SOAS Research Online

Abstract

This thesis is the first attempt to write a political and cultural history of the Andhra region (districts of Krishna and Guntur) from c. A.D. 75 to 350 since the discoveries in the last two decades of a great number of new and important materials in this area. Most of these materials have been discovered at different excavated sites, especially at Nagar Munakonda. The thesis is divided into thirteen chapters. Chapter I indicates the scope and sources of our investigations. The historical geography of the region of Krishna and Guntur is discussed in Chapter II, where an attempt is made to show that during the most of the stipulated period this area was known as Amdhapata i.e. Andhrapatha or Andhra, Chapter III deals with the political history of the latter territory up to the advent of the Satavahanas, and traces it back to the time of Asoka. These introductory chapters are followed in Chapter IV by an account of the activities of the Satavahana dynasty in the region of Krishna and Guntur. This chapter inter alia studies the question of the date of the extension of the authority of this family to this area. Chapter V contains discussions on the political history of the successors of the Satavahanas, the Iksvakus. Chapters VI and VII are concerned respectively with the chronology of their reigns, and the circumstances leading to their downfall in about the middle of the fourth century A.D. The Satavahana and Iksvaku polity, with special reference to the positions of the high officials, forms the subject of study in Chapter VIII. Chapter IX evaluates sources concerning trade routes, commercial products, articles of export and Import, traders and merchants, coins, guilds and other aspects of the economic conditions of the Andhra region under the Satavahanas and the Iksvkus. The heterogeneous elements of the Andhra society, their languages and dialects, customs, dresses and ornaments, sports and amusements and the position of the women in the Andhra society are studied in Chapter X. Chapter XI gives an account of Buddhist and Brahmanical and other minor sects of this region and asseses the influence and importance of Buddhism in the Krishna-Guntur area ; Chapter XII deals with stupa and chetiya-ghara architecture, the remains of Brahmanical shrines and secular structures, sculptures and other topics concerning the art and architecture of the region of Krishna and Guntur. Chapter XIII contains the gist of results of our investigations. It is followed by a bibliography enumerating original sources as well as modem works. At the end of the thesis there are two maps and eighteen plates containing facsimiles of inscriptions ( P1. I-II ) and photographs of objects of art and architecture (P1. II-XVIII ).