1. Origin
2. Rulers
2.1. Maues (Reign 98/50 BC – 60/57 BC)
2.2. Chashtana (Reign 78 AD-130 AD)
2.3. Rudradaman I (Reign 130 AD – 150 AD)
3. Contributions of the Shakas
3.1. Coinage
3.2. Art and Architecture
3.3. Indian Literature
4. Decline of The Shakas
5. Rudradaman I (Reign 130 AD – 150 AD)
5.1. Reign
5.2. Junagadh Inscription
5.3. Western Kshatrapas Dynasty
5.4. The Sakas
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Topic – Western Kshatrapas: Rudradaman (Notes)
Subject – History
(Ancient Indian History)
Table of Contents
The Sakas, also known as the Indo-Scythians or Indo-Sakas, were a nomadic Iranian people of Scythian ancestry who moved from Central Asia southward into northern and western portions of ancient India between the middle of the second century BCE and the fourth century CE. The ascension of King Chashtana marks the beginning of the Saka Era.
Origin
- The succession of King Chashtana marks the beginning of the Saka Era. The Saka Era spans 11 to 52 years.
- This information was obtained from King Chashtana’s inscriptions.
- Scythians (also known as Sakas in Indian literature) were nomadic pastoral nomads from Iran.
- In the second century BC, central Asian nomadic tribes and tribes from the Chinese area entered the Scythian-inhabited territory of modern-day Kazakhstan.
- This encouraged the Scythians to migrate to Bactria and Parthia.
- They marched towards India after conquering the Parthian monarch. Indo-Scythians are Scythians who moved to India.
- The Sakas possessed a greater Indian dominion than the Indo-Greeks.
- Maues/Moga (1st century BC) was the first Saka monarch of India, establishing Saka dominance in Gandhara and the Indus Valley.
- The Indo-Scythians consolidated their control over northwestern India, defeating the Indo-Greeks and other local kingdoms. The Kushan Empire, either Kujula Kadphises or Kanishka, appears to have subdued the Indo-Scythians.
- Nonetheless, the Saka continued to reign as satrapies, constituting the Northern and Western Satraps.
- The Indo-Scythians appear to have been Buddhists, and many of their customs appear to have maintained those of the Indo-Greeks.
- After the Satavahana monarch Gautamiputra Satakarni conquered the Indo-Scythians in the 2nd century CE, the Saka kings’ influence began to wane.
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