Vashishtiputra Satakarni

{{Short description|2nd century Satavahana King}}

{{Use Indian English|date=January 2016}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}

{{Infobox royalty

| image = 250px
250px

| alt = Satakarni

| caption = Vashishtiputra Sri Satakarni, with coin legend in the Brahmi script.

| succession = Satavahana King

| reign = 2nd century CE

| successor = Yajna Sri Satakarni

| dynasty = Satavahana

| religion = Vedic religion

}}

Vashishtiputra Sātakarni (Brahmi: 𑀯𑀸𑀲𑀺𑀣𑀺𑀧𑀼𑀢 𑀲𑀸𑀢𑀓𑀁𑀁𑀡𑀺, Vāsiṭhiputa Sātakaṃṇi) was a Satavahana king, who ruled the Deccan region in India, during the 2nd century CE. He was the brother of Yajna Sri Satakarni, his regnal successor and Vasishthiputra Pulumavi, his regnal predecessor. His reign is dated 158-165 CE.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZXwcAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA16 |title=Ajanta Paintings: 86 Panels of Jatakas and Other Themes |author=Rajesh Kumar Singh |publisher=Hari Sena |year=2013 |isbn=9788192510750 |pages=15–16 }}

{{Satavahana}}

Vashishtiputra Sātakarni was in great conflict with the Scythian Western Kshatrapas in the West, but he eventually married the daughter of Rudradaman I of the Western Kshatrapas dynasty, in order to forge an alliance.{{cite book |last1=Alcock |first1=Susan E. |last2=Alcock |first2=John H. D'Arms Collegiate Professor of Classical Archaeology and Classics and Arthur F. Thurnau Professor Susan E. |last3=D'Altroy |first3=Terence N. |last4=Morrison |first4=Kathleen D. |last5=Sinopoli |first5=Carla M. |title=Empires: Perspectives from Archaeology and History |date=2001 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=9780521770200 |page=175 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MBuPx1rdGYIC&pg=PA175 |language=en}} The inscription relating the marriage between Rudradaman I's daughter and Vashishtiputra Satakarni appears in a cave at Kanheri:

{{quote|"Of the queen ... of the illustrious Vashishtiputra Satakarni, descended from the race of Karddamaka kings, (and) daughter of the Mahakshatrapa Ru(dra)....... .........of the confidential minister Sateraka, a water-cistern, the meritorious gift.|Kanheri inscription of Rudradaman I's daughter".{{cite book|last1=Burgess|first1=James|last2=Bühler|first2=Georg|title=Report on the Elura cave temples and the Brahmanical and Jaina caves in western India; completing the results of the fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons' operations of the Archaeological survey, 1877-78, 1878-79, 1879-80. Supplementary to the volume on "The cave temples of India."|date=1883|publisher=London, Trübner & Co.|page=78|url=https://archive.org/stream/reportoneluraca00bhgoog}}}}

Later, however, Vashishtiputra Sātakarni was defeated by his father-in-law in battle, with serious effect on Sātavāhana power and prestige:

{{quote|"Rudradaman (...) who obtained good report because he, in spite of having twice in fair fight completely defeated Satakarni, the lord of Dakshinapatha, on account of the nearness of their connection did not destroy him."|Junagadh rock inscription of Rudradaman{{Cite web |url=http://projectsouthasia.sdstate.edu/Docs/HISTORY/PRIMARYDOCS/EPIGRAPHY/JunagadhRockInscription.htm |title=Source |access-date=28 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223182107/http://projectsouthasia.sdstate.edu/Docs/HISTORY/PRIMARYDOCS/EPIGRAPHY/JunagadhRockInscription.htm |archive-date=23 February 2009 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}}}