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.

Gangadevi, The poet-queen

GANGADEVI

The poet-queen

Gangadevi is the author of Madhura Vijaya (also named Virakamparaya Charita). She was the queen of Kumara Kampana Raya of Vijayanagara who conquered Madurai in 1371 and represented the empire at Kanchipuram. It is speculated that the poem was composed approximately between 1375 and 1400 CE.

What is interesting about this poet is that her royal status gave her access to an education not easily available to all women at the time. She was royalty by birth and by marriage. Her guru was the eminent poet Viswanatha. Her learning resulted in a breadth of vision that enabled her to write poetry of a high standard. Gangadevi was well-read as is obvious from her salutations and eulogies at the beginning of Madhura Vijaya.

Style

Madhura Vijaya is nine cantos long composed in 522 verses written in the Vaidarbhi style in Grantha characters. This class of Sanskrit poetry is considered to be a complete style since it requires all guna (attributes) to be invoked, wherein puns and other rhetorical embellishments are absent and no terse words are used. There are no long compound words and alliterations. Instead, soft and melodious syllables convey the sense of the rasa (emotion, mood). Simple and lucid phrases are characteristic of this style. The expertise of the poet lies in being able to incorporate all the guna, to a greater or lesser degree depending on the rasa to be conveyed, and yet bringing the entire work under the umbrella of one unified theme.