King Rudradaman I - The greatest of the Karadamakas
The Western Kshatrapas ruled the western and central parts of India as the Shaka kings between 35 to 415 CE. They were the contemporaries of the Central India rulers known as the Satavahanas. After the Shaka monarchs were overpowered by the Satavahana dynasty’s emperor Gautamiputra Satakarni in the 2nd century CE, the Western kshatrapas’ influence began to wane. In the 4th century CE, the Shaka kingdom was completely destroyed by Chandragupta II of the Gupta dynasty.
REIGN AND CONQUESTS
Konkan, Narmada valley, Kathiawar, other areas of Gujarat, and Malwa were part of the empire of king Rudradaman. Through victories, he reclaimed the majority of the territory that had previously belonged to Nahapana with the exception of Pune and Nashik. He assumed the title of Maha- Kshatrapa, or the Great Kshatrap, after he became the king. According to the Girnar rock inscription, Rudradaman vanquished the Yaudheya tribes in present day Haryana. He describes the Yaudheyas as a militant Kshatriya republic that battled him instead of yielding to him. According to his Junagarh rock inscription-
“Rudradaman who by force destroyed the Yaudheyas, who were loath to submit, rendered proud as they were, by having manifested their title of heroes among all Kshatriyas.”
However, the Yaudheyas re-established themselves as independent rulers and soon became powerful. They were conquered by the Kushana Empire ultimately subdued by the Gupta Empire.
The Shaka Kshatrapas also faced the hostility of the Nagas.
His Junagarh rock inscription states:
“Rudradaman, who is the lord of the whole of eastern and western Akaravanti, the Anupa country, Anarta, Surashtra, Svabhara, Maru, Kachcha, Sindhu-Sauvira, Kukura, Aparantha, Nishada, and other territories gained by his own valour, the towns, marts, and rural, parts of which are never troubled by robbers, snakes, wild beasts, diseases, and the like, where all subjects are attached to him,(and) where through his might the objects of (religion), wealth and pleasure (are duly attained).”
The Satavahana territory was limited to Deccan and Eastern Central India around Amaravati. Rudradaman fought many battles against the Satavahanas and Vashishthiputra Satakarni. As the best method of the time, he tried to end the hostilities by marrying the daughter of Rudradaman. An inscription referring to Rudradaman’s daughter’s marriage is found in a cave near Kanheri. Rudradaman maintained matrimonial relationships with Satavahanas and handed over the territory of Aparanta to Vashishthiputra Satakarni as dowry. However at least two wars took place between them in spite of their matrimonial links in which he defeated the Satavahanas but spared the life of Satakarni, perhaps because of their relationship.
ACHIEVEMENTS
The Sanskrit Junagarh inscription dated 150 CE credits Rudradaman I with supporting the cultural arts and Sanskrit literature and repairing the Sudarshan lake built by the Mauryas. The Junagadh inscription of Rudradaman consisting of 20 lines of writing is the first long inscription in Sanskrit in the subcontinent. It is written in Brahmi script and Sanskrit language. The main purpose of the inscription is to record the restoration of the Sudarshana lake by the mahakshtrapa Rudradaman. Rudradaman was the contemporary of the Greek writer Yavanesvara who translated the Yavanajataka from Greek to Sanskrit, which influenced astrology in India. He turned to Hinduism after marrying a Hindu woman.
He was succeeded by his son Damajadasri I. His reign saw the decline of dynasty after his dominions were conquered by the Satavahanas.
