 190 A.D. Rudrasimha I is also known for an inscription inSanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
at Gunda, north Kathiawar
Kathiawar (), also known as Saurashtra, is a peninsula in the south-western Gujarat state in India, bordering the Arabian Sea and covering about . It is bounded by the Kutch district in the north, the Gulf of Kutch in the northwest, and by the ...
, mentioning "the digging of a well for the welfare of society by Senapati
Senapati ( , ''sena'' meaning "army", ''Pati (title), pati'' meaning "lord") is a title in ancient India denoting the rank of general (military), General.
It was a hereditary title of nobility used in the Maratha Empire. During wartime, a ''Sar ...
Bapaka's son, Rudrabhuti Abhira", and dated to Saka era 103 (181 CE). The inscription also gives a detailed genealogy of the kings up to Rudrasimha:
The inscription refers Rudrasimha to as simply a ''ksatrapa'', ignoring the existence of any ''mahaksatrapa''. According to Sudhakar Chattopadhyaya, this indicates that the Abhira general was the '' de facto'' ruler of the state, though not assuming any higher title. The inscription states Abhira Rudrabhuti as the son of the general Bapaka. The Abhira dynasty was probably related Abhira Rudrabhuti.
Notes
References
* Rapson, "A Catalogue of Indian coins in the British Museum. Andhras etc..." {{Western Satraps Western Satraps