Post-Mauryan Kingdoms: Sungas, Kushanas and Satavahanas
Post-Mauryan kingdoms Kushanas Satavahanas describe the political fragmentation of India between 185 BCE and 320 CE when the Mauryan Empire's collapse gave rise to regional powers — the Shungas in the...
Post-Mauryan kingdoms Kushanas Satavahanas describe the political fragmentation of India between 185 BCE and 320 CE when the Mauryan Empire's collapse gave rise to regional powers — the Shungas in the east, Satavahanas in the Deccan, and Kushanas in the northwest — each making distinctive contributions to Indian art, trade, and religious life.
What Was the Shunga Dynasty and Its Significance?
The Shunga dynasty (185–75 BCE) was founded by Pushyamitra Shunga, the Mauryan military commander who assassinated the last Maurya emperor Brihadratha during a military parade. Key features:
- Brahmanical revival: Pushyamitra performed the Ashvamedha (horse sacrifice) — the first recorded in centuries — signaling a return to Vedic tradition after Ashoka's Buddhist policies
- Repression of Buddhism: Buddhist tradition records persecution, though historians debate its extent
- Art and architecture: The magnificent Sanchi Stupa gateways (toranas) with elaborate sculptural narratives were built during the Shunga period
- Bactrian Greek invasions: The Shungas faced repeated invasions from the Indo-Greek kings (Bactrian Greeks) who had established kingdoms in the northwest
- The Shunga dynasty was succeeded by the Kanvas (75–30 BCE), a brief interlude before the Satavahanas dominated
Who Were the Satavahanas and Why Are They Important?
The Satavahanas (c. 230 BCE–220 CE) were the dominant power in the Deccan and central India for over four centuries:
- Founder: Simuka founded the dynasty; major ruler Gautamiputra Satakarni (78–102 CE) is called the greatest Satavahana ruler
- Titles: Gautamiputra claimed to have destroyed the Shakas, Pahlavas, and Yavanas (Greeks); his Nashik inscription praises him as "destroyer of Shakas"
- Administration: Used Maharathis (great warriors) and Mahabhojas as feudal lords; issued bilingual coins (Brahmi + Kharosthi)
- Trade: Controlled ports on both the Arabian Sea (Sopara, Broach) and Bay of Bengal coasts; intermediaries in Roman-Indian trade
- Buddhism patronage: Despite being associated with Brahmanical revival, the Satavahanas patronized Buddhist monuments — the Amaravati Stupa (Andhra Pradesh) with its distinctive limestone sculptures
- Language: Prakrit was the official language, not Sanskrit
What Was the Kushana Empire and Its Cultural Legacy?
The Kushanas (c. 30–375 CE) were a Central Asian people (Yuezhi/Tocharians) who established an empire spanning modern Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India:
| Ruler | Period | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| Kujula Kadphises | c. 30–80 CE | Founded Kushana empire in northwest India |
| Vima Kadphises | c. 80–105 CE | Issued gold coins; promoted Shaivism |
| Kanishka I | c. 127–150 CE | Greatest Kushana; promoted Buddhism; held 4th Buddhist Council; Gandhara art |
| Huvishka | c. 150–180 CE | Expanded empire; eclectic religious policy |
| Vasudeva I | c. 185–220 CE | Last great Kushana; decline began |
Gandhara Art — The Greco-Buddhist Fusion
The most significant cultural legacy of the Kushana period was the Gandhara school of art:
- Emerged in the region of modern Afghanistan and Pakistan (ancient Gandhara)
- Fused Hellenistic (Greek) artistic techniques with Buddhist themes — produced the first anthropomorphic representations of the Buddha
- Buddha images showed Greek features: wavy hair, draped toga-like robes, realistic facial features
- Contrasted with the Mathura school of art (indigenous tradition using red sandstone; more spiritual, less realistic representation of the Buddha)
- Kanishka patronized this art along with the Silk Road trade that connected the Roman Empire to China through India
What Was the Indo-Greek Legacy in India?
The Indo-Greeks (Bactrian Greeks, c. 200–10 BCE) left important cultural contributions:
- Menander I (Milinda) was the most famous Indo-Greek king, converted to Buddhism — his dialogues with monk Nagasena are recorded in the Pali text Milindapanho
- Introduced coinage with bilingual legends (Greek and Kharosthi) — a model followed by later dynasties
- Contributed to the Hellenistic influence on Indian art, especially Gandhara sculpture
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were the post-Mauryan kingdoms?
The main post-Mauryan kingdoms were the Shungas (185–75 BCE) in eastern India, the Satavahanas (c. 230 BCE–220 CE) in the Deccan, the Kushanas (c. 30–375 CE) in the northwest and north, and the Indo-Greeks (Bactrian Greeks) who controlled the northwest. Each contributed distinctively to Indian politics, trade, art, and religion.
What is the significance of the Kushana empire?
The Kushana empire under Kanishka I was significant for promoting Buddhism (hosting the 4th Buddhist Council at Kashmir), patronizing Gandhara art (Greco-Buddhist fusion producing the first Buddha images), controlling Silk Road trade routes connecting Rome, India, and China, and issuing gold coins that facilitated long-distance commerce.
What was the Gandhara school of art?
The Gandhara school of art was a Greco-Buddhist artistic tradition that flourished in the Kushana period in modern Afghanistan and Pakistan. It was the first tradition to depict the Buddha in human form, combining Greek artistic techniques (realistic faces, wavy hair, toga-like robes) with Buddhist iconographic themes.
Who were the Satavahanas and what is their historical importance?
The Satavahanas were the dominant power in the Deccan for over four centuries (c. 230 BCE–220 CE). They controlled major Indian Ocean trade routes, issued bilingual coins, patronized Prakrit literature, built the Amaravati Stupa, and their greatest ruler Gautamiputra Satakarni defeated the Shakas and unified the Deccan under one authority.
What were Pushyamitra Shunga's main policies?
Pushyamitra Shunga (185–151 BCE) reversed Mauryan Buddhist policy by performing Vedic Ashvamedha sacrifices, reviving Brahmanical practices, and reportedly persecuting Buddhist institutions. However, the Sanchi Stupa gateways — major Buddhist monuments — were also built during the Shunga period, suggesting a complex religious landscape rather than pure persecution.
Sources and Further Reading
According to IGNOU's BHIC-131 (History of India: Earliest Times to 300 CE), the post-Mauryan period was not simply a dark age of fragmentation but a creative period of regional state formation, artistic innovation (especially Gandhara art), and expanding international trade that laid foundations for the Gupta classical age.
- IGNOU BHIC-131, Block 5: Post-Mauryan Polities
- A.K. Narain, The Indo-Greeks
- B.N. Mukherjee, The Rise and Fall of the Kushana Empire
- Himanshu Prabha Ray, The Archaeology of Seafaring in Ancient South Asia