Naganika - The Empress Who Wrote in Stone

Naganika

The Empress Who Wrote in Stone

Queen Naganika (also referred to as Nayanika) was of the mighty Satavahana empire, one of the biggest kingdoms in Indian history - you probably have faint recollections of reading about the dynasty in History class at school. Unless you are a Indian history or archaeology afficionado, the name may not ring a bell. But at one time, in the 2nd century BC, theirs was one of the pre-eminent empires of the Indian mainland. Historians believe that the Satavahana empire included present-day Telangana and Maharashtra, and at times northern Karnataka, parts of Madhya Pradesh and Saurashtra. Roman sources mention that it comprised several villages and 30 walled towns. The army was huge with 1,000 elephants. The Satavahana developed the port of Machilipatnam (also known as Masulipatnam) at the mouth of the River Krishna. It was a great natural harbour on the Bay of Bengal. The Satavahana connected Machilipatnam on the east coast and Sopara on the Arabian Sea on the west coast by a land route across the kingdom spanning the width of the Indian mainland.

The Satavahana capital was Pratishthana (modern Paithan in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra) in western India. Naganika was consort of Satakarni. He ruled over the vast area south of the Narmada, traditionally called the Dakshinapatha region, for about 56 years. Naganika was very deeply involved in the governance of the kingdom. She was born in the powerful Amgiya or Ambhiya family who were called Maharathi (warriors with mastery over all forms of combat and weapons).

The Satavahana kingdom was based in the Godavari valley and their rule lasted from 221 BC to 

102 CE. The exact dates are disputed by historians, but this period is generally accepted. Satakarni twice performed the Ashwamedha Yagna (the horse sacrifice), a fact that indicates that his undisputed power was acknowledged by neighbouring rulers.

During the Ashwamedha Yagna, a specially chosen horse was allowed to run free for a fixed 

period of time (one year or half a year, depending on sources) outside the boundaries of the 

empire, followed by a retinue who made sure it was well looked after. If the ruler of the territory in which the horse ran accepted the overlordship of the ruler who had sent the horse, he would 

welcome it into his kingdom. If he challenged it, however, he would have to fight the army 

accompanying the horse. Upon defeat he would have to accept that he was the vassal of the ruler who sent the horse. It follows that the Ashwamedha Yagna was performed only by the truly powerful kings and the very fact that one performed it was a known mark of power.

Naneghat Pass stone steps
(www.commons.wikipedia.org
Author - Pratikbuttepatil52)

Naganika lived more than 2000 years ago. Apart from sources such as the Puranas and other 

texts that mention that era, we know of Naganika because of an inscription in her name in a cave in Naneghat, a mountain pass in the Western Ghats which links the road from Pratishthana and other parts of the Deccan to ports on India’s west coast, i.e. the Konkan, and to the ancient town of Junnar, an important political and trading centre. Recently a silver coin with the names of Satakarni and Naganika inscribed on it was found near Junnar.

The Naneghat Inscription

Attribution - Elroy Serrao / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)

What is the Naneghat inscription?

The Naneghat inscription is amongst the oldest historical documents of Western India, found 

engraved in a cave. Near the cave is a stone pot, set up by a rich merchant named Nane, into 

which toll was dropped by merchants who used the busy route to the coast and was also used to collect octroi from the inbound merchants. The cave has a curved seating platform inside.

When it was discovered in 1828 by William Sykes while trekking in the area, the inscription was 

already in fragments, some of it due to natural weathering and some due to human efforts. 

Epigraphists have since worked on it for decades to understand what it says. It is conjectured that in the cave, the wall at the back must have had life-sized carved figures of Simuka Satavahana (father of Satakarni), Naganika, her father Mahararthi Tranakayira Kalalaya and her three sons. The carved labels with the names of the figures in Brahmi over each niche which held a figure are still readable.

Naganika was a queen who had an impact over the vast kingdom. Coins were minted in her 

name. In a kingdom that was as vast and rich as the Satavahanas, who also had extensive trade relations, this is bourne out by the superior quantity of coins recovered.

Why is Naganika’s Naneghat inscription important?

The Naneghat inscription gives us insights into several facets of life in India - historical, sociological and religious - during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC.

In general, inscriptions state facts and do not contain myth. They are usually carved on metal or stone and thus are quite impervious to the vagaries of nature. The script is a good indicator of the date of the inscription. At Naneghat, the language is early Prakrit and Sanskrit. The script is Brahmi, the prototype of Devanagari which was to emerge later.

From the historical point of view the Naneghat inscription is very important documentary evidence of the reign of Satakarni, the expanse of his kingdom and the fact that he was as powerful as to conduct the Ashwamedha Yagna twice.

It is a first-hand account by the influential administrative head, the Queen of the Satavahana dynasty. She ruled one of the biggest kingdoms in ancient India after her husband died and while her sons were minors. Naganika was the probably the first woman in India’s recorded history to manage the affairs of a state, and a very powerful one at that. It attests to the fact that she must have been educated and was encouraged to take an active role in administering the kingdom even during the lifetime of Satakarni. Else it would not have been possible to take sole charge of the empire, without experience, after her husband’s death.

Also, it shows the culture of this dynasty and the times that the queen could commission public documents like rock-face inscriptions in her own name to record her message. This in itself is of importance since it is not often, right through history, that one comes across 

females in royal families making public statements.

A distinctive feature of the Satavahana dynasty is that several kings in the line added their 

mothers’ names to their formal names. We hear of Gautamiputra Satakarni, Gautamiputra 

Yagnasri, Vasishtiputra Pulomavi. These queens (Gautami and Vasishti to name some), whose 

names their sons adopted with pride, were strong personalities in their own right. Some historians theorize that this practice may have been to distinguish one similarly named ruler from another, but this theory does not hold water.  Rulers with similar names have been prevalent in other dynasties too, but they did not resort to adding their mothers’ name to their own. It is the culture encouraged by the dynasty that made the practice possible.

From the salutations and other phrases in the inscription at Naneghat, historians conclude that the Satavahana dynasty was Hindu and continued to be so, although at the time Buddhism was 

gaining popularity and its adherents were spreading geographically across the Indian 

sub-continent. Although Hindu, the kings supported Buddhist mendicants with gifts and other 

endowments and did not hinder them even if the rulers themselves did not agree with Buddhist 

philosophy completely. The language employed in this inscription shows clearly that South India produced several schools adhering to Hindu philosophy such as Sama Veda and the Upanishads.

The inscription corroborates that Vedic rituals were elaborate and expensive, as known from other sources.

The inscriptions are important evidence of the worship of Krishna and his family at this time even outside the Ganga-Jamuna doab. The Greeks had found prevalent the worship of Vishnu-Krishna deities in the doab area and had written about it in their accounts of travels in India.

What does the Naneghat inscription say?

The inscription begins with a supplication to Vedic gods - Dharma (god of all created beings), 

Indra, Kubera, Vasudeva, Surya (the Sun), Chandra (the Moon) and others.

It says Satakarni conquered the Malwa (Western region) from the Sungas. The inference is that 

not only did his kingdom extend to large parts of the Deccan, it had also spread to other areas of the mainland.

Satakarni was now titled Dakshinapathi - the lord of the Dakshinapatha regions. The couple, 

Satakarni and Nayanika, performed 18 yagnas including the two Ashwamedhas, a Rajasuya on 

the occasion of his coronation and a Vajapeya, in addition to large donations of coins, animals, 

chariots and garments.

It goes on to say that after Satakarni died, Naganika ruled the kingdom as regent with the help of her father since her son, and the successor, Vedisri as well as her second son Sakthisri were 

minors.

Naganika offered sacrifices, a ritual usually not performed by women but allowed to her since she was effectively ruling as her son’s guardian and had a vital role. The work she did as regent has been written about. Regarding her character and personality, the inscription says ‘she lived like an ascetic.’ This is not surprising since by that time her husband Satakarni had died, and it extols her personality and behaviour.

Ref. - 

1. Report on the Elura Cave Temples and The Brahminical and Jaina Caves in Western India by Jas Burgess

2. Aiirjournal.com - A Study of Historical Inscriptions in Ancient Deccan by Dr. SR Kattimani