Kanha (Satavahana dynasty)
Kanha (Brahmi script:๐๐ฆ๐๐ณ, Ka-nha, c. 1st century BCE) was a ruler of the Satavahana dynasty of India. Historian Himanshu Prabha Ray assigns his reign to the period c. 100โ70 BCE.[5][1]
| Kanha | |
|---|---|
| Satavahana king | |
| Reign | c. 100โ70 BCE |
| Predecessor | Simuka |
| Successor | Sri Satakarni (according to Puranas) |
| Dynasty | Satavahana |
In Brahmi script:๐ฒ๐ธ๐ค๐ฏ๐ธ๐ณ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ณ๐๐ญ๐ธ๐๐บ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ฆ๐ธ๐ฒ๐บ๐๐๐ฆ ๐ฒ๐ซ๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ซ๐ณ๐ธ๐ซ๐ธ๐ข๐๐ก ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐๐ธ๐ญ๐ข
Sฤdavฤhanakule Kanhe rฤjini Nฤsikakena Samaแนena mahฤmฤteแนa leแนa kฤrita
"Under King Kanha[3] of the Satavahana family this cave has been caused to be made by the officer in charge of the Sramanas at Nasik".[4][3]
Kanha has been mentioned as "Krishna" (IAST: Kแนแนฃแนa) in the Puranas. According to the Puranic genealogy, he was the brother of the first Satavahana king Simuka (whose name varies according to the different Puranas).[6][7]
Nasik cave
Besides the legendary Puranas, Kanha's existence is also supported by an epigraphic record at Cave No.19 in the Nasik Caves. He is identified with the "Kanha-raja" (King Kanha) of "Satavahana-kula" (Satavahana family) mentioned in a Nashik cave inscription.[8] The inscription states that the cave was excavated by maha-matra (officer-in-charge) of the shramanas (non-Vedic ascetics) during Kanha's reign. Based on this, Sudhakar Chattopadhyaya concludes that Kanha favoured Buddhism, and had an administrative department dedicated to the welfare of Buddhist monks. Also, the term maha-matra, well known in Ashokan inscriptions, indicates that the early Satavahanas followed the Mauryan administrative model.[6]
Cave No19 at the Nasik Caves is located on the ground floor, to the left of the entrance of Cave No.18, and right under cave No.20. Cave No.19 has one inscription mentioning the dedication by a government officer during the rule of king Krishna of the Satavahanas:
๐ฒ๐ธ๐ค๐ฏ๐ธ๐ณ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ณ๐๐ญ๐ธ๐๐บ๐ฆ๐บ ๐ฆ๐ธ๐ฒ๐บ๐๐๐ฆ ๐ฒ๐ซ๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ซ๐ณ๐ธ๐ซ๐ธ๐ข๐๐ก ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐๐ธ๐ญ๐ข
Sฤdavฤhanakule Kanhe rฤjini Nฤsikakena Samaแนena mahฤmฤteแนa leแนa kฤrita
"Under King Kanha of the Satavahana family, this cave has been caused to be made by the officer in charge of the Sramanas at Nasik."โโInscription of Cave No.19[9]
This makes Cave No.19 one of the earliest to be excavated at Nasik Caves.[10]
References
| Satavahana emperors 100 BCEโ2nd c. CE | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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- Empires: Perspectives from Archaeology and History by Susan E. Alcock p.168
- Carla M. Sinopoli 2001, p. 168.
- Alcock, Susan E.; Alcock, John H. D'Arms Collegiate Professor of Classical Archaeology and Classics and Arthur F. Thurnau Professor Susan E.; D'Altroy, Terence N.; Morrison, Kathleen D.; Sinopoli, Carla M. (2001). Empires: Perspectives from Archaeology and History. Cambridge University Press. p. 168. ISBN 9780521770200.
- Burgess. Epigraphia Indica Vol 8. p. 93.
- Carla M. Sinopoli (2001). "On the edge of empire: form and substance in the Satavahana dynasty". In Susan E. Alcock (ed.). Empires: Perspectives from Archaeology and History. Cambridge University Press. pp. 166โ168. ISBN 9780521770200.
- Sudhakar Chattopadhyaya (1974). Some Early Dynasties of South India. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 37โ38. ISBN 9788120829411.
- rao 1994, p. 10.
- D. S. Naidu (1970). Andhra Satavahanas: Origins, Chronology, and History of the Early Rulers of the Dynasty. Bharath. p. 80.
- Epigraphia Indica p.93 Inscription No.22
- Archaeological survey of India Archived 26 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine
Bibliography
- rao (1994), History and Culture of Andhra Pradesh: From the Earliest times to the present Day, Sterling Publishers, ISBN 81-207-1719-8