Chutu dynasty

The name "Chutu-kula" ("Chutu family") is found in the contemporary inscriptions.[3] The coins attributed to the family bear the legends Raño Cuṭukaḷānaṃdasa ("of king Chutukalananda"), Raño Muḷānaṃdasa, and Raño Sivaḷānaṃdasa. The word "Cuṭukaḷānaṃdasa" was misread as "Cuṭukaḍānaṃdasa" by some earlier scholars, leading to different theories about the names of the kings and their dynasty.[4] For example, numismatist E. J. Rapson (1908) theorized that "Chutu-kada-nanda" meant "Joy of the City of the Chutus".[3]

The word Chutu in Kannada language means "crest". Chutu inscriptions contain the emblem of the cobra hood implying Chutu meant the "cobra crest". This connects the Chutus to the Nagas tribes as they also associated themselves with the region of the western Deccan called Nagara Khanda around modern Banavasi.[5]

According to numismatist Michael Mitchiner (1983), these names appear to be matronymics.[6] For example, Raño Muḷānaṃdasa means "of king Mulananda", where "Mulananda" is a matronymic meaning "son (nanda) of a queen belonging to the Mula gotra". Similarly, Sivaḷānaṃdasa means "of the son of a queen belonging to the Sivala gotra". Mitchiner theorizes that "Chutu-kula-nanda-sa" (IAST: Cuṭukaḷānaṃdasa, "son of a queen belonging to the Chutu family") was a common name borne by multiple kings of the dynasty. This theory is based on the fact that the Banavasi inscription of king Haritiputra Vishnukada Chutukulananda Satakarni was issued shortly before the Kadamba occupation of Banavasi in c. 345, while the coins bearing the name Chutukulananda can be dated to two centuries earlier based on the stratification at Chandravalli excavations.[7]

Historian M. Rama Rao used the term "Ananda family" to describe the family, because the coin legends mention kings whose names end in "-nanda". Numismatists P.L. Gupta and A. V. Narasimha Murthy also followed this interpretation.[3]

At least two of the Chutu kings bore the title "Satakarni",[8] which is associated with the more notable Satavahana dynasty, and which was also borne by ministers and ordinary people in the Satavahana period.[9] The exact relationship between the Chutus and the Satavahanas is uncertain.[10] Modern historians variously believe that the Chutu family originated as a branch of the Satavahanas,[11] was descended from the Satavahana princesses,[12] or simply succeeded the Satavahanas in southern Deccan.[13]

Numismatist Michael Mitchiner speculates that the Chutus may have been of Indo-Scythian (Shaka) origin.[7] According to him, some Chutu coins bear designs copied from the Indo-Scythian coins. For example, the obverse of the two lead coins found at Kondapur features a swastika surrounded by a legend "reminds one of the Kshaharata coins stuck for Ladhanes and Pisayu"; the reverse of the same coin bears an arrow and a thunderbolt that seems to be derived from the coins of Bhumaka and Nahapana. According to V. V. Mirashi's interpretation, the issuers of such coins variously call themselves Shakas or members of the Chutu family.[14] Mirashi and Mitchiner read the legend on the coin as Mahasenapatisa Baradajaputasa Saga Mana Chutukulasa, which means "of the Maha-senapati (chief commander) Saka Mana, the son of Baradaja, of the Chutu family.[15] Mitchiner notes that according to a Nashik inscription, the Satavahana king Gautamiputra Satakarni issued an order from his "camp of victory" at Vaijayanti (the ancient name of Banavasi).[14] He theorizes that the Chutus were originally Indo-Scythian chiefs, who became Satavahana feudatories, when Gautamiputra defeated the Indo-Scythian king Nahapana around c. 125 CE. Subsequently, they participated in the Satavahana military campaigns: one Chutu chief was appointed as the Mahasenapati in the Kondapur region, while another was appointed to govern the newly-captured city of Banavasi.[16]

Historian D. C. Sircar has disputed Mirashi's reading of the coin legend, arguing that the expression Saga Mana Chutukulasa cannot be interpreted to refer to "Saka Mana of the Chutu family". Sircar argues that if this was the meaning intended, the expression would have been Chutu-kulasa Saga-Manasa or Chutu-kula-Saga-Manasa.[17] Sircar instead reads the term Saga-Mana as Sagamana ("of the Sagamas, that is, belonging to the Sagama family").[17]

The Chutukula coins discovered from Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh and the southern part of Telangana proves that Chutus held sway in and around the Srisailam (Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh) or Sriparvata area which proves their title of Sriparvatiyas (the masters of the Sriparvata region) as very apt.[18]

In the medieval times, Srisailam region or the Sriparvata area was known as Kannadu and Kannavisaya which is the contracted form of Satakarninadu and Satakarnivisaya. Satakarninadu and Satakarnivisaya seem to be identical with the Satavahanihara of the Myakadoni inscription of Pulumayi or the Satavahaniratta of the Hirahadagalli grant. The Chutus continued to use the title Satakanni along with their names and regions, but later dropped the Sata part of Satakanni and used only the title of Kanni.[18]

East Hemisphere at c. 2nd century AD.

The Chutus ruled a kingdom centered around the city Banavasi in present-day Karnataka for over two centuries, from c. 125 CE to c. 345 CE.[19]

The Chutus were probably subordinate to the Satavahanas in the beginning, and assumed independence when the Satavahana power declined.[10] They were probably one of the several dynasties that are described collectively as "Andhra-bhritya" ("servants of the Andhras, that is, the Satavahanas) in the Puranas. Numismatic evidence suggests that the Chutus were surrounded by other Satavahana feudatories: the Kuras of Kolhapur in the north and the Sadakana Maharathis of Chandravalli. The coins issued by these three families are similar, and most of these coins, can be dated to the 2nd century CE.[20] Coins discovered at Chandravalli and Kondapur bear the legend "Maharathi Sadakana Chutu Krishna", which suggests that the Chutus consolidated their power by intermarriage with the other feudatory families.[16]

Numismatic evidence also indicates that by the last quarter of the 2nd century CE, the power of these three feudatory families was eclipsed by the Satavahanas, who appear to have assumed greater control over their territories. This is suggested by the discovery of the coins of the Satavahana ruler Yajna Sri Satakarni at Bramhapuri (Kolhapur) and Chandravalli: the Satavahana coins were found a more recent strata compared to the coins of the feudatory dynasties.[20]

When the Satavahana power declined in the first half of the 3rd century CE, the Chutus retained their authority at Banavasi, unlike the Kuras and the Sadakana Maharathis. Their rule is attested by at least four inscriptions dated between the 260s and the 340s CE.[21] Historian Sailendra Nath Sen states that after the fall of the Satavahanas post the end of the reign of Pulumayi IV in 225 CE, the Chutus appear to have controlled the far-flung areas of the south-western parts of the erstwhile Satavahana empire. They subsequently extended their power in the north and the east.[22] According to historian Teotónio R. De Souza, following the rule of Shak Satakarni of the Satavahanas, the Chutus ruling from Banavasi of Uttara Kannada (North Canara) district of Karnataka, probably also gained control of Konkan and places in Goa like Kunkalli, Balli, and Kankon, as subordinates of the Bhojas.[23]

After the demise of Satavahana emperor Gautami-putra Yajna Satakarni in 181 CE, the old dynasty (Satavahanas) lost control of the western provinces, which passed into the hands of another family of Satakarnis, the Chutu-kula. Chutu dynasty came to an end probably in the first or second half of the third century i.e. around 250-275 CE. Of the Chutu dynasty two kings are known through inscriptions, Hariti-putra Chutu-kadananda Satakarni and his grandson Hariti-putra Siva-skanda-varman, who ruled in Banawasi (Vaijayantipura) before the Kadamba dynasty. In 222 CE, Prithivi-sena, son of Rudra-sena I, was reigning as the Western Kshatrapa ruler, in succession to the latter - Hariti-putra Siva-skanda-varman.[24]

The Chutus appear to have continued the policy of consolidating their power by intermarriage with their neighbours: this is suggested by an Ikshvaku dynasty record which states that the "Maharaja of Vanavasa" (presumably the Chutu ruler of Banavasi) married a daughter of the Ikshvaku king Vira-purusha-datta. Mitchiner also believes that the occurrence of the name "Satakarni" in the names of the Chutu kings (Vishnurudra Sivalananda Satakarni and Haritiputra Vishnukada Chutukulananda Satakarni) suggests that the Chutus also married into the Satavahana family.[8] The Chutu king Sivalananda is attested by a 278 CE inscription of the Abhira ruler Vasushena from Nagarjunakonda.[25]

According to Mitchiner, the designs on the Chutu coins suggest that they were Buddhists.[26] The Chutu rule seems to have ended when Mayurasharman established the Kadamba dynasty with its capital at Banavasi in c. 345 CE.[8]

The Chalukya dynasty of Badami, which later controlled much of the present-day Karnataka, claimed descent from a son of Hariti (a woman of the Harita gotra) and of Manavya gotra. The Chalukyas had appropriated this genealogy from the Kadamba dynasty, who ruled Banavasi before them and after the Chutus. The Kadambas, in turn, had appropriated this genealogy from the Chutus.[27]

Historian Sailendra Nath Sen theorizes that the Chalukyas were related to the Chutus and the Kadambas "in some way".[28]

A coin of the post-Chutus period (250-400) in bronze. (Deccan, Central India) A / Cow on the right; Below undulating line, above legend Rajavipurudapa R / 4 arches with arrows and center circle Dimension: 17 mm Weight: 1.21 g. Bronze

The Chutu coins have been discovered at Karwar and Chandravalli.[21]

Their coins are mostly of lead, belonging to Mulananda c. 125-345. One coin shows Arched hill (or Stupa?) with river motif below on the Obverse and Tree within railed lattice; Nandipada to right on the Reverse.[33]

Coins of Rano Chutukadananda (70 BCE), the 1st known ruler of the Chutu dynasty whose name was inscribed on them as Rano Chutukadanamdasa were discovered from Karwar and Banavasi surroundings of the ancient Nagarakhanda (Bandalike) town regions.

The following Chutu rulers are known from coins and inscriptions:

• Chutukulananda
• Mulananda
• Sivalananda