Mauryan and Satavahana Period in Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh in the Mauryan and Satavahana age for CGPSC: Jogimara and Sitabenga caves, the Gunji rock inscription, the Kirari wooden pillar and Malhar.
Prerequisites
- Dakshin Kosala in Literature and Epics: the region’s name and Hiuen Tsang’s account
- Magadha and the Mauryas: Ashoka, the Kalinga war and Mauryan administration
- Guptas and Vakatakas: its “Post-Mauryan kingdoms” topic covers the Satavahanas at the all-India level
The Hook: A Love Note in a Cave
In the Ramgarh hills of Surguja, about 45 km from Ambikapur, two small caves sit side by side. In one, called Jogimara (जोगीमारा), a few lines in Brahmi script were cut into the rock more than two thousand years ago. One reading of them is a love note: a dancer named Sutanuka and a young painter named Devadinna. Next door, the Sitabenga (सीताबेंगरा) cave has stepped stone seating that some scholars call the oldest theatre in India.
What do these caves, a rock inscription at Gunji and a wooden pillar pulled from a village tank at Kirari tell us about Chhattisgarh between the Mauryas and the Guptas?
Why it matters: this is where the history of Chhattisgarh moves from tradition to inscriptions. Prelims loves “first/oldest/wooden” questions on Jogimara, Gunji and Kirari. Mains asks you to assess the evidence for Mauryan and Satavahana influence.
The Mauryan Period (c. 4th–2nd century BCE)
What We Know, and What We Infer
The Mauryan empire under Ashoka (c. 268–232 BCE) covered most of the subcontinent, including Kalinga (coastal Odisha) after the Kalinga war. Chhattisgarh lies between Magadha, Kalinga and the Deccan, so historians generally place it within, or on the edge of, the Mauryan sphere. But the evidence is indirect:
| Evidence | What it shows | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Jogimara cave inscription (Ramgarh, Surguja) | Brahmi script and Magadhi Prakrit, the script and language of Mauryan-age records; dated c. 3rd–1st century BCE | Strong for cultural contact; not a royal record |
| Hiuen Tsang’s account (about 639 CE) | A stupa in Kosala said to have been built by Ashoka | Literary and late |
| Early levels at Malhar (Bilaspur) | Settlement going back before the 4th century BCE, with punch-marked coins among the finds | Shows an urban centre existed |
| Ashoka’s own edicts | No Ashokan rock or pillar edict has been found in Chhattisgarh. His Kalinga edicts and Rock Edict XIII do address the forest peoples (atavikas) of the frontier | The gap is itself a point for Mains |
Ramgarh: Jogimara and Sitabenga Caves
The twin caves are on the north side of the Ramgarh hill (रामगढ़) in Surguja district. They are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.
| Feature | Sitabenga (सीताबेंगरा) | Jogimara (जोगीमारा) |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | Small hall with a stage-like area; semicircular rows of stone seating outside, enough for about 50 people | Small cave with painted ceiling |
| Claim to fame | Described by some scholars as the oldest performance theatre (नाट्यशाला) in the subcontinent; others think it was a rest-house on a trade route | Paintings counted among the oldest painted frescoes in India, with an inscription |
| Inscription | Brahmi, Magadhi Prakrit, a verse about poets and performance | Brahmi, Magadhi Prakrit |
| Date | c. 3rd–1st century BCE | c. 3rd–1st century BCE |
The Jogimara inscription: it names Sutanuka (सुतनुका), described as a devadasi (a woman attached to a temple, often read as a dancer), and Devadinna (देवदिन्न), a rupadaksha (a painter or sculptor). One reading makes it a love note: Devadinna loved Sutanuka. Another reads it as a record that the dancer and the artist made the caves for others to use. The translation is disputed, and a Mains answer should say so.
- Among the earliest inscriptions found in Chhattisgarh.
- Non-religious subject matter: art, love and performance, which is rare in early Indian records.
- Evidence of painting and drama traditions in the region by the late centuries BCE.
- Tradition also links Ramgarh with Rama’s exile and with Kalidasa’s Ramagiri. See Dakshin Kosala in Literature.
The Satavahana Period (c. 1st century BCE – 3rd century CE)
The Satavahanas (सातवाहन) ruled the Deccan from bases in present Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Their power reached into Vidarbha and, on the evidence of coins and seals, into parts of Dakshin Kosala. The Chhattisgarh records of this age also show local rulers whose exact relation to the Satavahanas is not clear.
Gunji Rock Inscription (गुंजी शिलालेख)
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Place | Gunji village, near the Damau Dahra (दमउदहरा) pool, about 14 miles north-west of Sakti (now in Sakti district) |
| Form | Incised horizontally on a large rock beside the pool; four lines |
| King | Kumaravaradatta (कुमारवरदत्त), in V. V. Mirashi’s reading (D. R. Bhandarkar, who first deciphered it, read the name differently) |
| Date | About the 1st century CE on the basis of the script |
| Content | At the Rishabhatirtha (ऋषभतीर्थ), the minister (amatya) Vasishthiputra Bodhadatta gave 1,000 cows to Brahmanas in the king’s 5th regnal year; further gifts of 1,000 cows followed in the 6th year, one of them by another minister, Indradeva, who was also a dandanayaka |
| Significance | The earliest inscription found in Chhattisgarh that names a king |
What it tells us: an organised kingdom with a king who counted regnal years, ministers (amatya) and military officers (dandanayaka); Brahmanical gift-giving; and Damau Dahra as a sacred place (tirtha) already in the early centuries CE.
Kirari Wooden Pillar Inscription (किरारी काष्ठ स्तंभ लेख)
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Place | Kirari village, about ten miles west of Chandrapur (today in the Janjgir-Champa–Sakti area) |
| Discovery | April 1921: villagers digging silt from the old Hirabandh (हीराबंध) tank found a wooden pillar in the mud |
| Script and date | Brahmi, about the 2nd century CE |
| Loss | Much of the inscribed surface was lost while the pillar was being dug out and dried, so only part of the text survives |
| Content | Names and designations of officials, including a senapati (army commander) |
| Edited by | Hirananda Sastri, in Epigraphia Indica, Vol. XVIII |
| Significance | One of the very few ancient Indian inscriptions on wood; evidence of an organised administration |
Malhar (मल्हार): the Urban Centre
Malhar, in Bilaspur district, is the key excavated site of early Dakshin Kosala. Its mud fortification shows a cultural sequence from before the 4th century BCE to about the 5th century CE.
| Find | Period | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Four-armed image (Chaturbhuji, commonly identified as an early Vishnu) with a Brahmi-Prakrit inscription | Dated by its inscription to about 200 BCE (dated variously to the 2nd–1st century BCE) | One of the earliest possible images of Vishnu in Indian sculpture |
| Silver portrait coin of Vashishthiputra Pulumavi | Satavahana | Direct evidence of Satavahana coinage here |
| Satavahana coins with the elephant symbol; brick structures | Satavahana | Satavahana-period urban life |
| Seal reading yuvarajasya Vasisthiputrasya… | Satavahana | A prince (yuvaraja) with a Satavahana-style name |
| Sealing gamasya kosaliya (“of the village Kosala”) | About 2nd century CE | Early local use of the name Kosala |
The Satavahanas and Nagarjuna
Hiuen Tsang records that a Satavahana king built a monastery for the philosopher Nagarjuna on a hill he called Po-lo-mo-lo-ki-li in the country of Kosala. Where that hill was is disputed: candidates range from western Odisha to Sriparvata (Nagarjunakonda) in Andhra Pradesh. Use it as a tradition linking the Satavahanas and Mahayana Buddhism with Kosala, not as a proven fact.
Analysis for Mains: Making Sense of the Evidence
- From tradition to record: Ramgarh, Gunji and Kirari are the first written sources from the region. They mark the start of history in the strict sense.
- Administration: amatya, dandanayaka and senapati in the Gunji and Kirari records show organised states, with ministers and military officers, by the early centuries CE.
- Economy and urbanisation: Malhar’s fortification, coins and seals show a town linked to trade networks across the Deccan and north India.
- Religion: Brahmanical gifts at Gunji, an early Vishnu image at Malhar and Buddhist memories in Hiuen Tsang show religious plurality.
- Art: the Jogimara paintings and the Sitabenga “theatre” show that painting and performance were valued.
- Gaps: no Ashokan edict, uncertain Satavahana boundaries and disputed readings mean conclusions must be cautious.
Memory Tricks
- Jogimara: paintings and a love-note inscription (Sutanuka and Devadinna)
- Gunji: the minister gives 1,000 cows; the first king’s name (Kumaravaradatta)
- Kirari: the wooden pillar that counts officials (senapati and others)
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| Jogimara: paintings + Sutanuka–Devadinna inscription | Sitabenga: “theatre” with stone seating | |
| Gunji (near Sakti): rock inscription, first royal name, 1,000 cows | Kirari (near Chandrapur): wooden pillar, list of officials | |
| Gunji: about 1st century CE | Kirari: about 2nd century CE | |
| Malhar: Bilaspur district, excavated town | Sirpur: Mahasamund district, later capital (5th–8th century CE) | |
| Ramgarh (Surguja): caves | Ratanpur (Bilaspur): later Kalachuri capital |
Common Mistakes
Practice
These are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.
Level 1: Foundation
- The Jogimara and Sitabenga caves are in the ________ hills of ________ district.
- The Kirari inscription is engraved on a pillar made of ________.
- The Gunji inscription records the gift of ________ cows to Brahmanas.
Answers
- Ramgarh; Surguja
- Wood
- 1,000 (with further gifts of 1,000 cows each)
Level 2: Prelims MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements:
- The Kirari inscription is on a wooden pillar found in a tank in 1921.
- The Gunji rock inscription is the earliest inscription found in Chhattisgarh that names a king.
- An edict of Ashoka has been found in the Ramgarh hills.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 2 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
Q2. Match List-I (Record or find) with List-II (Feature):
| List-I | List-II |
|---|---|
| A. Jogimara | 1. Gift of 1,000 cows by a minister |
| B. Gunji | 2. Silver coin of Vashishthiputra Pulumavi |
| C. Kirari | 3. Names of Sutanuka and Devadinna |
| D. Malhar | 4. Officials including a senapati, on wood |
(a) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2 (b) A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2 (c) A-1, B-3, C-4, D-2 (d) A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4
Answer and explanation
Q3. The Sitabenga cave at Ramgarh is often described as:
(a) The earliest Buddhist chaitya of central India (b) One of the oldest theatres (natyashala) in India (c) The capital of the Satavahanas (d) The site of an Ashokan pillar
Answer and explanation
Q4. The early four-armed image found at Malhar, commonly identified as Vishnu, is important because:
(a) It carries a Gupta-era Sanskrit inscription (b) It was made of bronze (c) It is dated by a Brahmi-Prakrit inscription to about 200 BCE (d) It was found in the Hirabandh tank
Answer and explanation
Q5. In the Gunji inscription, the term amatya refers to a:
(a) Priest (b) Minister (c) Merchant (d) Village headman
Answer and explanation
Level 3: Mains Answer Writing
Q1. “The Mauryan and Satavahana periods in Chhattisgarh are known more from scattered inscriptions and coins than from royal records.” Discuss. (150–200 words)
Intro: Between about the 3rd century BCE and the 3rd century CE, Dakshin Kosala enters written history, but through local records rather than imperial edicts.
Body:
- Mauryan age: no Ashokan edict; influence inferred from Jogimara–Sitabenga (Brahmi, Magadhi Prakrit), punch-marked coins and Hiuen Tsang’s Ashokan stupa.
- Gunji: King Kumaravaradatta, ministers, gifts of 1,000 cows at Rishabhatirtha. The first royal name.
- Kirari: wooden pillar (about 2nd century CE) listing officials such as a senapati, showing administration.
- Malhar: fortified town; Vashishthiputra Pulumavi’s silver coin, Satavahana seals, an early Vishnu image.
- Limits: disputed readings, unclear dynastic links, no royal chronicle.
Conclusion: These scattered sources still show a settled, urbanising, administratively organised region well before the Guptas.
Q2. Write a short note on the Jogimara and Sitabenga caves. (60 words)
Quick Revision Table
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ramgarh caves | Surguja; Jogimara and Sitabenga; c. 3rd–1st century BCE; Brahmi, Magadhi Prakrit |
| Jogimara | Painted ceiling; Sutanuka (devadasi) and Devadinna (rupadaksha) |
| Sitabenga | “Oldest theatre” claim; seating for about 50 |
| Ashokan edict in Chhattisgarh | None found |
| Gunji | Damau Dahra, near Sakti; King Kumaravaradatta; minister Bodhadatta; 1,000 cows; Rishabhatirtha; about 1st century CE |
| Kirari | Wooden pillar; Hirabandh tank; April 1921; Brahmi, about 2nd century CE; officials incl. senapati; edited by Hirananda Sastri |
| Malhar | Bilaspur; sequence from before the 4th century BCE; early Vishnu image (about 200 BCE); Vashishthiputra Pulumavi’s silver coin |
| Malhar sealing | gamasya kosaliya |
| Nagarjuna | Hiuen Tsang: a Satavahana king built him a monastery in Kosala (location disputed) |
Key Takeaways
- Mauryan control of Dakshin Kosala is inferred (Ramgarh inscriptions, coins, Hiuen Tsang), not proven by any Ashokan edict.
- Jogimara has paintings and the Sutanuka–Devadinna inscription; Sitabenga is the claimed oldest theatre. Both are on Ramgarh hill, Surguja.
- Gunji is the first inscription to name a king (Kumaravaradatta) and records gifts of 1,000 cows by his ministers.
- Kirari is a rare wooden inscription (found 1921) listing officials.
- Malhar is the key excavated town, with Satavahana coins and seals and an early Vishnu image.
What’s Next
- Gupta Period and Samudragupta’s Southern Campaign: Mahendra of Kosala and the forest kingdoms
- Regional Dynasties: the Rajarshitulya kula, Nalas, Sharabhapuriyas and Panduvanshis who followed
- Tourism and Heritage: Ramgarh and Malhar as heritage sites
- Art and Culture: early Indian painting and theatre