The Karddamaka Kings

Summary

Drawing on numismatic and epigraphic evidence, this article reconstructs the lineage of the Karddamaka (or Kardamaka) kings of western India. These rulers, also known as the Western Kṣatrapas, governed parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Malwa during the first centuries CE. The author analyses coin legends bearing names such as Nahapāna, Chāṣṭana, Rudradāman and Viśvasena to establish a chronology and notes the use of titles like Mahākṣatrapa and Kṣatrapa. Inscriptions, including the Junagadh Rock Inscription of Rudradāman, provide further data on territorial expansion, irrigation projects and conflicts with the Śātavāhanas. Particular attention is given to the figure of Chāṣṭana, who is said to be the founder of the Karddamaka line, and to Rudradāman, whose reign marks a high point of Western Kṣatrapa power. The article also discusses the family’s relationship with contemporaneous dynasties, suggesting that intermarriage and alliances with local tribes helped consolidate their rule. By piecing together fragmentary data, the author highlights both the achievements of the Karddamaka kings—such as massive water‑management projects—and the eventual decline of their power in the face of the Gupta expansion. The study illustrates how coins and inscriptions, when read together, can illuminate a dynasty that remains underrepresented in mainstream histories of India.