The Chronology of the Western Kṣatrapas and the Andhras

Summary

This article reassesses the chronology of two major powers that dominated western and central India in the early centuries CE: the Western Kṣatrapas (Śakas) and the Andhras (Śātavāhanas). Traditional chronologies rely on Puranic king lists and coinage, but there are discrepancies of up to a century. The author reviews recent discoveries of coin hoards and inscriptions. He emphasises the importance of king Rudradāman’s Junagadh inscription, which records that he repaired the Sudarśana lake in the year 72 of the Śaka era, anchoring the reign of Rudradāman to ca. 150 CE. By analysing overstruck coins and stratigraphic evidence, the article proposes a revised sequence of Kṣatrapa rulers, placing the powerful rulers Nahapāna and Chashtana earlier than previously thought. The Andhras’ chronology is reassessed through the Nanaghat cave inscriptions and references to Sātavāhana interactions with the Romans. The author argues that the clash between the Kṣatrapas and Andhras occurred over control of the northwestern Deccan trade routes and that their periods of dominance alternated rather than overlapped. The article concludes by mapping the synchronisms between the two dynasties and suggests that the Western Kṣatrapa power waned by the mid‑third century CE, giving way to the rise of the Guptas.