Kingship

The Satavahana polity followed the rule specified in the Sastras, and it adhered to the sovereign. Monarchy in the state was hereditary, and even though the Satavahanas did not mention their fathers in their inscriptions that primarily bore matronymics, succession was always reckoned with patriarchal lineage. The king was the commander in war and led his armies personally to the battlefield. The detailed instructions issued to amacas (amatyas, Governors of Provinces) bear testimony to the effective control that the king had over his officers in every region of his empire. The king issued orders and ensured that necessary steps were taken for the proper functioning of the state. It appears that in the simple administrative machinery of the Satavahana, the king was powerful both in theory and practice.^[5]

As the protector of the existing social order, the king was supposed to increase taxes fairly and promote the prosperity of the poor alongside that of the rich. The king was known to ‘sympathize with the problems of his citizens’ and ‘never employ taxes except as a practice of justice.’ Satavahana monarchs ruled according to Dharmashastras and Arthashasta which emphasized kings to utilize their time appropriately for the betterment of all the subjects. A king who was aware of his subjects’ perception would be a better ruler than someone who was obsessed with their position. Moreover, he was always aided and advised by his ministers, some of whom were confidential (visvasya amatya).^[6]

Administrative Units

The Satavahana kingdom, as suggested by the inscriptions, was divided roughly into two categories, not by geography but by the nature of administrative structures. First under the control of the royal officials and the other under the control of feudatory chieftains. In the territory under the control of feudatories, feudal lords enjoyed, inter alia, the right to stamp their own coins. In the Satavahana age, the Maharathis and Mahabhojas were great feudatories and they issued coins in their own name.^[7] It is to be noticed that coins which make up one of the most important sources for the study of the Satavahana dynasty, demonstrate that different coinage systems predominated in various regions and that the imposition of suzerainty on a territory rarely meant the extinction of its ancient coinage. It shows that the Andhra Empire was not a centralized government but instead tolerated a degree of regional autonomy similar to that of a confederation.^[8]

However, in the territory under the royal officials, the most common designation of an administrative district was the aharas under an amatya.^[9] The Mamalahara comprised the territory now known as Mavala. The Sorparakahara was the name of the region around modern Sopara in North Konkan. A Satavahana epigraph from the first quarter of the third century CE reveals that the aharas were the same as the janapada, which is mentioned in both the Arthasastra of Kautilya and an Ashokan inscription. The ahara or rashtra again was subdivided into nigama (town) and grama.^[10] These towns (nigama) were managed by nigamasabha in which guilds of traders and artisans played a significant part. The administration in the rural areas was placed in the hands of gaumika, who was the head of military regiment consisting of nine chariots, nine elephants, 25 horses and 45 foot soldiers.^[11]

Administrative Officials

The administration was much simpler under the Satavahanas than it was under the Mauryas. The administration of the empire was carried on by the agency of state officials, and feudatories, the two of which are worthy of mention: Maharathis and the Mahabhojas. Inscriptions refer to ministers who were in charge of various functions. The ministers were chosen by the king himself, and it doesn’t look like the position of the minister like the feudatories was hereditary.^[12] Among the high officials of the Satavahana, mention may be made of amatya or amaca, mahasenapati, senapati, mahattaraka, mahatalavara, maharathis, mahabhoja, mahadandanayaka and rathika. Epigraphs of Satavahana kings shed light on administrative duties these officials used to perform.

1. Amatya or Amaca: The cumulative evidence of the occurrences of the term amaca in the Satavahana records suggests that they were employed all over the territories under the rule of the Satavahanas. Amatya was the designation for an official in charge of an administrative division – probably the ahara or a province. Several Satavahana epigraphs contain orders of Satavahana kings to amatyas posted at aharas. From this, it appears that a amaca governed an ahara (province). It is worthy of mention that Karle inscription of the Satavahanas refers to ‘paragata gamasu amatya’ in charge of a conquered village which indicates that amatya probably served as governor of the newly conquered territory as well. Also it was through amatya that all royal orders regarding gifts of land or caves were communicated.^[13] They occupied the same position as the mahamatras in the Asokan government and the kumaramatyas in the Gupta government. It is to be noted that, Arthashastra regards amatya as one of the seven elements of a state – svamyamatyajanapada durgakosadandamitraniprakratayah.^[14]

2. Mahasenapati: This was another high official of the Satavahana period and very probably was the army chief as the literal meaning of the term is ‘great commander of the army’. The earliest reference to a mahasenapati is found in a Nasik inscription of Vasisthiputra Pulumavi. In this epigraph, the mahasenapati appears in the role of the drafter of a charter. In the later Satavahana period, mahasenapati was entrusted with governing an administrative division and allowed to rule as subordinate chief. The mahasenapati performed some civil functions such as drafting land as well.^[15]

3. Mahattaraka is considered to mean a ‘courtier’ or a ‘chamberlain’, i.e. an officer in charge of a private apartment of the king or of a nobleman. He might have been a courtier or a superintendent of the affairs of a department of the royal house. ^[16]

4. Mahatalavara: The mahatalavara probably were viceroys or feudatory governors of the province. However, we can rule out the possibility that they might be hereditary rulers of provinces.^[17]

5. Mahadandanayaka: An epigraph of the Satavahana monarch Yajnasri Satakarni mentions a mahadandanayaka. This official has been interpreted either as the ‘chief justice’ or the ‘chief of the army’. Since danda in ancient India denotes a rod (a symbol of judicial authority or punishment), as well as a military array, a mahadandanayaka might have been either judicial or military duties or even have had both. There are many examples where the same person holds the office of mahadandanayaka as well as mahasenapati.^[18]

6. Ratthikas also called Rastrika means ‘one connected with a rashtra. The term occurs very early in Indian epigraphs. Ashoka’s edicts mention a people called Ratthika in association with the Petenikas as western borderers of his empire. They might have inhabited the present-day Maharashtra territory in his time. Ratthikas during the Satavahana period could have been subordinate officials or rulers in charge of the administration of different parts of the kingdom. ^[19]

7. Lesser Officials: The lesser officials mentioned in epigraphs are the paniyagharika and the kothakarika. Paniyagharika mentioned in the Amravati inscription may have been a person in charge of a ‘Waterhouse’ instituted by the government. Such types of establishments supplied water to thirsty travellers, traders, pilgrims, etc. There also is a reference to pabaliha or prapapalika who was a girl official in charge of a water reservoir. Gatha Saptasati, an ancient collection of Indian poems in the Maharashtri Prakrit language dating to the Satavahana period mentions pabaliha or prapapalika.^[20] In fact, the custom of distributing water to thirsty travellers still persists in India.

8. Kothakarika may be the treasurer or the superintendent of a royal storehouse who supervises the accounts of the agricultural produces (sita), taxes coming under rashtras, commerce (krayima), barter (parivartana), begging for grains (pramityaka), grains borrowed with promise to repay (apamityaka), oil, etc. (simhanika), statement to check expenditure (vyayapratyaya), and recovery of past errors (upasthanam). Bhandarika occurring in a Satavahana epigraph from Nasik was possibly the treasurer. ^[21]

Women in Administration

A remarkable feature of public administration under the Satavahana was that besides men, women also engaged in various administrative departments. This is something that made the Satavahana polity very unique. Satavahana monarch’s adherence to metronymic has already been mentioned. Gautamiputra Satakarni is described as one who rendered uninterrupted service to his mother (avipanamatu-susuka).^[22] This practice of the king deriving the name from the name of a mother or female ancestor is sufficient to demonstrate that women in the Satavahana system of government played an important role. We also have several references which prove that a woman, though she could not ascend the throne, could act as regent.^[23]

From records of their lavish charity mentioned in inscriptions, one can infer that women were prominent in social and political life and held property. In sculptures we see them worshipping Buddhist emblems, taking part in assemblies, and entertaining guests alongside their husbands. They appear in some sculptures probably as bodyguards of royal and other important personages. It is interesting to note that an assignment of this kind for female guards is recommended by Chanakya in Arthashastra.^[24]

A Nasik inscription shows that Gautami Basasri and her son Gautamiputra Satakarni gave an order together. This shows that sometimes women, especially royal ladies, were associated with the administration of the country. One of the Nanaghat Cave inscriptions, not far from Pune, dating from the first century BCE describes the Satavahana queen Nagamnika performing elaborate Vedic sacrifices including the Aghyadheya, Ashvamedha, Rajasuya, etc.^[25] During the age of Satavahana, women even got the titles of their husbands, such as Maharathini, Mahabhoji, Mahatalavari, Bhojiki, Kutumbini, Gahini, Vaniyini, and so on. Among the women officials worthy of mention are Abhatarika or Abhyantarika and Antahpura-mahattarika. Abhatarika could stand for a female friend, possibly a concubine. However, we come across the existence of a group of officials called abhyantata pasthayaka which suggests that abhyantarika may better be considered as an officer who was in charge of an inner apartment, probably a guard of the royal household. Another official known as antahpura-mahattarika was of a similar nature and served as the supervisor of the female apartment of the King’s palace. We have also the particular example of a woman doorkeeper. ^[26]

Taxation

The fiscal system of the Satavahanas can be known from revenue concessions in villages granted for religious purposes. Assessments were done in settled towns or on cultivated land, where the king owned the mineral resources, such as salt. The state officials, police, and troops could stay with the peasants to take care of the parts of the government. Words like “deya-meya” and “bhoga” were used to talk about the royal part of the harvest. The king also received the karu-kara, which means taxes levied on artisans. In Satavahana rule, artisans had to work for their chief one day a month because this practice is recommended by the Dharmastastras. It appears that revenue was collected in both currency and kind. Numerous coins of ordinary metal of the Satavahana kings suggest that collection in cash was not slight. This is also supported by the use of the term hairanyika which means keeper of gold for treasurer.^[27]