Vindhyasena (), also known as Vindhyashakti II, was a ruler of the Vatsagulma 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 and successor of
Sarvasena I.
Vindhyasena seems to have enjoyed quite a long reign, as he issued a charter from his capital of Vatsagulma in his thirty-seventh regnal year. The charter records the grant of a village in the Nandikata region which is identified with
Nanded. An inscription at
Ajanta from the time of
Harishena
Harishena () was the last known ruler of the Vatsagulma 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 extende ...
, a later Vakataka monarch, records Vindhyasena's victory against the rulers of the
Kuntala in northern
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
, likely the
Kadambas.
Vindhyasena ruled over a fairly extensive kingdom that included the southern part of Berar (
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 the districts of
Nasik,
Ahmednagar,
Pune
Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...
, and
Satara,
as well as the
Marathwada
Marathwada () is a proposed state and geographical region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It was formed during the Nizam's rule and was part of the then Hyderabad State. The region coincides with the Aurangabad division of Maharashtra. I ...
region.
Vindhyasena's contemporary to the north was his cousin
Prithivishena I
Prithivishena I ( IAST: ''Pṛthivīṣeṇa''; ) was a ruler of the Nandivardhana-Pravarapura branch of the Vakataka dynasty. He was the son and successor of Rudrasena I, the founder of the branch.
Despite the expansion of the Guptas during ...
of the main Vakataka branch. The relationship between the two branches of the dynasty appears to have been quite cordial at this time, with the main branch probably enjoying a nominal overlordship over the Vatsagulma branch. Prithivishena likely provided material aid to Vindhyasena as the latter carried out the conquest of the Kuntala country.
[Altekar (1960), p. 172] Upon his death, Vindhyasena was succeeded by his son
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 ...
.
References
{{reflist
Vakataka dynasty
4th-century Indian monarchs