A CASE STUDY ON VAKATAKAS

Abstract:
The Vakataka dynasty was an ancient Indian dynasty that emerged from the Deccan in the
mid-3rd century AD. Their kingdom is believed to extend from the southern tip of Malwa and
Gujarat in the north to the Tungabhadra River in the south and the Arabian Sea in the west to the tip
of Chhattisgarh in the east. They were the most important successors of the Satavahanas of the
Deccan and contemporaries of the Guptas in North India.Key Word: Chandragupta II, Prithishena,
Daskumarcharita, Satavahana, Panchatantra.
Little is known about Vindhyashakti (c. 250 – c. 270 CE), the founder of the family.
Territorial expansion began in the reign of his son Pravarasena I. It is generally believed that the
Vakataka dynasty was divided into four branches after Pravarasena I. Two branches are known, and
two are unknown. The known branches are the Pravarapura-Nandivardhana branch and the
Vatsagulma branch. Gupta Emperor Chandragupta II married his daughter into Vakataka royal
family and, with their support, annexed Gujarat from the Saka Satraps in 4th century CE. The
Vakataka power was followed by that of the Chalukyas of Badami in Deccan. The Vakatakas are
noted for having been patrons of the arts, architecture and literature. They led public works and their
monuments are a visible legacy. The rock-cut Buddhist viharas and chaityas of Ajanta Caves (a
UNESCO World Heritage Site) were built under the patronage of Vakataka emperor, Harishena.
Introduction:
Vakataka dynasty, Indian ruling house originating in the central Deccan in the mid-3rd
century CE, the empire of which is believed to have extended from Malwa and Gujarat in the north
to the Tungabhadra in the south and from the Arabian Sea in the west to the Bay of Bengal in the
east. The Vakatakas, like many of the contemporary dynasties of the Deccan, claimed Brahmanical
origin. Little is known, however, about Vindhyashakti (c. 250–270 CE), the founder of the family.
Territorial expansion began in the reign of his son Pravarasena I, who came to the throne about 270
and reached the Narmada River in the north by annexing the kingdom of Purika.
Pravarasena’s kingdom was partitioned after his death. The main line continued with
Rudrasena I (c. 330), his son Prithvisena I (c. 350), and Prithvisena’s son Rudrasena II (c. 400). In
the period of Prithvisena the Vakatakas came into contact with the powerful Gupta family of North
India, which was making a bid to expand in the west at the expense
of the Western Kshatrapas. Because of its territorial position, the
Vakataka family was recognized as a useful ally; Prabhavati Gupta,
the daughter of Chandragupta II, was married to Rudrasena II. In this
period, Gupta impact was significant in Vakataka polity and culture.
Rudrasena’s death was followed by the lengthy regency of
Prabhavati Gupta during the minority of her sons Divakarasena and
Damodarasena. After the Guptas became involved in a war against
the Hunas, the Vakataka dynasty was free to expand in central India,
and in the period of Narendrasena (c. 450–470), son of Pravarasena
II, Vakataka influence spread to such central Indian states as Kosala,
Mekala, and Malava. This power, however, ultimately brought the Vakatakas into conflict with the
Nalas and caused a setback to the family. Its power was temporarily revived in the reign of
Prithvisena II, the last known king of the line, who acceded to the throne about 470.
Excavated Data from Pravarapura, A Vaklataka Capital:
The first capital of the main branch of the Vakatakas was Nandivardhan, not far from the
Ramtek Hills to the east of Nagpur. The second capital established by Pravarasena II was
Pravarapura at Mansare near Ramtek. Extensive excavations have been carried out at the site of
Pravarapura which was once identified as Paona to the west of Nagpur but is now identified as
Mansar based on excavated epigraphic material
Although there are Stone Age remains in the area, the excavation sequence begins with traces
of a brick-built mound 8 m in diameter, set into the earth 1.55 m and enclosed by a wall of 38 bricks.
There was also a staircase on the eastern side due to the sloping contour of the hill. This first stupa
was replaced by a second stupa, which had a rectangular (8x5.5 m) mutt at its southeast corner. Both
the stupa and the monastery were built in the Maurya-early Sunga period. Characteristic of the later
Satavahana period (c. 200 BC – 250 AD) was a palace standing on a solid brick-built mud (51 m x
44 m) foundation and containing a large number of large and small rooms surrounded by 5 m. Wide
corridors between the inner and outer walls of the palace. Both the
palace walls and foundation walls were ornamented with pilaster
moldings which were lime-plastered alternately with white and red
paint. A fort wall surrounded the palace complex on four sides and
was flanked by a moat on the east and south and a large embankment
tank on the north and west. The area between the fort wall and the
base of the palace was uniformly 30 m wide, leaving a 9.30 m wide
area as an open courtyard. It is surrounded by a 2.40m wide balcony
leading to the room. To the west of the palace is a Satavahana period
mandapa or mandapa (23 m x 19.5 m) with 42 brick pillars. This
mandapa is situated within a 29-meter square enclosure wall.
Equally significant, Pravarasena II shifted his capital from Nandivardhana to Pravarapura
between his 11th and 16th reigns and used the remains of the earlier Satavahana period 'palace' to
add two more floors by "additions and alterations but without any change in the original plan. The
palace and the entire complex of buildings around it.
In the late 6th century, under the Vishnukundin dynasty, Buddhism re-emerged in Mansara,
and stupas and monastic complexes of that period have been excavated. Under Vishnukundin the
entire palace complex was converted into a Mahavihara.
'It is difficult to say as to for how long the Mahavihara remained active, but one thing is
certain that in sixth century AD. Pravarapura became a great centre of Buddhist learning.'
The excavations at Mansa are of some importance in Indian archaic historical research as it is
the first site where a major dynastic capital has been excavated in some detail, providing a coherent
background to the dynastic history. Among other things, it also amply highlights the geopolitical
significance of the Nagpur-Ramtek belt in Vidarbha.
VAKATAKA SUCCESSION AND CHRONOLOGY:
 The incomprehensibility of the Vakataka chronology is partly due to the fact that their
inscriptions are dated in regnal periods, leaving only scope for a limited range of fixed points. Two
major schemes have been offered by scholars, one by R.C. Majumdar and the other by V.V. Mirashi,
however, in terms of calculated years, the difference between the two projects is relatively small. The
first known king Vindhyasakti I was probably a contemporary of the Abhira dynasty of northern
Maharashtra and the surrounding region in the mid-3rd century AD. He is temporarily placed in c.
250 AD and 270 AD. His son Pravarasena I who is credited with performing several Vedic rituals
including the four Aswamedha sacrifices, probably ruled for 60 years, from a.d. 270 to 330 AD.
What supports the possibility of such a long reign is that he was succeeded not by a son in the main
branch of the dynasty but by a grandson, Rudrasena I (c. 330-50 CE). His son Prithibisena I had a
long reign and his son Rudrasena II was a younger contemporary of the Gupta dynasty king
Chandragupta II (c. 380 AD – 413/415). Chandragupta II's daughter Prabhadatigupta was married to
Rudrasena II, whose reign centered around 400 AD. Prabhadatigupta served as the regent of
Yuvaraja Divakarsena for at least 13 years as he died after reigning only 5 years, the reign of
Divakarsena. fall into c. 405 and 420 AD. Divakarasena's reign was followed by his younger brother
Damodarasena (c. 420-50 CE) or Pravarasena II. Narendrasena II (c. 450–70) was the next king and
was succeeded by Prithusena II (c. 470–90 CE), whose reign is dated by the date of his feudatory, the
Uchkakalpa prince Baghra, as found at Nachna and Ganj in the Satna-Ajaygarh section of Madhya
Pradesh. Stone inscription. Byaghra's son Jayanath Gupta dates to years 174 and 177. Prithishena
appears to be the last emperor of the main branch of the
Vakatakas.
Regarding the Vakataka chronology, A.S. Altekar, in his
famous volume The Vakataka-Gupta Period chapter, mentions
the important role played by the date of Prabhadatigupta, wife of
the Vakataka king Rudrasena II and daughter of Chandragupta II
(c. 375–414 CE). It is with a fixed point. As Altekar says:
“We can determine the main outline of the Vakataka
chronology only with the help of the known date of Prabhavati-gupta, the queen of the Vakataka
king Rudra-sena II, who was a daughter of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta II (c. AD 375-414).
Prabhavatigupta was widowed early in her life and her surviving son could assume the reins of
administration only in c. AD 410. Her husband Rudrasena II, therefore, probably died in c. AD 390.
He had a short reign of about five years. But his father Prithvi-shena had a fairly long and
prosperous reign and we may place it between c. AD 360 and AD 385. An expression used in
connection with this ruler in several Vakataka charters shows that the family was ruling
prosperously for about a hundred years before his accession in c. AD 360. We can, therefore, place
the reign of the founder of the family Vindhyasakti between c. 255 and 275. His son Pravara-sena I
who assumed the imperial title as a result of extensive conquests, had a long reign. The Puranas say
that it lasted for 60 years and we may well accept that statement, for inscriptions show that he was
succeeded not by a son but by a grandson. The rule of Pravarasena I, therefore, may be placed
between c. AD 275 and 335 and that of his grandson Rudra-sena I between c. AD 335 and 360. We
have shown already how the next ruler Prithvishena I is known to have been ruling from c. AD 360
to 385. The known synchronism of Rudrasena II with Chandragupta II, along with other fairly
reliable evidence referred to above, thus enables us to determine the date of Vindhyasakti, the
founder of the dynasty, as c. 255-275. The discovery of new epigraphs may necessitate some
adjustments in the chronology suggested above, but it will not be considerable.”
 The second known Vakataka dynastic branch that is listed in their succession is the
Vatsagulma branch, identified with the Vatsagulma Wasim formerly in the Akola district of
Maharashtra. Wasim has now formed a separate district. The founder of this branch was Sarvasena
(c. 330ñ35) who was a contemporary of Rudrasena I of the main branch. His son Vindhyasakti II or
Vindhyasena ruled from B.C. 355 AD to 400 AD. His successor Pravarasena died young and was
succeeded by Pravarasena II who ruled from a.d. 400 to 410 AD. The unnamed son of Pravarasena II
(his name is absent from the relevant inscriptions) ruled from B.C. 410 to 450 AD. The next kings
were Devasena (c. 450-75 AD) and Harisena (c. 475-500 AD). Northern son supposedly ruled until
c. In 510 AD the Kalachuri king Krishnaraja conquered his kingdom.
The foregoing account of the succession and chronology of the Vakataka kings is given by
V.V. taken from Mirashi's analysis in his volume on the Vakataka Inscriptions. It is slightly different
from R.C. Majumdar's earlier account but the differences between the two scholars are minor and
can generally be ignored.
POLITICAL CONTENTS OF THE SUCCESSIVE REIGNS AND SUPPORTING
INSCRIPTIONS:
The first king of the dynasty, Vindhyasdakti I, is described as a Dwija or Brahmin in the 'Flag
of the Vakataka Family' and Ajanta Cave Inscription No. 16. To add to his power, he fought great
battles and he fought a great battle. Cavalry Interestingly, no royal title is attached to his name in the
inscription, and the hypothesis that he may have had a
hereditary link with the Vakataka householder or Grihapati and
his two wives as the donor of a fragmentary Amaravati pillar is
not substantiated by any supporting evidence. In fact, would
argue that Vindhyashakti I's home, like that of his successors,
was ancient Vidarbha or both eastern and western regions of
modern Nagpur in Maharashtra.
The successor ruler was Pravarasena I specifically mentioned in the Jamb copperplate of
Pravarasena II, the main branch of the family issued from Nandivardhana. In this inscription
Pravarasena I is called the emperor or universal ruler and the Maharaja or Dharmamaharaja of the
Vakataka dynasty. Belonging to the Vishnuvrdha gotra, he performed several Vedic yagnas such as
Agnisthoma, Optoryama, Uktya, Shodasin, Atiratra, Vajpeya, Brihaspatisava and Sadyaskara as well
as four Aswamedha yagnas. It appears that he took his arms as far north as the Narmada and annexed
the kingdom of Purika which was ruled by a king named Sisuka. His conquest of the Maharashtra
division is disputed but it is possible that he conquered parts of North Kuntla comprising Kolhapur,
Solapur and Satara. Earlier he probably extended his rule to Dakshina Kosala, Kalinga and Andhra.
These three victories must have greatly expanded his power. South Kosala or the area between
modern Bilaspur and Raipur (originally modern Chhattisgarh) was probably not a problem. But the
advance from South Kosala to Kalinga and thence to the Andhra coast must have required some
considerable effort. Andhra, particularly North Andhra, was directly accessible from Vidarbha
through Chandrapur, Karimpur and Nizambad areas. One of the four sons of Pravarasena I,
Gautamiputra, was married to a princess of the Bharasiva family, a powerful family of the Padmavati
(Pawaya) region, but this son predeceased him and was succeeded by his grandson Rudrasena I. An
ardent worshiper of Shiva, Swami Mahabhairava. Not much is known about the reign of this king
and he was succeeded by his son Prithishena I and Rudrasena II.
 This king is important because he was married to Prabhatagupta, daughter of the Gupta king
Chandragupta II, and this queen ruled for about 20 years on behalf of his two minor sons,
Divakarasena and Pravarasena II. The Guptas and Vakatakas became very close, and Pravarasena II
became the more important king of the queen's two sons. He was succeeded by Narendrasena and
Prithivasena II. After the death of the latter, the kingdom of the Nandivardhan-Prabharpur branch of
the Vakatakas was annexed by King Harisena of the Vatsagulma branch and had its capital at Basim
in the Akola region west of Nagpur.
The Vatsagulma branch was founded by Sarvasena whose title was Dharmamaharaja. His son
Vindhyasena or Vindhyashakti II succeeded him. Also bearing the title Dharmamaharaja, he is
known from the land inscription of the Wasim Plates which refers to him as the conqueror of Kuntala
or lesser southern Maharashtra. He was succeeded by his son Pravarasena II who died after a short
reign leaving the kingdom to his son Devasena, who appointed Hastivhoja as his minister to
administer the administration. Perhaps the most famous king of this line was Harisena who is known
mainly from an inscription carved on the left side wall outside the balcony of Cave 16 at Ajanta. In
fact, the inscription which begins with the genealogy of the Bakataka kings beginning with the first
Vindhyasakti, was inscribed by his minister Varahadeva, son of Devasena's minister Hastivhoja of
the previous reign. According to this inscription, Harisena conquered Kuntala, Avanti, Kalinga,
Kosala, Trikuta and Andhra, i.e., southern Maharashtra, Malwa, Chhattisgarh plain, Kalinga or
southeastern Orissa and northeastern Andhra, Nasik area, northern Gujarat and parts of Andhra.
The names of the two rulers after Harisena are not known.
The dynasty ended with Mahishamati's defeat at the hands of the
Kalachuri dynasty.
THE VAKATAKA EPIGRAPHIC EVIDENCE:
The Deotek inscription of Rudrasena, partly inscribed on a
Mauryan inscription, is partly damaged and purports to record the
construction of a temple or place of religious worship (dharmasthan) by King Rudrasena at
Chikkamburi. Prabhatagupta's Pune plates, though issued from Nandivardhana, found in a private
collection at Pune, record his donation of a village to the priest or Acharya Chanalasvamin. These
records mainly relate to Wardha area. Prabhadatigupta identifies herself as the chief queen of
Maharaja Rudrasena of the Agramahishi or Vakataka family, and part of this inscription is taken up
by her personal, i.e., Gupta, genealogy. The copperplates known as 'Jamb Plates of Pravaresena II'
were issued from Nandivardhana and trace the royal lineage back to Emperor Pravaresena I, the
Maharaja of the Vakataka dynasty and the performer of several Vedic sacrifices and four
Aswamedha yagnas. He was succeeded by his grandson Rudrasena I, son of Gautamiputra and
daughter of Bharashiva king Bhavnaga. He was succeeded by Prithivasena I who was succeeded by
Rudrasena II, father of the grantor Pravarasena II. The plate itself mentions a grant to a Brahmin of
the Kaundinya gotra of Kathuraka village at Suprastha Ahar in the modern Wardha region to the
Taittiriya Sakha of the Black Yajurveda. The Belora Plate of the same king grants the village of
Mohalla-lata in Ashi Bhukti to a Brahmin of the Wardha area. The Chammak copperplates of
Pravarasena II were issued by Pravarasena II from Pravarapura and record the royal donation of 8000
nivartanas of land in the village of Charmanka in the Bhojkata kingdom to a thousand brahmins of
various gotras. The last-mentioned word may stand for the westernmost part of Vidarbha. Siwani
plates of Paravarasena II VV. Records a grant to a Brahman of a village established by Formerly
Mirashi in Amgaon sector of Nagpur.
 List of Inscriptions Classified by V.V Mirashi among the feudatories of the main branch of
the Bhakatkas based at Nandivardhana-Pravarapura begins with the Bamhani plates of Bharatbala,
which were recovered from the Sohagpur area of the former Rewa kingdom. It refers to the "Dynasty
of Mekal" beginning with Jayabala and his successors Vatsaraja, Maharaja Nagabala and Maharaja
Bharatabala, the latter being the grantor of a village in the northern division of Mekal. There is no
direct reference to the Vakatakas ruling this dynasty but geographically it is a probable assumption.
Byaghradeva's Nachne-ki-Talai donation record clearly mentions that he, i.e., Byaghradeva
'meditates on the feet of the illustrious Prithivisena, Maharaja of Vakataka'. Byaghradeva has been
identified with King Byaghra of the Uchchakalpa dynasty. Another inscription of Byaghradeva,
known as the Ganj stone inscription, also a donation record, was found in the Ajaygarh part of the
same area. Here too he declared himself a vassal of the Vakataka king Prithivasena II.
The Vakataka inscription of the Vatsagulma branch in V.V. Mirashi's discussion begins with
the Basim copper reign of Vindhyasakti II whose genealogy extends successively to Sarvasena and
Pravarasena. Vindhyasakti II is called Haritiputra and Dhammaharaja in this grant. Here he records
the grant
A village in Nandikata area. It is possible that he ruled southern Vidarbha and northern parts
of Andhra. The 'India Office' plate of Devasena records the grant of a village by King Devasena from
Vatsagulma.
The most important inscription in the list of so-called
ministers and feudatories of the Vatsagulma branch is the Ajanta
Cave 16 inscription of Varahadeva, found incised on a side wall
outside the cave balcony. The royal genealogy of this inscription
from Vindhyasakti I to Harisena, through the successive reigns of
Pravarasena I, Sarvasena, Vindhyasena and Pravarasena II, states
that Pravarasena I conquered Kuntala or southern Maharashtra.
and Harisena himself during whose reign his minister Varahadeva
issued inscriptions, Kuntala (southern Maharashtra), Avanti (eastern Malwa), Kalinga (southeastern
Orissa and northeastern Andhra), Kosala (or southern Kosala or Chhattisgarh basin), Trikuta
(southern Kosala) won. North Maharashtra or the area east of Nashik), Lata (North Gujarat) and
Andhra (probably the northern part of Andhra, if not the whole of the Krishna-Godavari delta).
Donor Varahadeva's father was Hastiboja and their genealogy is found in the Ghotkocha cave
inscriptions, 11 miles east of Ajanta. Cave 16 of Ajanta was donated by Varahadeva, a minister of
Harisena.
THE VAKATAKA ADMINISTRATION:
There were several major divisions of the Vakatak region which V.V. Mirashi compares them
to "modern commissioners' departments" and named them Rashtra or States. The Belora plates refer
to the Pakkana kingdom and the Chammaka plates refer to the Bhojkata kingdom. These larger
divisions were subdivided into subjects or 'districts' (cf. Panchagartta subjects in the Uttara Rashtra
division of the Mekala state; Bhojkata subjects in the Amravati region; Bennakata subjects in the
modern Bhandara and Balaghat regions), divided into Aharas (Suprastha Ahras in the Wardha belt)
or Bhuktis (Asi Bhuktis).
The Daskumarcharita of Dandi, which according to some views is a 5th-6th century text,
perhaps reflecting some conditions of the Vakataka period, mentions 'counselor' or minister and
'head of department' or principal. Mirashi mentions the relevance of this text in this context. The
word Sachiba is also used to mean minister. The 'head of the secretariat' was called Sarvadhyaksha
and the persons directly concerned with law and order were Kulputras. The persons concerned with
the assessment and administration of revenue were called Rajukas. Officers like Senapati,
Dandanayaka, Devarika etc. were probably involved in the administration of land revenue and other
taxes. The king was the supreme authority, but his rule was stymied by the interference of a minister
like Harisena's minister Hastivoja and Varahadeva, who could become powerful in their own right.
For more than 200 years, the Vakatakas were the ruling power in Central India or what
Altekar described as Berar (ancient Vidarbha) and the Central Provinces. It is not generally
appreciated that this region was in a very important position in the communication network between
the Gangetic valley and the Deccan. A major route came through modern Chhattisgarh, passing
through Vidarbha to Ajanta and reaching the Godavari valley. The route bifurcates south of the
Balaghat section to connect with the route from the Narmada valley via Balaghat to Pauni and the
Karimnagar section of the Godavari valley. At the western end of the region, another route crosses
the Tapti at Burhanpur to Ajanta-Aurangabad and the upper part of the Godavari valley. It was a
fairly compact area, and the Vakataka kings controlling this nodal point in the subcontinent's route
network became more important than indicating their territorial possessions.
Culture:
The Vakatakas are noted for having been patrons of the
arts, architecture and literature. They led public works and their
monuments are a visible legacy. The rock-cut Buddhist viharas
and chaityas of Ajanta Caves was built under the patronage of
Vakataka King Harishena of Vatsagulma branch. Spink
attributes the Ajanta caves of the period to a single, intense
burst of enthusiasm during the reign of the Vakataka king
Harishena. It was Harishena's death, he argues, that marked the
end of the golden age. There were two phases of activity at this site-five caves were excavated in the
Satavahana period, while 23 belong to the Vakataka period (inscriptional evidence establishes this).
Indra, Vishnu, Rama, Hara, and Kama are mentioned in a donative inscription of Varahadeva,
minister of the Vakataka king Harishena, in one of the Buddhist caves at Ajanta. The scale and
magnificence of the Ajanta caves suggest that they must have housed a prominent monastic
community which attracted lavish patronage from the elites of the Vakataka kingdom. The second
phase of painting in Ajanta corresponds to the Vakataka period.
Panchatantra:
The Panchatantra is an example of a nidarshana-a work which shows through illustration
what should and should not be done. The date and authorship of this text are uncertain. Its stories are
presented as narrated by a sage named Vishnusharman. The three princes whom Vishnusharman
instructs in niti (policy, statecraft) through many engaging stories have names ending in the suffix
'shakti', which suggests the possibility that the work was composed in the Vakataka empire. The text
is divided into five sections illustrating the following topics:
 splitting an alliance that is contrary to one's interest,
 forming an alliance,
 waging war,
  getting the better of a fool, and
 the results of action without reflection.
Most of the Panchatantra stories are amusing, satirical tales in which animals play an important
role. The style is elegant prose, interspersed with verses.
Other information about Vakatakas:
Vakataka inscriptions mention the terms klipta and upaklipta; they also refer to vishti or forced
labour. Vakataka inscriptions mention the terms klipta and upaklipta.
According to D. C. Sircar, the former may have meant a purchase tax or a sale tax, while
Maity suggests it may not refer to a tax at all but to some royal right over land. The upaklipta may
have referred to some additional or minor taxes.

With specific reference to the Vakataka kingdom, Shrimali argues for a decline in trade,
traders, and the urban economy. Shrimali asserts that the inscriptions convey a picture of
 a nonmonetary,
 small-scale village economy,
 an expansion of rural settlements,
 a contraction of urbanism, and
 an early onset of feudalism.
There are several references to artisans, traders, and
occupational groups in Vakataka inscriptions.
 The Indore plates of Pravarasena II mention a merchant
(vanijaka) named Chandra, who bought half a village and
donated it to some Brahmanas.
 The gifted village Charmanka in the Chammak copper plates
of Pravarasena II may have been a settlement of leather workers.
 The Thalner copper plates record the gift of Kamsakaraka and Suvarnakara, which, from their
names, seem to have been villages of bronze workers and goldsmiths.
 A goldsmith named Ishvaradatta is mentioned as the engraver of the Pattan plates.
 Kallara, mentioned in the Pandhurna plates, and Madhukajjhari, mentioned in the Patna
Museum plates, may have been villages of alcohol distillers.
 The inhabitants of Ishtakapalli of the Mandhal plates may have specialized in brickmaking.
 Places such as Ishtakapalli, Hiranyapura, Lavanatailaka, and Lohanagara seem to have been
connected with brickmaking, goldwork, salt manufacture, and iron working respectively.
The Indore plates of the Vakataka king Pravarasena mention a merchant (vanijaka) named
Chandra, who bought half of the village that was gifted by the king to certain Brahmanas. The
Vakataka genealogies do not generally mention queens. However, Vakataka inscriptions reveal the
exercise of political power by queen Prabhavatigupta during the reigns of three consecutive
Vakataka rulers.
Gift giving by women:
 Some royal women took the initiative in gift-giving.
  Prabhavatigupta made grants in her own right.
 The Masoda plates of Pravarasena II records a grant made at the request of an unnamed chief
queen.
 A fragmentary inscription found on the walls of the Kevala-Narasimha temple in Ramtek
(Nagpur district) records the construction of this temple (given the name Prabhavatisvamin)
in memory of the deceased queen Prabhavatigupta by her daughter.
The Vakataka king Pravarasena I is described in inscriptions as having performed four horse
sacrifices, as well as others such as the agnishtoma, brihaspatisava, vajapeya.