Sodasa (
Kharosthi: , ;
Middle
Brahmi script
Brahmi (; ; ISO: ''Brāhmī'') is a writing system of ancient South Asia. "Until the late nineteenth century, the script of the Aśokan (non-Kharosthi) inscriptions and its immediate derivatives was referred to by various names such as 'lath' ...
:
, , also
, ) was an
Indo-Scythian
Indo-Scythians (also called Indo-Sakas) were a group of nomadic Iranian peoples of Scythian origin who migrated from Central Asia southward into modern day Pakistan and Northwestern India from the middle of the 2nd century BCE to the 4th centur ...
Northern Satrap and ruler of
Mathura
Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the town of Vrindavan, and from Govardhan. ...
during the later part of the 1st century BCE or the early part of 1st century CE.
He was the son of
Rajuvula, the Great Satrap of the region from
Taxila to
Mathura
Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the town of Vrindavan, and from Govardhan. ...
. He is mentioned in the
Mathura lion capital
The Mathura lion capital is an Indo-Scythian sandstone capital (a part of a pillar) from Mathura in Northern India, dated to the first decade of the 1st century CE (1–10 CE). It was consecrated under the rule of Rajuvula, one of the Norther ...
.
Name
Sodasa's name is recorded in Kharosthi as ()
and in Brahmi as (
) and (
), which are derived from the
Saka
The Saka ( Old Persian: ; Kharoṣṭhī: ; Ancient Egyptian: , ; , old , mod. , ), Shaka (Sanskrit ( Brāhmī): , , ; Sanskrit (Devanāgarī): , ), or Sacae (Ancient Greek: ; Latin: ) were a group of nomadic Iranian peoples who hist ...
name , meaning "who kept the good acts in memory".
Rule
Sodasa reigned during the 1st century CE, and also took the title of Great Satrap at one point, probably in the area of Mathura as well, but possibly under the suzerainty of the
Indo-Parthian king
Gondophares. At the same time the Indo-Scythian
Bhadayasa ruled in the eastern
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...
.
There were numerous cultural and political exchanges between the Indo-Scythians of the northwest and those of Mathura.
Sodasa may have been a contemporary of the
Western Kshatrapa
The Western Satraps, or Western Kshatrapas ( Brahmi:, ''Mahakṣatrapa'', "Great Satraps") were Indo-Scythian ( Saka) rulers of the western and central part of India ( Saurashtra and Malwa: modern Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pr ...
Nahapana and the
Indo-Parthian Gondophares.
The
Indo-Parthians
The Indo-Parthian Kingdom was a Parthian kingdom founded by Gondophares, and active from 19 CE to c. 226 CE. At their zenith, they ruled an area covering parts of eastern Iran, various parts of Afghanistan and the northwest regions of the India ...
may have destabilized Indo-Scythian rule in northern India, but there are no traces of Indo-Parthian presence in Mathura.
Sodasa may have been displaced in Mathura by the
Kushan ruler
Vima Kadphises
Vima Kadphises (Greek: Οοημο Καδφιϲηϲ ''Ooēmo Kadphisēs'' (epigraphic); Kharosthi: 𐨬𐨁𐨨 𐨐𐨫𐨿𐨤𐨁𐨭 ', ') was a Kushan emperor from approximately 113 to 127 CE. According to the Rabatak inscription, he was the ...
, who erected a throne in his name in Mathura, but nothing is known of these interactions.
At Mathura, Sodasa is the last of the Indo-Scythians to have left coins.
Later, under
Kanishka
Kanishka I (Sanskrit: कनिष्क, '; Greco-Bactrian: Κανηϸκε ''Kanēške''; Kharosthi: 𐨐𐨞𐨁𐨮𐨿𐨐 '; Brahmi: '), or Kanishka, was an emperor of the Kushan dynasty, under whose reign (c. 127–150 CE) the empire ...
, son of Vima Kadphises, the Great Satrap
Kharapallana and the Satrap
Vanaspara are said to have ruled in Mathura with Kanishka as suzerain, pointing to continued Indo-Scythian rule under Kushan suzerainty as least until the time of Kanishka.
Inscriptions
Numerous inscriptions from Mathura mentioning Sodasa's rule are known. The Mirzapur village inscription (in the vicinity of Mathura) refers to the erection of a water tank by Mulavasu and his consort Kausiki during the reign of Sodasa, assuming the title of "Svami (Lord) Mahakshatrapa (Great Satrap)".
[Buddhist art of Mathurā , Ramesh Chandra Sharma, Agam, 1984 Page 26]
The
Mathura lion capital
The Mathura lion capital is an Indo-Scythian sandstone capital (a part of a pillar) from Mathura in Northern India, dated to the first decade of the 1st century CE (1–10 CE). It was consecrated under the rule of Rajuvula, one of the Norther ...
mentions the reign of his father and predecessor
Rajuvula as Mahaksatrapa while Sodasa is referred to as Ksatrapa. Sodasa probably also dedicated the
Mora Well Inscription, were he presents himself as the son of
Rajuvula.
A large stone slab, the
Kankali Tila tablet of Sodasa
The Kankali Tila tablet of Sodasa, also called the Iryavati stone tablet,Cultural Contours of India: Dr. Satya Prakash Felicitation Volume, Vijai Shankar Śrivastava - 1981, p.98 or Amohini ayagapata, is a large stone slab discovered in Kankali ...
, discovered in
Kankali in the area of Mathura, bears a three-line epigraph mentioning that in the year 42 or 72 of "Lord Mahaksatrapa Sodasa," a monument for worship was set up by a certain Amohini.
A recent date for Sodasa's reign was given as 15 CE, meaning that the regnal date of the inscription would start from the
Vikrama era
Vikram Samvat (IAST: ''Vikrama Samvat''; abbreviated VS) or Bikram Sambat B.S. and also known as the Vikrami calendar, is a Hindu calendar historically used in the Indian subcontinent. Vikram Samvat is generally 57 years ahead of Gregorian Calend ...
(
Bikrami calendar (starting in 57 BCE)+72=15 CE).
This would put the long reign of his father
Rajuvula in the last quarter of the 1st century BCE, which is probable.
[Indian Studies, Volume 7, Ramakrishna Maitra, 1966 p.67]
Another inscription of Sodasa in Mathura records the gifts of a
Brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...
named Gajavara of the Segrava-gotra during the time of Saudasa the Great Satrap of the lord (paramount, whose name is lost) of tanks called Kshayawada, as well as a western tank, a well, a garden, and a pillar.
[Report For The Year 1871-72 Volume III, Alexander Cunningham](_blank)
/ref>
Satrap) or Mahakshatrapa (Great Satrap).">
File:MathuraLionCapital.JPG, The Mathura lion capital
The Mathura lion capital is an Indo-Scythian sandstone capital (a part of a pillar) from Mathura in Northern India, dated to the first decade of the 1st century CE (1–10 CE). It was consecrated under the rule of Rajuvula, one of the Norther ...
mentions Sodasa as "Satrap", while his father Rajuvula was "Great Satrap".
File:Inscription of Sodasha Reign - Circa 1st Century BCE - Mirzapur - ACCN 79-29 - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-24 6105.JPG, Mirzapur stele inscription of Sodasa's Reign, Mirzapur area of Mathura. Mathura Museum
__NOTOC__
Government Museum, Mathura, commonly referred to as Mathura museum, is an archaeological museum in Mathura city of Uttar Pradesh state in India. The museum was founded by then collector of the Mathura district, Sir F. S. Growse in 1 ...
. The inscription refers to the erection of a water tank by Mulavasu and his consort Kausiki, during the reign of Sodasa, assuming the title of "Svami (Lord) Mahakshatrapa (Great Satrap)":
File:Amohini_relief,_Mathura,_circa_15_CE.jpg, The Kankali Tila tablet of Sodasa
The Kankali Tila tablet of Sodasa, also called the Iryavati stone tablet,Cultural Contours of India: Dr. Satya Prakash Felicitation Volume, Vijai Shankar Śrivastava - 1981, p.98 or Amohini ayagapata, is a large stone slab discovered in Kankali ...
with an inscription mentioning the year 42 or 72 during the reign of Sodasa as Makakshatrapa (Great Satrap).[The Jain stûpa and other antiquities of Mathurâ by Smith, Vincent Arthu]
Plate XIV
/ref>
File:Vasu_doorjamb_inscription.jpg, The Vasu Doorjamb Inscription.
File:Satrap Saudasa inscription.jpg, Another inscription of Sodasa in Mathura. This inscription records the gifts of a Brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...
named Gajavara of the Segrava-gotra during the time of Saudasa the Great Satrap of the lord (paramount, whose name is lost) of tanks called Kshayawada, besides a western tank, a well, a garden, and a pillar.
File:Kankali Tila inscription of Sodasa.jpg, Kankali Tila
''Kankali Tila'' (also Kankali mound or Jaini mound) is a mound located at Mathura in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The name of the mound is derived from a modern temple of Hindu goddess Kankali. The famous Jain stupa was excavated here ...
inscription of Sodasa (from the Kankali Tila tablet of Sodasa
The Kankali Tila tablet of Sodasa, also called the Iryavati stone tablet,Cultural Contours of India: Dr. Satya Prakash Felicitation Volume, Vijai Shankar Śrivastava - 1981, p.98 or Amohini ayagapata, is a large stone slab discovered in Kankali ...
). This inscription mentions the rule of ''Svamisa Mahakṣatrapasa Śodasa'' ( "Of the Lord and Great Satrap Śudāsa") from the beginning of the second line.
File:Indian_mountain_temple_architecture_inscription_Mathura_site.jpg, Mountain Temple inscription
__NOTOC__
The Mountain Temple inscription was found near Mathura, India. It is on a broken slab, and now housed at the Indian Museum, Kolkata.
Heinrich Lüders and Klaus Ludwig Janert
(1961), Mathurā inscriptions, Göttingen : Vandenhoeck & Rup ...
mentioning Sodasa and his father Rajuvula
File:1st_century_CE_Mora_Well_Inscription_Sanskrit_Mathura.jpg, Mora Well Inscription in the name of Rajuvula and his son Sodasa.
Coinage
Sodasa's coins have been found in Mathura
Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the town of Vrindavan, and from Govardhan. ...
only, suggesting that he only ruled over the Mathura region. They do not follow traditional Indo-Scythian
Indo-Scythians (also called Indo-Sakas) were a group of nomadic Iranian peoples of Scythian origin who migrated from Central Asia southward into modern day Pakistan and Northwestern India from the middle of the 2nd century BCE to the 4th centur ...
coinage patterns, but rather the designs of local rulers of Mathura, and are only made of lead and copper alloy. The legends only use the Indian Brahmi script
Brahmi (; ; ISO: ''Brāhmī'') is a writing system of ancient South Asia. "Until the late nineteenth century, the script of the Aśokan (non-Kharosthi) inscriptions and its immediate derivatives was referred to by various names such as 'lath' ...
, whether Saodasa's father Rajuvula had used coins derived from the Indo-Greeks
The Indo-Greek Kingdom, or Graeco-Indian Kingdom, also known historically as the Yavana Kingdom (Yavanarajya), was a Hellenistic period, Hellenistic-era Ancient Greece, Greek kingdom covering various parts of Afghanistan and the northwestern r ...
, with legends in Greek and Kharoshthi
The Kharoṣṭhī script, also spelled Kharoshthi (Kharosthi: ), was an ancient Indo-Iranian script used by various Aryan peoples in north-western regions of the Indian subcontinent, more precisely around present-day northern Pakistan and e ...
. This suggests that Sodasa had significantly integrated into the local Indian culture.
Sodasa's coins usually show on the obverse a standing female and tree-like symbol, with the legend ''"Mahakatapasa putasa Khatapasa Sodasa"'', i.e., "Satrap Sodasa, son of the Great Satrap". On the reverse appears a Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...
with elephants pouring water over her.[Catalogue Of The Coins In The Indian Museum Calcutta. Vol.1 by Smith, Vincent A]
p.196
/ref>
Three types of legends are known, with one coin type of Sodasa bearing the legend "son of Rajuvula":
* "Satrap Sodasa, son of the Great Satrap" (''Mahakhatapasa putasa khatapasa śodasasa'' followed by a svastika)
* "Satrap Sodasa, son of Rajuvula" (Svastika followed by ''Rajuvula putasa khatapasa śodasasa'')[The Dynastic art of the Kushans, Rosenfield, University of California Press, 196]
p.136
/ref>
* "Great Satrap Sodasa" (''Mahakhatapasa śodasasa'')
File:Sodasa.jpg, Coin of Sodasa. Reverse: ''"Mahakshatrapa putasa Khatapasa Sodasasa"'' ("Satrap Sodasa, son of the Great Satrap")
File:Sodasa.JPG, Coin of Sodasa, satrap of Mathura, AE.
Obv: Lakshmi standing between two symbols on the obverse and inscription around "Mahakhatapasa putasa Khatapasa Sodasasa ".
Rev: Standing Abhiseka Lakshmi anointed by two elephants.
Sculptural styles
The abundance of dedicatory inscriptions in the name of Sodasa (eight of them are known, often on sculptural works), and the fact that Sodasa is known through his coinage as well as through his relations with other Indo-Scythian rulers whose dates are known, means that Sodasa functions as a historic marker to ascertain the sculptural styles at Mathura during his rule, in the first half of the 1st century CE. The next historical marker corresponds to the reign of Kanishka
Kanishka I (Sanskrit: कनिष्क, '; Greco-Bactrian: Κανηϸκε ''Kanēške''; Kharosthi: 𐨐𐨞𐨁𐨮𐨿𐨐 '; Brahmi: '), or Kanishka, was an emperor of the Kushan dynasty, under whose reign (c. 127–150 CE) the empire ...
under the Kushans, whose reign began circa 127 CE.
The Kankali Tila tablet of Sodasa
The Kankali Tila tablet of Sodasa, also called the Iryavati stone tablet,Cultural Contours of India: Dr. Satya Prakash Felicitation Volume, Vijai Shankar Śrivastava - 1981, p.98 or Amohini ayagapata, is a large stone slab discovered in Kankali ...
is one of those sculptural works directly inscribed in the name of Sodasa. Another one is the Katra torana fragment. The sculptural styles at Mathura during the reign of Sodasa are quite distinctive, and significantly different from the style of the previous period circa 50 BCE, or the styles of the later period of the Kushan Empire in the 2nd century CE. Stylistically similar works can then be dated to the same period of the reign of Sodasa.
Early representation of the Buddha
The "Isapur Buddha" from Mathura
Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the town of Vrindavan, and from Govardhan. ...
, probably the earliest known representation of the Buddha (possibly together with Buddha statues
Much Buddhist art uses depictions of the historical Buddha, Gautama Buddha, which are known as Buddharūpa (literally, "Form of the Awakened One") in Sanskrit and Pali. These may be statues or other images such as paintings. The main figure in ...
found in Barikot
Barikot ( ur, بریکوٹ) (Pashto: بریکوټ) is a town located in the middle course of the Swat River in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is located about away from Mingora and the Butkara Stupa. It is the entrance town to the central ...
in Swat), on a railing post, is dated to circa 15 CE under the reign of Sodasa. Another depiction of the Buddha from the same period appears in the Bimaran casket
The Bimaran casket or Bimaran reliquary is a small gold reliquary for Buddhist relics that was found inside the stupa no.2 at Bimaran, near Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan.
Discovery
When it was found by the archaeologist Charles Masson du ...
.
Paleography
The inscriptions in the name of Sodasa are also an important marker for the paleography of the Brahmi script
Brahmi (; ; ISO: ''Brāhmī'') is a writing system of ancient South Asia. "Until the late nineteenth century, the script of the Aśokan (non-Kharosthi) inscriptions and its immediate derivatives was referred to by various names such as 'lath' ...
, the shape of the Brahmi letters having evolved in time, and also having varied depending on the regions.
References
External links
Dates of Kanishka and the Indo-Scythians
{{authority control
Indo-Scythian kings
1st-century monarchs in Asia
1st-century Iranian people