Pravarasena I

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For the Alchon Huns king, see Sri Pravarasena.

Pravarasena I
Samrāṭ
Reignc. 275 – 335 CE
PredecessorVindhyashakti
Successor
Issue
  • Gautamiputra
  • Sarvasena I
  • Two other unnamed sons
Vakataka
Vakataka dynasty
c. 250 - 510 CE
Vindhyashakti c. 250 - 275
Pravarasena I c. 275 - 335
Nandivardhana-Pravarapura Branch
Rudrasena I c. 335 - 360
Prithivishena I c. 360 - 385
Rudrasena II c. 385 - 390
Prabhavatigupta (regent) c. 390 - 410
Damodarasena c. 410 - 420
Pravarasena II c. 420 - 455
Narendrasena c. 455 - 480
Prithivishena II c. 480 - 500
Vatsagulma Branch
Sarvasena I c. 325 - 355
Vindhyasena (Vindhyashakti II) c. 355 - 400
Pravarasena II c. 400 - 415
Sarvasena II c. 415 - 455
Devasena c. 455 - 480
Harishena c. 480 - 510


Pravarasena (r. c. 275 – 335 CE

Deccan
, where they would rule for almost two centuries after Pravarasena's death.

Reign

No inscription or record from Pravarasena's reign has been discovered.[2] Information on his reign and accomplishments is dependent on later records of the Vakataka dynasty as well as from the Puranic literary tradition. The Puranas are unanimous in giving Pravarasena (or "Pravira", as he is called in the Puranic texts) a long reign of 60 years. That Pravarasena lived to old age seems to be supported by the fact that Pravarasena's grandson was among the successors to his empire.[4]

Although the details of Pravarasena's military campaigns are unknown, their number and significance can be gauged from the many Vedic sacrifices that he is said to have performed. Pravarasena performed no less than four ashvamedha horse sacrifices during his reign, and each one may have marked the termination of a successful campaign.[5] As an orthodox Hindu and champion of the Brahmanical religious tradition, Pravarasena also performed many other Vedic sacrifices including the Agnishṭoma, Āptoryāma, Jyotishṭoma, Bṛihaspatisava, Sādyaskra, Ukthya, Shoḍaśin, and Atirātra sacrifices.[2] At the end of his career, after he had achieved overlordship over the Deccan, Pravarasena celebrated the Vājapeya sacrifice and formally assumed the imperial title of Samrāṭ.[6]

To the north of Pravarasena's empire were the powerful Bharashiva Naga kings, who were a strong force in the central regions of India. Pravarasena forged an important political alliance with King Bhavanaga of the Bharashiva dynasty by marrying his son Gautamiputra to Bhavanaga's daughter.[3] This alliance secured the northern border of the Vakataka dominions and left Pravarasena free to expand into the south. It is also possible that Pravarasena performed his multiple ashvamedha sacrifices in imitation of the Bharashiva Nagas, for the latter are said to have performed no fewer than ten ashvamedha sacrifices.[2]

Pravarasena's capital was called Kanchanaka and has been identified with Nachna in the

Krishna rivers, while his sphere of influence extended over Malwa, Gujarat, Andhradesha, and southern Koshala.[7] Pravarasena had four sons who were appointed as viceroys over different provinces of his empire, and these provinces seem to have become independent following Pravarasena's death.[8]

Legacy

Pravarasena's eldest son was Prince Gautamiputra, but he predeceased his father. Gautamiputra's son

Sarvasena, was likely a viceroy of southern Berar and the Marathwada region of Maharashtra. Upon his father's death, Sarvasena founded a branch of the Vakataka dynasty at Vatsagulma (identified with Washim).[10] Nothing is known about the branches set up by the other two sons.[11]

All of the

Mahārāja.[3] Pravarasena's unique imperial title, his expansive empire, and his performance of numerous Vedic sacrifices made him stand out as a particularly illustrious ruler in the eyes of posterity.[citation needed
]

References

  1. ISBN 9788120800434
    .
  2. ^ a b c d D.C. Sircar (1968). Majumdar, R.C. (ed.). The Age of Imperial Unity (Fourth ed.). Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. p. 220.
  3. ^
    ISBN 9788131716779
    .
  4. ^ A.S. Altekar (1960). Yazdani, Ghulam (ed.). The Early History of the Deccan. Oxford University Press. p. 158.
  5. ^ Altekar (2007), p.91
  6. ^ Altekar (1960), p. 162
  7. ^ Altekar (1960), p. 161
  8. ^ Altekar (2007), p. 94
  9. ^ Altekar (1960), pp. 163–164
  10. ^ Singh (2016), p. 484
  11. ISBN 81-219-0887-6
    , p. 588
  12. ^ Altekar (1960), pp. 156–157
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