Back باتی ساتراپلار AZB Západní kšatrapové Czech Sátrapas occidentales Spanish ساتراپهای باختری Persian Satrapes occidentaux French पश्चिमी क्षत्रप Hindi Satrapie occidentali Italian 西クシャトラパ Japanese დასავლეთ ქშატრაპების სამეფო Georgian ಕ್ಷತ್ರಪರು Kannada
Western Satraps | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35–415 CE | |||||||||||||||||||||
Approximate territory of the Western Satraps (35–415) circa 350 CE.[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Capital | Ujjain Barygaza Minnagara | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Common languages | Pali (Kharoshthi script) Sanskrit, Prakrit (Brahmi script) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Religion | Buddhism Hinduism | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Satrap, King | |||||||||||||||||||||
• c. 35 | Abhiraka | ||||||||||||||||||||
• 388–415 | Rudrasimha III | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Historical era | Antiquity | ||||||||||||||||||||
• Established | 35 | ||||||||||||||||||||
• Disestablished | 415 CE | ||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| Today part of | India Pakistan | ||||||||||||||||||||
The Western Satraps, or Western Kshatrapas (Brahmi:
, Mahakṣatrapa, "Great Satraps") were Indo-Scythian (Saka) rulers of the western and central parts of India (extending from Saurashtra in the south and Malwa in the east, covering modern-day Sindh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh states), between 35 and 415 CE. The Western Satraps were contemporaneous with the Kushans who ruled the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, and were possibly vassals of the Kushans. They were also contemporaneous with the Satavahana (Andhra) who ruled in Central India. They are called "Western Satraps" in modern historiography in order to differentiate them from the "Northern Satraps", who ruled in Punjab and Mathura until the 2nd century CE.
The power of the Western Satraps started to decline in the 2nd century CE after the Saka rulers were defeated by the Emperor Gautamiputra Satakarni of the Satavahana dynasty.[2] After this, the Saka kingdom revived, but was ultimately defeated by Chandragupta II of the Gupta Empire in the 4th century CE.[3] The Western Satraps, having been defeated by the Abhiras/Ahirs, declined rapidly during the second half of the third century.[4]
Altogether, there were 27 independent Western Satrap rulers during a period of about 350 years.
- ^ Schwartzberg, Joseph E. (1978). A Historical atlas of South Asia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 145, map XIV.1 (h). ISBN 0226742210.
- ^ World history from early times to A D 2000 by B .V. Rao: p.97
- ^ Ancient India by Ramesh Chandra Majumdar p. 234
- ^ Singh, Madanjeet (1965). The Cave Paintings of Ajanta. Thames and Hudson.