Salankayanas
Salankayana ruled from 3rd century AD to 5th century AD. They were known as Salankayana after the Gotra name. They were the feudatories of Ikshvakus. They Ruled near vengi area, with Vengi (Eluru) as the capital. Salankayana is another of the Phantom kingdoms of Andhra for Indologists. Their date is fixed based on Samudra Gupta inscription mention of Hastivarman of Vengi. What we are looking here is to know more about them and also fix their dates.
The Salankayanas, like their contemporary rulers Brihatphalayanas and Anandas, also called their family after their gotra name “Salankayana”. According to Matsyapurana and Pravaramanjari of Purushottama, ‘Salankayana’ was the name of a rishi. He was a descendent of Salanka, who was one of the sons of Visvamitran . In the Pravarakanda, there are two gotras named after ‘Salankya’. One belongs to the Angirasa gana and the other is the Visvamitra gana. In the Ganapatha of Panini, the work ‘Salankayana’ occurs twice. In one instance, the name Salankayana was derived from a gotra descendant. In another case, the name was given after the name of a certain rulers of a territory namely, ‘Salankayanaka’. The reference to the Salankayanas and their territory as Salankayanaka in Panini’s work, indicates that the Salankayanas were an ancient family.
According to the Sanskrit Dictionary ‘Medini’, the word Salankayana means ‘Nandi’ or bull, the sacred bull of Lord Siva. The seals of the Salankayana copper plate records have the emblem of a bull seated to the proper left as in Early Pallava charters. Though the Salankayanas, were Brahmins, they, mentioned their names with a suffix ‘Varman’ which was in practice at that time . The earliest reference to the existence of Salankayana rule with the name of the king Hastivarman is noticed in Allahabad pillar inscription of Samudragupta, the Gupta Emperor. This inscription gives a picture of Andhradesa during the early part of 4th century A.D. According to this record, Andhradesa was then a land of petty kingdoms and could not offer stiff resistance to Samudragupta, who easily defeated nine rulers in Andhra one after the other. Except for Hastivarman of Salankayana dynasty and Vishnugopa, the Pallava ruler, little is known about other kings and the extent of their territories. However, Samudragupta’s invasion was more a raid than a conquest. He left South India without annexing any territory to his empire.
Salankayanas called themselves ‘Parama Bhagavatas’. One of the Salankayana kings Vijayadevavarman declared himself to be a ‘Paramamahesvara’ and claimed himself to be a performer of ‘Asvamedhayaga’. No other king claimed himself as performer of a hose sacrifice. Patanjali in his Mahabhashya mentioned both the Bhagavatas, i.e., Siva and Vishnu Bhagavatas’. The tutelary deity of the Salankayanas was the God Chitraradhaswamin. The epithet Chitrarathaswami-padanudhyatah, “one who is absorbed by devotion to the holy feet of the Lord ‘Chitrarathaswamin’, occurred in all Salankayana records.
Political history of Salankayanas can be traced from ten records, nine of which are copper plate records, and one is a lithic record. These are written in Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. As per these records seven king ruled from 320 A.D. to 446 A.D. After finding two more inscriptions, the Penugonda plates of Hastivarman and Dharikaturu plates of Achan lavarman, V.Sundara Rama Sastry made a fresh attempt at the reconstruction of the geneology and chronology of Salankayanas. He formulated the chronological list of the seven rulers of this dynasty by taking Samudragupta’s invasion as the upper limit or beginning for the Salankayana history. According to him Hastivarman I might have assumed independent power rising against Pallavas and Kadambas. He carved an independent principality and waged wars against other petty chiefs of the neighbouring region, like Mataraja of Kaurala, Jayavarman of the Brihatphalayana gotra, who were also perhaps in their trials to assert independence from Pallavas and extending their dominions. About A.D.350, Hastivarman faced Samudragupta’s invasion and was defeated. He was immediately succeeded by his son Nandivarman who ruled Vengi between A.D. 350 and 390. He issued the Kanukollu prakrit inscription. It is the first inscription of the Salankayanas. It is in prakrit and was issued from the victorious Vengipura. It does not mention the gotra name ‘Salankayana’ or the tutelary deity ‘Bhagavat Chitraradhaswamin’. It simply mentions the ruler Nandivarman as ‘Bappa bhattaraka padapariggahitasa Maharaja’. Perhaps the family had not yet developed precise conventions of the type, by the time, the grant was issued. He extended his territory towards the South of the Krishna river by subduing the other petty rulers.
The Dharikatura plates of Yuvamaharaja Achandavarman stand second in the prakrit series of Salankayana records. As per the record, the status of Achandavarman was Yuvamaharaja not as a Maharaja. Perhaps he might be assisting his father. This record refers to the gotra and to the tutelary deity of the family. The next prakrit record is the Eluru plates of Vijayadevavarman. It also mentioned the names of gotra and the tutelary deity. It claimed that Vijayadevavarman was an ‘asvamedhyajin’, and a meditator on the feet of Bappa Bhattaraka. According to B.S.L. Hanumantha Rao’s proposal on geneology of Salankayanas Devavarman was the brother of Nandivarma, who occupied the throne after the demise of the latter. Hence, he performed the horse sacrifice and claimed himself as Vijayadevavarman. After 15 years of rule, the Vengi throne was again occupied by Achandavarman, the eldest son of Nandivarman, namely the Hastivarman II seem to have been over looked in SUCCESSION to the throne, for which no definite cause can be ascertained at the present state of knowledge. But his son Skandavarman seems to have placed him on the throne, most probably as a collateral line at Jayapura, their headquarters. Hastivarman II appears to be very old and can be assigned rule only for a couple of years. He was succeeded by Skandavarman, whose rule too might have losted not more than a couple of years. In the war of succession for the Vengi throne between Scandavarman and Nandivarman II, the latter succeeded to the throne. He was the last member of the family known so far. Due to these internal wars the Salankayana power waned.
Some of the early and important rulers of Salankayanas are :
- Hastivarma
- Nandi Varma
- Vijayadeva Varma
- Vijayanandi Varma
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The Salankayanas were a dynasty that ruled over parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in India from the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE. They were a branch of the Satavahana dynasty. The Salankayanas were known for their patronage of art and literature. They were also known for their military prowess. The Salankayanas were eventually overthrown by the Chalukyas.
History of the Salankayanas
The Salankayanas were a branch of the Satavahana dynasty. They were founded by a man named Salankayana Keshava. Keshava was a general in the Satavahana army. He was appointed as the governor of the region of Vengi by the Satavahana king Gautamiputra Satakarni. Keshava’s son, Vishnuvardhana, succeeded him as the ruler of the Salankayanas. Vishnuvardhana was a powerful ruler. He extended the territory of the Salankayana kingdom. He also built many temples and other monuments. Vishnuvardhana’s son, Vijayaditya, was also a powerful ruler. He defeated the Pallavas and the Chalukyas. He also built many temples and other monuments. The Salankayana dynasty came to an end in the 3rd century CE. They were overthrown by the Chalukyas.
Art and literature under the Salankayanas
The Salankayanas were patrons of art and literature. They built many temples and other monuments. They also patronized poets and scholars. The Salankayana period saw the rise of the Telugu language. The first Telugu grammar was written during this period. The Salankayanas also patronized the art of sculpture. Many beautiful sculptures were made during this period.
Military history of the Salankayanas
The Salankayanas were a powerful military power. They fought many wars against the Pallavas, the Chalukyas, and the Guptas. They were victorious in most of these wars. The Salankayanas were also known for their use of elephants in warfare.
Religion and culture of the Salankayanas
The Salankayanas were Hindus. They worshipped the god Vishnu. They also worshipped the goddess Lakshmi. The Salankayanas were also patrons of Buddhism-2/”>Buddhism. They built many Buddhist temples and monasteries. The Salankayanas were tolerant of other religions. They allowed people of all religions to live in their kingdom.
Legacy of the Salankayanas
The Salankayanas were a powerful and influential dynasty. They ruled over parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for over 200 years. They left a rich legacy of art, literature, and architecture. The Salankayanas also made a significant contribution to the development of the Telugu language.
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What is the nature of reality?
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What is the relationship between mind and body?
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What is the nature of consciousness?
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What is the nature of morality?
Morality is a system of beliefs about what is right and wrong. It is a complex phenomenon that has been studied by philosophers, theologians, and social scientists for centuries. There is no one agreed-upon definition of morality, but some possible definitions include: a system of rules that govern human behavior, a set of values that guide human behavior, and a way of understanding right and wrong.
What is the purpose of art?
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Sure. Here are some MCQs on the following topics:
- The Indus Valley Civilization:
- Which of the following is not a characteristic of the Indus Valley Civilization?
- A system of writing
- A complex urban Society
- A well-developed system of Irrigation
- A religion based on animal worship
- The Indus Valley Civilization was located in:
- The Indus River Valley
- The Ganges River Valley
- The Brahmaputra River Valley
- The Yangtze River Valley
- The Indus Valley Civilization was a major center of Trade and Commerce. Which of the following was not a major trade item?
- Gold
- Silver
- Copper
- Iron
- Which of the following is not a characteristic of the Indus Valley Civilization?
- The Aryans:
- The Aryans were a group of Indo-European peoples who migrated to India from Central Asia.
- The Aryans spoke a language called Sanskrit.
- The Aryans brought with them a new religion called Hinduism-2/”>Hinduism.
- The Aryans conquered the Indus Valley Civilization and established their own culture.
- The Aryans divided society into four Social Classes: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras.
- The Mauryan Empire:
- The Mauryan Empire was the largest empire in Indian history.
- The Mauryan Empire was founded by Chandragupta Maurya in the 4th century BCE.
- The Mauryan Empire reached its peak under the rule of Ashoka the Great.
- The Mauryan Empire was a major center of Learning and culture.
- The Mauryan Empire was a major power in South Asia for over 200 years.
- The Gupta Empire:
- The Gupta Empire was a golden age of Indian history.
- The Gupta Empire was founded by Chandra Gupta I in the 4th century CE.
- The Gupta Empire reached its peak under the rule of Samudragupta.
- The Gupta Empire was a major center of learning and culture.
- The Gupta Empire was a major power in South Asia for over 300 years.
- The Delhi Sultanate:
- The Delhi Sultanate was a Muslim empire that ruled over much of northern India from the 13th to the 16th centuries.
- The Delhi Sultanate was founded by Qutb-ud-din Aibak in 1206.
- The Delhi Sultanate reached its peak under the rule of Alauddin Khalji.
- The Delhi Sultanate was a major center of Islamic learning and culture.
- The Delhi Sultanate was a major power in South Asia for over 300 years.
- The Mughal Empire:
- The Mughal Empire was a Muslim empire that ruled over much of India from the 16th to the 18th centuries.
- The Mughal Empire was founded by Babur in 1526.
- The Mughal Empire reached its peak under the rule of Akbar the Great.
- The Mughal Empire was a major center of Islamic learning and culture.
- The Mughal Empire was a major power in South Asia for over 200 years.
- The British Raj:
- The British Raj was the period of British rule in India from 1858 to 1947.
- The British Raj was established after the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
- The British Raj was a period of great economic and Social Change in India.
- The British Raj ended with the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947.
- The Republic of India:
- The Republic of India is a sovereign state in South Asia.
- India is the world’s second most populous country, with over 1.3 billion people.
- India is a federal republic with a parliamentary System of Government.
- India is A Secular State with a diverse Population of over 2,000 languages and dialects.
- India is a major regional power and a member of the G20.