Maharashtra Board Class 6 History Chapter 9 Ancient Kingdoms of the South PDF Download

Ancient Kingdoms Of The South

The Cher, Pandya And Chola Dynasties

Of the many dynasties in South India, three are mentioned in the literature of those times. These are the Cher, Pandya and Chola dynasties. These dynasties were in power around the fourth century BCE or even before that. They find mention in the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics. They have also been mentioned in the 'Sangham Literature' in Tamil and in the inscriptions of the Maurya Emperor Ashoka. In the 'Periplus of the Erythrean Sea', 'Muziris' is mentioned as an important port on the coast of Kerala. This port was in the Cher kingdom and was a major centre for the export of spices, pearls, precious stones etc. to Rome in Italy and to other countries of the west. The Pandya kingdom was a part of today's Tamil Nadu. There was a great demand for their high quality pearls. The capital of this kingdom was Madurai. The ancient kingdom of the Cholas occupied the region of Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu.

Teacher's Note

These three kingdoms were very rich and powerful in South India. Like today's businesses send goods to other countries, these kingdoms sent spices and pearls to Rome through sea trade.

Exam Trick

Remember: Cher = Spices and pearls. Pandya = Pearls. Chola = Tiruchirapalli. Each dynasty had something special to sell.

Points To Remember

The Cher, Pandya and Chola were three important South Indian kingdoms.
These kingdoms sent spices and pearls to Rome for trade.
Muziris was a famous port in the Cher kingdom.
The Pandya capital was Madurai.
The Chola kingdom was in the Tiruchirapalli region.

The Satavahana Dynasty

As in the north, after the decline of the Maurya Empire, the local kings in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka also became independent. They established small kingdoms of their own. One of these was the Satavahana dynasty. Pratishthan or the present day Paithan in Maharashtra was their capital. King Simuk was the founder of the Satavahana dynasty. The inscriptions in the Naneghat caves near Junnar in Pune district bear the names of the important persons of this dynasty. Some of the Satavahana kings were known to write their mother's name before their own. For example, Gautamiputra Satakarni.

Of the Satavahana kings, Gautamiputra Satakarni is particularly well known. A stone inscription in a cave at Nashik describes his deeds of valour. He had defeated the Shaka king Nahpana. He is described as 'Tri-samudra-toya-peet-vahan'. 'Toya' means 'water'. The title means, 'One whose horses have drunk the water of three seas'. The three seas are the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. During his reign, the empire of the Satavahanas extended from the river Narmada in the north to the Tungabhadra river in the south.

The famous poetic work 'Gatha-Saptashati' in Maharashtri, a Prakrit language, was composed by the Satavahana king Hala. This work provides information about the life of the people during the Satavahana period.

Indian trade increased greatly during the Satavahana period. Paithan, Ter, Bhokardan, Kolhapur were recognised as important centres of trade. During this period, many artistic objects were produced at these places. Indian goods were exported as far away as Rome. Some of the Satavahana coins carry images of ships. The cave sculptures at Ajanta, Nashik, Karla, Bhaje, Kanheri, Junnar in Maharashtra were carved during the Satavahana period.

Teacher's Note

The Satavahana kings were strong rulers who controlled big areas. Just like today's India exports goods, the Satavahanas also exported things like spices and art objects to other countries like Rome.

Exam Trick

Remember: Gautamiputra Satakarni defeated Nahpana and is described as the king whose horses drank water from three seas. This means he was very powerful and controlled a huge area.

Points To Remember

The Satavahana dynasty was founded by King Simuk.
Paithan was their capital city.
Gautamiputra Satakarni was the most famous Satavahana king.
Trade increased greatly during this time.
Satavahana coins show pictures of ships.

The Vakataka Dynasty

The power of the Satavahanas began to weaken by the third century CE. Among the dynasties that emerged after that, the Vakataka was a powerful dynasty. It was founded by the king 'Vindhyashakti'. He was succeeded by Pravarsen I. After his death, the kingdom of the Vakatakas got divided. There were two main branches. The capital of the first was at Nandivardhan (near Nagpur) and the capital of the other branch was at Vatsagulm which is today's Washim. Pravarsen I, son of Vindhyashakti, extended the Vakataka kingdom in the north up to Malwa and Gujarat and in the south up to Kolhapur. At that time, Kolhapur was known as 'Kuntal'. We have read that the Gupta Emperor Chandragupta II had married his daughter Prabhavati to Rudrasen II, the Vakataka king. Varahdev, a minister of the Vakataka king Harishen, was a follower of Buddhism. Cave number 16 at Ajanta was dug at his instance. Some other caves at Ajanta were dug and beautified with paintings during Harishena's reign. The Vakataka king, Pravarsen II, composed 'Setubandh' in Maharashtri, a Prakrit language. Similarly, Kalidasa's 'Meghadoot' also belongs to this period.

Teacher's Note

The Vakatakas were great builders and artists. They built beautiful caves with paintings at Ajanta which are still visited by people from all over the world today.

Exam Trick

Remember: Vakataka = Ajanta caves. Cave 16 at Ajanta was made during Vakataka rule. These caves have beautiful paintings that are still famous.

Points To Remember

The Vakataka dynasty was founded by King Vindhyashakti.
The kingdom got divided into two parts after Pravarsen I died.
The Vakatakas built the famous caves at Ajanta.
Cave paintings at Ajanta were made during this period.
Pravarsen II wrote the famous book 'Setubandh'.

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