SMALL KINGDOMS OF THE DECCAN

SMALL KINGDOMS OF THE DECCAN

After the decline of the Satavahanas, the Vakatakas and Ikshvakus rose to power.
THE V AKATAKAS The Vakatakas came to control parts of the Deccan and central India till the rise of the Chalukyas. It is probable that they originally belonged to Bundelkhand. The founder of this brahman dynasty was Vindhyasakti. His son, Pravarasena I, ruled over territories extending from Bundelkhand to Andhra Pradesh. His successor, Prithvisena, was probably a contemporary of the great Gupta emperor, Samudragupta. Chandragupta IT Vikramaditya is said to have given his daughter, Prabhavati, in marriage to the Vakataka king, Rudrasena II. Harisena, who belonged to a minor branch of the Vakataka dynasty, reigned towards the close of the fifth century AD. He is said to have made extensive conquests. The Vakataka power was destroyed by the Kalachuris and the Kadambas towards the middle of the sixth century AD.

The Vakatakas patronised art and literature to a great extent. It is probable that some of the Ajanta cave fresco paintings were excavated during their rule.

IKSHVAKUS After the fall of the Satavahanas, there arose the Ikshvakus in the eastern part of the Peninsula. They built monuments at Nagarjunakonda and Dharanikonda. They began providing lands as grants in the Krishna-Guntur region, where their copper-plate charters have been found. Their rule ended with their conquest by
the Pallavas.