Kanha (Satavahana dynasty)

Kanha
Satavahana king
Reignc. 100–70 BCE
PredecessorSimuka
SuccessorSri Satakarni (according to Puranas)
DynastySatavahana
ReligionBuddhism
Inscription of king Kanha (100–70 BCE)
Cave No.19 of Satavahana king Kanha at the Nasik Caves, 1st century BCE.[1]
Inscription of king Kanha in cave No.19, Nasik Caves. This is the oldest known Satavahana inscription, circa 100–70 BCE.[2]
In Brahmi script:𑀲𑀸𑀤𑀯𑀸𑀳𑀦𑀓𑀼𑀮𑁂 𑀓𑀦𑁆𑀳𑁂𑀭𑀸𑀚𑀺𑀦𑀺 𑀦𑀸𑀲𑀺𑀓𑁂𑀦 𑀲𑀫𑀡𑁂𑀦 𑀫𑀳𑀸𑀫𑀸𑀢𑁂𑀡 𑀮𑁂𑀡 𑀓𑀸𑀭𑀢
Sādavāhanakule Kanhe rājini Nāsikakena Samaṇena mahāmāteṇa leṇa kārita
"Under King Kanha[3] of the Satavahana family this cave has been caused to be made by the officer in charge of the Sramanas at Nasik".[4][3]

Kanha (Brahmi script:𑀓𑀦𑁆𑀳, Ka-nha, c. 1st century BCE) was a ruler of the Satavahana dynasty of India. Historian Himanshu Prabha Ray assigns his reign to the period c. 100–70 BCE.[5][1]

Kanha has been mentioned as "Krishna" (IAST: Kṛṣṇa) in the Puranas. According to the Puranic genealogy, he was the brother of the first Satavahana king Simuka (whose name varies according to the different Puranas).[6][7]

  1. ^ a b Empires: Perspectives from Archaeology and History by Susan E. Alcock p.168
  2. ^ Carla M. Sinopoli 2001, p. 168.
  3. ^ a b Alcock, Susan E.; Alcock, John H. D'Arms Collegiate Professor of Classical Archaeology and Classics and Arthur F. Thurnau Professor Susan E.; D'Altroy, Terence N.; Morrison, Kathleen D.; Sinopoli, Carla M. (2001). Empires: Perspectives from Archaeology and History. Cambridge University Press. p. 168. ISBN 9780521770200.
  4. ^ Burgess. Epigraphia Indica Vol 8. p. 93.
  5. ^ Carla M. Sinopoli (2001). "On the edge of empire: form and substance in the Satavahana dynasty". In Susan E. Alcock (ed.). Empires: Perspectives from Archaeology and History. Cambridge University Press. pp. 166–168. ISBN 9780521770200.
  6. ^ Sudhakar Chattopadhyaya (1974). Some Early Dynasties of South India. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 37–38. ISBN 9788120829411.
  7. ^ rao 1994, p. 10.