Damodarasena () was a ruler of the Nandivardhana-Pravarapura branch of the

Vakataka dynasty The Vakataka dynasty () was an ancient Indian dynasty that originated from the Deccan in the mid-3rd century CE. Their state is believed to have extended from the southern edges of Malwa and Gujarat in the north to the Tungabhadra River in the ...

. He was the son of

Rudrasena II Rudrasena II () was a ruler of the Pravarapura-Nandivardhana branch of the Vakataka dynasty. While his reign was short, he notably married Prabhavatigupta, the daughter of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta II. His early death led to Prabhavatigupt ...

and

Prabhavatigupta Prabhavatigupta (died ), was a Gupta princess and Vakataka queen who was the consort of Maharaja Rudrasena II. Following the death of her husband, she effectively ruled the Vakataka kingdom as regent from about 390 to 410. Early life Prabhava ...

, the daughter of the

Gupta Gupta () is a common surname or last name of Indian origin. It is based on the Sanskrit word गोप्तृ ''goptṛ'', which means 'guardian' or 'protector'. According to historian R. C. Majumdar, the surname ''Gupta'' was adopted by se ...

emperor Chandragupta II. His father's early death led to Prabhavatigupta ruling as regent for an extended period of time as their sons Divakarasena, Damodarasena, and Pravarasena were all minors. Divakarasena, the Crown Prince, died before ascending the throne and so it was Damodarasena and his brother,

Pravarasena II Pravarasena II () was a ruler of the Nandivardhana-Pravarapura branch of the Vakataka dynasty. He was the son of Rudrasena II and Prabhavatigupta, the daughter of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta II. He succeeded his brother Damodarasena as M ...

, who became Vakataka kings instead. It is possible that Prabhavatigupta continued to act as regent during part of Damodarasena's reign. In the past, the status of Damodarasena as a Vakataka ruler was subject to controversy. Some noted historians in the middle of the 20th century, including V.V. Mirashi and

A.S. Altekar Anant Sadashiv Altekar (24 September 1898 – 25 November 1960; ) was a historian, archaeologist, and numismatist from Maharashtra, India. He was the Manindra Chandra Nandy's Professor and Head of the Department of Ancient Indian History and Cu ...

, thought that Damodarasena and Pravarasena II were actually the same person, with "Pravarasena" simply being a coronation name that Damodarasena assumed after ascending to the throne. However, the seal inscription of the Miregaon plates, discovered in 1982, describes Prabhavatigupta as the "mother of two kings" (i.e. Damodarasena and Pravarasena II) and finally establishes that the two persons were indeed distinct.Shastri (1997), pp. 92, 183

References

{{reflist Vakataka dynasty 5th-century Indian monarchs