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Simuka

Simuka
The Simuka inscription (photograph and rubbing) at the Naneghat Caves, in early Brahmi script:
𑀭𑀸𑀬𑀸 𑀲𑀺𑀫𑀼𑀓 𑀲𑀸𑀢𑀯𑀸𑀳𑀦𑁄 𑀲𑀺𑀭𑀺𑀫𑀢𑁄
Rāyā Simuka - Sātavāhano sirimato
"King Simuka Satavahana, the illustrious one"[1]
Founder of Satavahana dynasty
Reignc. 228 – c. 205 BCE[2]
SuccessorKanha
IssueSatakarni
DynastySatavahana
ReligionJainism[3]

Simuka (Brahmi:𑀲𑀺𑀫𑀼𑀓, Si-mu-ka) was an ancient Indian king belonging to the Satavahana dynasty, which ruled the Deccan region.[4] He is mentioned as the first king in a list of royals in a Satavahana inscription at Nanaghat.[5] In the Puranas, the name of the first Andhra (Satavahana) king is variously spelt as Shivmukha, Sishuka, Sindhuka, Chhismaka, Shipraka, Srimukha, etc. These are believed to be corrupted spellings of "Simuka", resulting from copying and re-copying of manuscripts.[6]

Based on available evidence, Simuka cannot be dated with certainty.[7] According to one theory, he lived in 3rd century BCE; but he is generally thought to have lived in the 1st century BCE. Epigraphical evidence strongly suggests a 1st-century BCE date for Simuka: Simuka seems to be mentioned as the father the acting king Satakarni in the Naneghat inscription dated to 70-60 BCE, itself considered on palaeographical grounds to be posterior to the Nasik Caves inscription of Kanha (probably Simuka's brother) in Cave 19, dated to 100-70 BCE.[8] Recent analysis of sources puts Simuka's reign possibly around 120 - 96 BCE.[9]

According to the Puranic lists of future kings, "137 years after the accession of Chandragupta Maurya, the Sungas will rule for 112 years and then the Kanvayanas for 45 years whose last king Susharman will be killed by the Andhra Simuka". If the accession of Chandragupta Maurya is dated to 324 BCE, then Simuka started to rule 294 years later, in 30 BCE.[10]

  1. ^ Burgess, Jas (1883). Report on the Elura Cave temples and the Brahmanical and Jaina Caves in Western India.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference RKS_2013 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Yandell, Keith E. Yandell Keith E.; Paul, John J. (19 November 2013). Religion and Public Culture: Encounters and Identities in Modern South India. Routledge. p. 234. ISBN 978-1-136-81801-1. The first Satavahana Simuka or Chimuka is considered to be a Jaina in the Puranic list.
  4. ^ Raychaudhuri 2006, p. 336.
  5. ^ James Burgess; Georg Bühler (1883). Report on the Elura Cave Temples and the Brahmanical and Jaina Caves in Western India. Trübner & Company. p. 69.
  6. ^ Ajay Mitra Shastri (1998). The Sātavāhanas and the Western Kshatrapas: a historical framework. Dattsons. p. 42. ISBN 978-81-7192-031-0.
  7. ^ Upinder Singh (2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India. Pearson Education India. pp. 381–384. ISBN 9788131711200.
  8. ^ Empires: Perspectives from Archaeology and History by Susan E. Alcock p.168
  9. ^ Ollett, Andrew, (2017). Language of the Snakes: Prakrit, Sanskrit, and the Language Order of Premodern India, University of California Press, Okland, (Table 2, Appendix A), p. 189.
  10. ^ Verma, Thakur Prasad (1971). The Palaeography Of Brahmi Script. pp. 87-88.

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