The Vakatakas were a minor dynasty of rulers ruling from Berar just to the south of the Central Vindhyas. They ruled for a mere two centuries (c.AD 300 to 400) and during this period taking advantage of the weakness of neighbouring powers set up something like an empire; and when powerful kingdoms like the Chalukyas of Vatapi rose to political eminence the Vakatakas suffered a permanent eclipse.
The name of the dynasty means nothing to the historian now and it does not give a clue to its origin. The dynasty existed as close contemporary of the Guptas of Magadha. A few inscriptions explained with reference to some puranic data enable us to create a genealogy and a passable chronology for these rulers.
In fact we know nothing at all absolutely about the dates of any of these Vakataka rulers except for the synchronism of Rudrasena II and Pravarasena II with Chandragupta II Vikramaditya. The glory of their conquests was rather confined to the fifth century AD.