Narendrasena () 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 succeeded his father Pravarasena II as Maharaja.

Early life

Narendrasena was possibly born to Ajnakabhattarika, who may have been the chief queen of Pravarasena II and is mentioned as the mother of "Narindaraja" (possibly referring to Narendrasena) in a charter from Pravarasena's 16th regnal year. Sometime during his father's reign, Narendrasena was married to a princess named Ajjhitabhattarika who was described as the daughter of the "king of Kuntala". It is not known for certain who this "king of Kuntala" was, but he is often identified with the Kadamba king

Kakusthavarman Kakusthavarma () or Kakusthavarman was a ruler of the Kadamba dynasty in South India. He succeeded his brother Raghu as king. Under Kakusthavarma's rule the Kadamba kingdom attained the height of its power and influence, and the Kadambas enjoye ...

who is known to have married his daughters into several prominent royal families.

Reign

The death of Pravarasena II may have been followed by a succession struggle, from which Narendrasena emerged victorious. The Vakataka records state that Narendrasena had to "regain the fortunes of his family" after suffering some undisclosed calamity, which several historians have interpreted as referring to this supposed war of succession after his father's death. However,

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 ...

argues that the records instead refer to an invasion of the Vakataka realm by the Nala king Bhavadattavarman of the Bastar region, who is known to have penetrated deep into

Vidarbha Vidarbha (Pronunciation: �id̪əɾbʱə is a geographical region in the east of the Indian state of Maharashtra and a proposed state of central India, comprising the state's Amravati and Nagpur divisions. Amravati Division's former name is Ber ...

and occupied Nandivardhana, the erstwhile Vakataka capital. Altekar supposes that Narendrasena successfully drove out the Nalas from his kingdom shortly after the death of Bhavadattavarman. The inscriptions of Prithivishena II, Narendrasena's son and successor, assert that Narendrasena's authority was acknowledged by the rulers of Kosala, Mekala, and

Malava Malwa is a historical region of west-central India occupying a plateau of volcanic origin. Geologically, the Malwa Plateau generally refers to the volcanic upland north of the Vindhya Range. Politically and administratively, it is also synony ...

. Many historians regard this claim to be an empty boast or exaggeration, but it is possible that Narendrasena had indeed greatly expanded the Vakataka sphere of influence. The

Gupta empire The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gold ...

, then the hegemonic power in northern India, was embroiled in a war with invading Huna hordes, which left the Vakatakas free to expand into central India. It is also possible that Narendrasena's prosecution of the war against the Nalas resulted in the further extension of Vakataka authority, especially in the area around present-day Chhattisgarh. Narendrasena might have invaded the Nala homeland and sacked their capital, for Skandavarman, a brother and successor of Bhavadattavarman, is said to have retrieved the fortunes of his family and had to repopulate his capital.

References

{{reflist Vakataka dynasty 5th-century Indian monarchs