Simuka

File:Complete view of Inscription in cave at Naneghat.jpg. Dated to 70-60 BCE, it mentions reigning king Satakarni I, his queen Naganika, and his probable father, the "illustrious"" Simuka.{{sfn|Carla M. Sinopoli|2001|p=168}}]]

{{Satavahana}}

Simuka is mentioned as the first king in a list of royals in a Satavahana inscription at Naneghat. The various Puranas have different names for the founder of the Andhra dynasty: Shishuka in Matsya Purana, Sipraka in Vishnu Purana, Sindhuka in Vayu Purana, Chhesmaka in Brahmanda Purana, and Shudraka or Suraka in Kumarika Khanda of Skanda Purana.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rqk9AAAAcAAJ&pg=PA194 |title=The Vishnu Purana |volume=IV |translator=H. H. Wilson |editor=Fitzedward Hall |publisher=Trübner & Co |year=1868 |pages=194–202 }} These are believed to be corrupted spellings of Simuka, resulting from copying and re-copying of manuscripts.

The Matsya and Vayu Puranas mention that the first Andhra king overthrew the Kanva king Susharman (c. 40–30 BCE). Based on identification of Simuka with this king, some scholars believe that Simuka's reign started in 30 BCE. Scholars supporting this theory include D. C. Sircar, H. C. Raychaudhuri and others.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=78I5lDHU2jQC&pg=PA37 |title=Some Early Dynasties of South India |author=Sudhakar Chattopadhyaya |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |year=1974 |pages=17–56 |isbn=978-81-208-2941-1 }}

The Matsya Purana mentions that the Andhra dynasty ruled for 450 years. It is known that the Satavahana rule continued till the beginning of the early 3rd century CE. Therefore, the beginning of the Satavahana rule can be dated to 3rd-2nd century BCE. In addition, Indica by Megasthenes (350 – 290 BCE) mentions a powerful tribe named "Andarae", whose king maintained an army of 100,000 infantry, 2,000 cavalry and 1,000 elephants. If Andarae is identified with the Andhras, this can be considered additional evidence of Satavahana rule starting in 3rd century BCE. According to this theory, Simuka was an immediate successor of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka (304–232 BCE).{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E3tDAAAAYAAJ |title=A Comprehensive History of India: The Mauryas & Satavahanas |date=1957 |publisher=Orient Longmans |pages=301–303 |language=en |quote=Simuka the immediate successor of Aśoka ( and not of the Kanvas ) , and therefore an erstwhile servant of the Mauryas.}} According to these scholars, the Kanva ruler Susharman was overthrown by a successor of Simuka. The Brahmanda Purana states: "the four Kanvas will rule the earth for 45 years; then (it) will again go to the Andhras". This indicates Satavahanas had been in power before the Kanvas subjugated them; the Kanva rule was ultimately overthrown by a Satavahana king. Scholars supporting this theory include A. S. Altekar, K. P. Jayaswal, V. A. Smith and others.

According to Sudhakar Chattopadhyaya, Simuka was the person who revived the Satavahana rule after the Kanva interregnum, and thus a founder of the 'second' Satavahana dynasty; the compilers of the Puranas have confused his name with the founder of the original dynasty. According to Charles Higham, the coin-based evidence suggests that Simuka's reign ended sometime before 120 BCE.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H1c1UIEVH9gC&pg=PA299 |title=Encyclopedia of Ancient Asian Civilizations |author=Charles Higham |publisher=Infobase Publishing |year=2009 |isbn=9781438109961 |page=299 }} Himanshu Prabha Ray also dates Simuka to somewhere before 100 BCE,{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MBuPx1rdGYIC&pg=PA166 |title=Empires: Perspectives from Archaeology and History |editor=Susan E. Alcock |chapter=On the edge of empire: form and substance in the Satavahana dynasty |author=Carla M. Sinopoli |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2001 |pages=166–168 |isbn=9780521770200 }} Andrew Ollett, in a recent analysis, regards the possible period of his reign as 120 - 96 BCE.Ollett, Andrew, (2017). Language of the Snakes: Prakrit, Sanskrit, and the Language Order of Premodern India, University of California Press, Okland, Table 2, Appendix A, p. 189.

Not much is known about Simuka. According to Jain legends, he adopted Jainism; but, in the last years of his life, he became a tyrant, for which he was deposed and killed.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nda1AAAAIAAJ |title=From stone age to feudalism |author=Kambhampati Satyanarayana |publisher=People's Publishing House |year=1975 |page=111 }} According to Puranas, last king of Kanva dynasty was killed and succeeded by first king of Andhra dynasty (or Satavahana dynasty). According to the Puranas: "The Andhra Simuka will assail the Kanvayanas and Susarman, and destroy the remains of the Sungas' power and will obtain this earth."{{cite book |last1=Raychaudhuri |first1=Hem Channdra |title=Political history of ancient India, from the accession of Parikshit to the extinction of the Gupta dynasty |date=1923 |publisher=Calcutta, Univ. of Calcutta |page=[https://archive.org/details/politicalhistory00raycuoft/page/216 216] |url=https://archive.org/details/politicalhistory00raycuoft}} He is named as Balipuccha is some texts.{{sfn|Thapar|2013|p=296}}

Simuka was succeeded by his brother Kanha, who further extended the empire westward at least as far as Nashik, where an inscription in the name of Kanha is known.

According to Matsya Purana, Krishna (that is, Kanha) was succeeded by Mallakarni, but according to other Puranas, he was succeeded by Satakarni. The Naneghat cave inscription of Satakarni lists his family members: it mentions Simuka's name, but not that of Kanha. Based on this, historians conclude that Satakarni was Simuka's son, and succeeded Kanha.{{sfn|Raychaudhuri|2006|p=346}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{citation|title=Political History Of Ancient India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h1KObc_qaXYC|date=2006|first=Hemchandra|last=Raychaudhuri| publisher=Cosmo Publications | isbn=9788130702919 |authorlink=Hem Chandra Raychaudhuri}}
• {{citation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UGApAAAAYAAJ|title=Andhra: history and coinage|first=Vincent Arthur|last=Smith|year=1902 }}
• {{citation |last=Thapar |first=Romila |author-link=Romila Thapar |title=The Past Before Us|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aei9AAAAQBAJ |year=2013 |publisher=Harvard University Press |isbn=978-0-674-72651-2 }}

Category:1st-century BC Indian monarchs

Category:Satavahana kings