The Puranic lists suggest that the first king, Simuka, probably began to rule about 230 BC. This is confirmed by the script of the Nasik inscription of Kanha assigned by Biihler to the beginning of the Second Century BC. Jain accounts state that Simuka grew utterly wicked in the end and was, therefore, assassinated and succeeded by his brother Kanha (207-189 BC).

Kanha was succeeded by Sri Sat&karni I, whose figure was sculptured in rilievo at Nanaghat along with the figures of his father Simuka, his queen Naganika, a maharathi, and three princes.

He conquered western Malwa, Anupa and Vidarbha. He registered his imperial sway by performing two ashvamedha sacrifices and one rajasuya sacrifice. Apart from the performance of the three sacrifices, an inscription of his quee records the fees paid to the officiating priest including tens of thousands of cows, thousands horses, a number of elephants, whole villages huge sums of money (karshapanas).

Sri Sataka I is described in the inscription of Naganika Nayanika as dakshinapathapati (the Lord dakshinapatha) and as apratihatachakra (the wielder of the unchecked wheel).

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The same inscription incised during the minority of Vedisi mentions other minor sacrifices such agnyadheya, anvarambhaniya, gavamayana, bhagaladasaratra, aptoryama, angirasamayana, gargatriratra, angirasatriratra chandogapavamanatriratra, trayodasaratra etc Satakarni II (accession. 166), the sixth king ruled for 56 years and wrested Malwa from th Shungas.

He had to contend with the invasion Kharavela. This king extended his empire Madhya Pradesh, as a coin of his successor Apilak has been found in the eastern part of that state these square coins bear the legends ran satakannisa.

Apilaka is the 8th king in the Purani list and his authenticity is proved by discovery a large copper coin from the central provinces with the legend ‘rano siva sirisa-apilakasa.’ Eight kings between Apilaka (8th) and Hala (17th) in Puranic lists are of no significance.

Hala seems to have ruled for four years from c.AD 20-24 and he is famous in literature as the compiler of Sattasai Gathasaptasati (700 verses in seven chapters), anthology of erotic verses in Arya metre and Maharastri Prakrit.

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Hala worked on the basis of an earlier anthology by a certain Kavivatsala. The commentator’s notes mention the following poet as contributors to the work: Bodissa, Culluh Amaraja, Kumarila, Makarandasena and Sriraja after Satakarni II, the expansion of the Satavahanas received a check and they were pushe out of the western Deccan by Shakas. They had fled to the eastern Deccan. The possession western Deccan by Shaka satrap Nahapana proved by the presence of a number of coins in tl Nasik area belonging to the first century AD.

The Satavahana power was revived by Gautamiputra Sri Satakarni (AD 80-104). He is described as the destroyer of the Shakas, Pah lavas and Yavanas. He overthrew Nahapana and restruck large number of his silver coins. Jogalthembi hoard in Nasik district contains a large number of such restruck coins.

He recovered northern Maharashtra, Konkan, and Narmada valley, Saurashtra, Malwa and western Rajaputana from the Shakas. His empire probably extended from Malwa in the north to Banavasi in the south. Gautamiputra Sri Satakarni is the first Satavahana king bearing-metronym. Nearly all the successors of Gautamiputra Sri- Satakarni bear metronym except Rajan Sivamaka Sada of an Amaravati inscription and Pulumavi of the Myakadoni inscription.

This king had titles such as ekabrahmanasya and khatiya dapa madanasa. In Nasik inscription No. 2 Gautamiputra is spoken of as the exterminator of the khakharata-vasa. These achievements are recorded in glowing terms by his mother, Gautami Balasri in an inscription at Nasik engraved after his death and in the 19th year of his son and successor Pulumavi II.

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It also mentions that his son’s horses drank water from three oceans. Pulumavi II ruled for 24 years and his coins are found in Godavari and Guntur districts and on the Coromandel Coast as far south as Cuddalore. Some of the western possessions of the Satavahanas were wrested by the Shakas when Pulumavi II got preoccupied with the eastern region.

He Puranas mention Siva Sri-Satakarni as the successor of Pulumavi II. He is also known as vasishthiputra Siva Sri-Satakarni (known from the coins), and Vasishthiputra Sri-Satakarni in the Kanheri inscription and Vasishthiputra Chatarpana Sri-Satakarni in Nanaghat inscription.

Some scholars believe that this king was married to the daughter of Mahakshatrapa Rudradaman. The Girnar inscription of Rudradaman mentions that he defeated dakshinapathapati Satakarni twice but did not kill him because of a close relationship between them. This defeated king could also be Sivamaka Sada Satakarni or Madhariputra Sakasena Satakarni. However, confusion continues.

The best known Satavahana ruler is Sri Yajna Satakarni (c.AD 170-199). After the death of Rudradaman he renewed the struggle with the Shakas and recovered some of the provinces lost earlier.

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His inscriptions at Kanheri, Nasik, Chinna Ganjam, his rare silver coins of Sopara fabric (imitation of satrap coinage), his numerous coins from Krishna and Godavari districts and his potin coins from the Chanda district show that he not only maintained the eastern possessions but also wrested Aparanta and north Maharashtra from the Western Kshatrapas, and his rare silver coins were struck for circulation in the newly conquered western districts. Many of his bronze and lead coins have been recovered from the eastern provinces.

Sri Yajna Satakarni was the last king to retain control of both the western and the eastern provinces. After him the Satavahana Empire disintegrated and many royal princes ruled at different places. King Vijaya’s coins have been found in Akola in Maharashtra.

Sri Chandra’s coins have been found in the Godavari and Krishna districts and one of his inscriptions has been found in the Kalinga, and finally, Pulumavi Ill’s inscriptions has been found in Bellary district. The names of other Satavahana kings – Kama, Kumbha and Rudra Satakarni, who ruled over the eastern Deccan and Madhya Pradesh – are known from their coins but are not included in the Puranic lists.