Rudrasimha I

Indian Western Kshatrapa ruler from c.178 to c.197

Rudrasimha I
Western Satrap
Coin of the Western Kshatrapa ruler Rudrasimha I (178 to 197). Obv: Bust of Rudrasimha, with corrupted Greek legend "..OHIIOIH.." (Indo-Greek style). Rev: Three-arched hill or Chaitya, with river, crescent and sun, within Prakrit legend in Brahmi script (from 10 o'clock): Rudrasimha I, Brahmi legend on coinage Rajno Mahaksatrapasa Rudradamnaputrasa Rajna Mahaksatrapasa Rudrasihasa "King and Great Satrap Rudrasimha, son of King and Great Satrap Rudradaman".^[1]
Reign	178-197 CE
Predecessor	Jivadaman
Successor	Satyadaman
Issue	Rudrasena I

Rudrasimha I was a Western Kshatrapa ruler, who reigned from 178 to 197 CE. He was son of Rudradaman I, grandson of Jayadaman, and grand-grandson of Chashtana.^[3] During his reign, the Abhiras became increasingly important. Some of them were even serving as generals.^[4] Ashvini Agrawal thinks that the Abhira king Isvardatta was a general in the service of Rudrasimha I who deposed his master in 188 A.D and ascended the throne. Ashvini Agrawal further says that Rudrasimha I soon deposed him and regained the throne in 190 A.D.^[4]

Reign

Numismatics and Epigraphics

From the reigns of Jivadaman and Rudrasimha I, the date of minting of each coin, reckoned in the Saka era, is usually written on the obverse behind the king's head in Brahmi numerals, allowing for a quite precise datation of the rule of each king.^[5]^[6] This is a rather uncommon case in Indian numismatics. Some, such as the numismat R.C Senior considered that these dates might correspond to the much earlier Azes era instead.

Influence of Abhiras

During his reign, the Abhiras became increasingly important. Some of them were even serving as generals.^[4] Ashvini Agrawal thinks that the Abhira king Isvardatta was a general in the service of Rudrasimha I who deposed his master in 188 A.D and ascended the throne. Ashvini Agrawal further says that Rudrasimha I soon deposed him and regained the throne in 190 A.D.^[4]

Rudrasimha I is also known for an inscription in Sanskrit at Gunda, north Kathiawar, mentioning "the digging of a well for the welfare of society by Senapati Bapaka's son, Rudrabhuti Abhira", and dated to Saka era 103 (181 CE).^[7]^[8]^[9]^[3] The inscription also gives a detailed genealogy of the kings up to Rudrasimha:^[10]

"Hail ! On the [auspicious] fifth tithi of the bright fortnight of Vaisakha during the auspicious period of the constellation of Rohini, in the year one hundred and three — 100 3 — (during the reign) of the king, the Kshatrapa Lord Rudrasiha (Rudrasimha), the son of the king, the Maha-Kshatrapa Lord Rudradaman (and) son’s son of the king, the Kshatrapa Lord Jayadaman, (and) grandson’s son of the king, the Maha-Kshatrapa Lord Chashtana, the well was caused to be dug and embanked by the general (senapati) Rudrabuthi, the son of the general (senapati) Bapaka, the Abhira, at the village (grama) of Rasopadra, for the welfare and comfort of all living beings."

— Epigraphia Indica XVI, p.233

The inscription refers Rudrasimha to as simply a ksatrapa, ignoring the existence of any mahaksatrapa. According to Sudhakar Chattopadhyaya, this indicates that the Abhira general was the de facto ruler of the state, though not assuming any higher title. The inscription states Abhira Rudrabhuti as the son of the general Bapaka.^[11] The Abhira dynasty was probably related Abhira Rudrabhuti.^[12]^[11]

Notes

^ Rapson p.92 [1]
^ Rapson p.92 [2]
^ ^a ^b Vogel, Jean Ph (1947). India antiqua. Brill Archive. p. 299.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Ashvini Agrawal (1989). Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas (Hardcover). Motilal Banarsidass. p. 58. ISBN 9788120805927.
^ Rapson CCVIII
^ Malwa through the ages, from the earliest times to 1305 A.D. by Kailash Chand Jain p.174
^ Salomon, Richard (1998). Indian Epigraphy: A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the Other Indo-Aryan Languages. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 90. ISBN 9780195099843.
^ Mishra, Susan Verma; Ray, Himanshu Prabha (2016). The Archaeology of Sacred Spaces: The temple in western India, 2nd century BCE–8th century CE. Routledge. p. 39. ISBN 9781317193746.
^ Damsteegt, Th (1978). Epigraphical Hybrid Sanskrit: Its Rise, Spread, Characteristics and Relationship to Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit. BRILL. p. 201. ISBN 978-9004057258.
^ Thomas, F. w (1921). Epigraphia Indica Vol.16. p. 233.
^ ^a ^b Chattopadhyaya, Sudhakar (1974). Some Early Dynasties of South India. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 216. ISBN 9788120829411. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
^ Thosar, H.S. (1990). "The Abhiras in Indian History". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 51. Indian History Congress: 56–65. JSTOR 44148188. Retrieved 27 December 2020.

References

Rapson, "A Catalogue of Indian coins in the British Museum. Andhras etc..."

Indo-Scythian kings, territories and chronology (in green)

Territories/ dates	Western India	Western Pakistan Balochistan	Paropamisadae Arachosia	Bajaur	Gandhara	Western Punjab	Eastern Punjab	Mathura
			INDO-GREEK KINGDOM
90–85 BCE			Nicias	Menander II		Artemidoros
90–70 BCE			Hermaeus	Archebius
85-60 BCE			INDO-SCYTHIAN KINGDOM Maues
75–70 BCE			Vonones Spalahores	Telephos		Apollodotus II
65–55 BCE			Spalirises Spalagadames			Hippostratos	Dionysios
55–35 BCE			Azes I				Zoilos II
55–35 BCE			Azilises Azes II				Apollophanes	Indo-Scythian dynasty of the NORTHERN SATRAPS Hagamasha
25 BCE – 10 CE				Indo-Scythian dynasty of the APRACHARAJAS Vijayamitra (ruled 12 BCE - 15 CE)^{[n 1]}	Liaka Kusulaka Patika Kusulaka Zeionises	Kharahostes (ruled 10 BCE– 10 CE)^{[n 2]} Mujatria	Strato II and Strato III	Hagana
10-20 CE		INDO-PARTHIAN KINGDOM Gondophares		Indravasu	INDO-PARTHIAN KINGDOM Gondophares		Rajuvula
20-30 CE			Ubouzanes Pakores	Vispavarma (ruled c.0-20 CE)^{[n 3]}	Sarpedones		Bhadayasa	Sodasa
30-40 CE			KUSHAN EMPIRE Kujula Kadphises	Indravarma	Abdagases		...	...
40-45 CE				Aspavarma	Gadana		...	...
45-50 CE				Sasan	Sases		...	...
50-75 CE							...	...
75-100 CE	Indo-Scythian dynasty of the WESTERN SATRAPS Chastana		Vima Takto				...	...
100-120 CE	Abhiraka		Vima Kadphises				...	...
120 CE	Bhumaka Nahapana	PARATARAJAS Yolamira	Kanishka I				Great Satrap Kharapallana and Satrap Vanaspara for Kanishka I
130-230 CE	Jayadaman Rudradaman I Damajadasri I Jivadaman Rudrasimha I Satyadaman Jivadaman Rudrasena I	Bagamira Arjuna Hvaramira Mirahvara	Vāsishka (c. 140 – c. 160) Huvishka (c. 160 – c. 190) Vasudeva I (c. 190 – to at least 230)
230-280 CE	Samghadaman Damasena Damajadasri II Viradaman Isvaradatta Yasodaman I Vijayasena Damajadasri III Rudrasena II Visvasimha	Miratakhma Kozana Bhimarjuna Koziya Datarvharna Datarvharna	INDO-SASANIANS Ardashir I, Sassanid king and "Kushanshah" (c. 230 – 250) Peroz I, "Kushanshah" (c. 250 – 265) Hormizd I, "Kushanshah" (c. 265 – 295)			Kanishka II (c. 230 – 240) Vashishka (c. 240 – 250) Kanishka III (c. 250 – 275)
280-300 CE	Bhratadarman	Datayola II	Hormizd II, "Kushanshah" (c. 295 – 300)			Vasudeva II (c. 275 – 310)
300-320 CE	Visvasena Rudrasimha II Jivadaman		Peroz II, "Kushanshah" (c. 300 – 325)			Vasudeva III Vasudeva IV Vasudeva V Chhu (c. 310? – 325)
320-388 CE	Yasodaman II Rudradaman II Rudrasena III Simhasena Rudrasena IV		Shapur II Sassanid king and "Kushanshah" (c. 325) Varhran I, Varhran II, Varhran III "Kushanshahs" (c. 325 – 350) Peroz III "Kushanshah" (c. 350 –360) HEPHTHALITE/ HUNAS invasions			Shaka I (c. 325 – 345) Kipunada (c. 345 – 375)		GUPTA EMPIRE Chandragupta I Samudragupta
388-395 CE	Rudrasimha III		Chandragupta II

^ From the dated inscription on the Rukhana reliquary
^ An Inscribed Silver Buddhist Reliquary of the Time of King Kharaosta and Prince Indravarman, Richard Salomon, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 116, No. 3 (Jul. - Sep., 1996), pp. 442 [3]
^ A Kharosthī Reliquary Inscription of the Time of the Apraca Prince Visnuvarma, by Richard Salomon, South Asian Studies 11 1995, Pages 27-32, Published online: 09 Aug 2010 [4]

v t e Western Satraps (1st c. CE - 395 CE)
	Abhiraka (1st c. CE) Bhumaka (?–119) Nahapana (119–124) Chastana (c. 78-130) Jayadaman (c. 130) Rudradaman I (c. 130–150) Damajadasri I (170–175) Jivadaman (178-181) Rudrasimha I (180–188) Rudrasimha I (restored) (191–197) Satyadaman (197-198) Jivadaman (restored) (197–199) Rudrasena I (200–222) Prthivisena (222) Samghadaman (222–223) Damasena (223–232) Damajadasri II (232–239) Viradaman (234–238) Isvaradatta (236–239) Yasodaman I (239) Vijayasena (239–250) Damajadasri III (251–255) Rudrasena II (255–277) Visvasimha (277–282) Bhartrdaman (282–295) Visvasena (293–304) Rudrasimha II (304–348) Yasodaman II (317–332) Rudradaman II (332–348) Rudrasena III (348–378) Simhasena (380–385) Rudrasena IV (383–384) Rudrasimha III (388–415)