Queen Prabhavatigupta
- The Vakataka rulers were known to have forged several matrimonial alliances with other dynasties of their times.
- One of the key alliances was with Prabhavatigupta of the mighty Gupta dynasty, which was then ruling north India.
- After marrying Vakataka king Rudrasena II, Prabhavatigupta enjoyed the position of Chief Queen.
- Scholars say Queen Prabhavatigupta was among a handful of women rulers in India to have reigned over any kingdom during ancient times.
- Also, there had been no evidence so far of any successor female ruler within the Vakataka dynasty.
- She ruled for about 10 years until her son Pravarasena II, and had a pivotal role in propagation of Vaishnava practices in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.
Vakataka dynasty
- The Vakataka Empire originated from the Deccan in the mid-3rd century CE, with Nagardhan as capital.
- Vindhyashakti (c. 250 – c. 270 CE) is known to be the founder of the family.
- The elephant god was a commonly worshipped deity in those times.
- Animal rearing was one of the main occupations. Remains of seven species of domestic animals — cattle, goat, sheep, pig, cat, horse and fowl — have been traced.
- Their state is believed to have extended from the southern edges of Malwa and Gujarat in the north to the Tungabhadra River in the south as well as from the Arabian Sea in the west to the edges of Chhattisgarh in the east.
- They were the most important successors of the Satavahanas in the Deccan and contemporaneous with the Guptas in northern India.
- The Vakataka dynasty was a Brahmin dynasty and rulers were pre-dominantly shaivites.
- The 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 rock-cut Buddhist viharas and chaityas of Ajanta Caves (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) were built under the patronage of Vakataka emperor, Harishena.
