The Traikutakas were a dynasty of Indian kings who ruled between 388 and 456. The name "Traikutakas" seems to be derived from the words for a three-peaked mountain ("Tri-kuta"). The Traikutakas are mentioned in Kalidasa's Raghuvamsa, in which they are located in the area of northern

Konkan The Konkan ( kok, कोंकण) or Kokan () is a stretch of land by the western coast of India, running from Damaon in the north to Karwar in the south; with the Arabian Sea to the west and the Deccan plateau in the east. The hinterland ...

. The dominions of the Traikutakas further included

Aparanta Aparanta, or Aparantaka (meaning "Western border") was a geographical region of ancient India. It corresponded to the northern part of the Konkan region on the western coast of India. English civil servant-turned-historian J. F. Fleet believed t ...

and northern Maharashtra. The coins of the Traikutaras are found extensively in southern

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

, and southern Maharashtra beyond the

Ghats Ghat, a term used in the Indian subcontinent, depending on the context could refer either to a range of stepped hills with valleys (ghati in Hindi), such as the Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats; or the series of steps leading down to a body of ...

. Their design is very close to that of the

Western Satraps 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 Pradesh ...

, from which they probably inherited some territories, and traces of the obverse legend with

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

letters can still be seen. Traikuta rule of Aparanta or Konkan begins in A.D. 248 (Traikuta era) exactly the time of

Abhira The Abhira tribe is mentioned in the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata. A historical people of the same name are mentioned in the ''Periplus of the Erythraean Sea''. They are thought to be people who moved in from eastern Iran in the aftermath of ...

Ishwarsena Mathariputra Ishwarsena or Mahaksatrapa Ishwarsena was the founder of the Abhira dynasty. He and his descendants, whose names occur in the Puranas, seem to have ruled over a large territory in the Deccan. He took the title of Rajan and an era was ...

rule, hence Traikutas are identified with the dynasty of Abhiras. The Traikutakas reckoned in a specific era, known as the Traikutaka era, or usually the Kalachuri or Chedi era, starting in 249.

History

It is generally supposed that

Traikutakas The Traikutakas were a dynasty of Indian kings who ruled between 388 and 456. The name "Traikutakas" seems to be derived from the words for a three-peaked mountain ("Tri-kuta"). The Traikutakas are mentioned in Kalidasa's Raghuvamsa, in which th ...

were a different dynasty of

, and hence are sometimes called Abhira-

. Indradutta, Dahrasena & Vyaghrasena were well known kings from this dynasty. King Dahrasena expanded his realm, which soon bordered the

Vakataka 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 th ...

realm. This led to conflict and the Vakataka king

Narendrasena Narendrasena () was a ruler of the Nandivardhana-Pravarapura branch of the Vakataka dynasty. He succeeded his father Pravarasena II as Maharaja. Early life Narendrasena was possibly born to Ajnakabhattarika, who may have been the chief queen ...

, who with the help of his son & crown prince Prithivishena, probably defeated the Traikutikas, as later king Prithivishena's inscriptions refer to him twice rescuing the "sunken fortunes of his family". Traikutikas were known for their

Vaishnav Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...

a faith, who claimed to be

Yadav Yadav refers to a grouping of traditionally non-elite, Quote: "The Yadavs were traditionally a low-to-middle-ranking cluster of pastoral-peasant castes that have become a significant political force in Uttar Pradesh (and other northern state ...

of Haiheya branch and

Dharasena ''Acharya'' Dharasena was a ''Digambara monk'' of first century CE. Biography ''Āchārya'' Dharasena, in first century CE, guided two ''Āchāryas'', ''Āchārya'' Pushpadant and ''Āchārya'' Bhutabali, to put the teachings of Mahavira in t ...

performed Ashvamedha yajna too. During the reign of Maharaja Madhyamasena, the kingdom was invaded by the

king

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 ...

. The dynasty ended around AD 550, when Vikramasena, the last known king died. The Traikutakas were probably reduced to a vassal status under the Vishnukundins and had to accept Madhavavarman I's authority.

Traikutaka rulers

The following Traikuta rulers are known from the coins and inscriptions of Gupta period- * Maharaja Indradatta (AD 415-440, only mentioned on the coins of his son) * Maharaja Dahrasena, son of Indradatta (A.D. 455), he performed

Ashwamedha The Ashvamedha ( sa, अश्वमेध, aśvamedha, translit-std=IAST) was a horse sacrifice ritual followed by the Śrauta tradition of Vedic religion. It was used by ancient Indian kings to prove their imperial sovereignty: a horse accompa ...

* Maharaja Vyaghrasena, son of Dahrasena (A.D. 480) * Maharaja Madhyamasena * Vikramasena Vyaghrasena coinage, Traikutaka dynasty

References

* "A catalogue of the Indian coins in the British Museum. Andhras etc.." Rapson {{Middle kingdoms of India History of Maharashtra Dynasties of India

History

Traikutaka rulers

Further reading

References

References