Last reviewed 4 Nov 2026 · 2 min read
1. Asmaka — the only mahajanapada south of the Vindhyas
- Of the 16 mahajanapadas of the 6th century BCE, Asmaka (Assaka) was the only one south of the Vindhyas.
- Its capital Potali / Podana is identified with Bodhan (Nizamabad district).
2. Satavahanas (c. 1st century BCE – 3rd century CE)
| Point | Fact |
|---|---|
| Founder | Simuka |
| Early centre in Telangana | Kotilingala (Jagtial district, on the Godavari) — coins of Simuka and early Satavahana rulers were found here |
| Later capitals | Pratishthana (Paithan) in Maharashtra; later Dhanyakataka (Amaravati) in Andhra |
| Greatest ruler | Gautamiputra Satakarni — defeated the Shaka ruler Nahapana; his mother Gautami Balashri's Nasik inscription records his deeds |
| Literature | Hala compiled the Gathasaptashati (Prakrit) |
| Features | Lead and potin coins; land grants to Brahmins and Buddhist monks; kings named after their mothers (Gautamiputra, Vasishthiputra) |
Satavahana-era Buddhist sites in Telangana: Dhulikatta (Peddapalli), Phanigiri (Suryapet), Nelakondapalli (Khammam), Kotilingala.
3. Ikshvakus (3rd–4th century CE)
- Successors of the Satavahanas in the Krishna valley; capital Vijayapuri, at Nagarjunakonda on the Krishna (now in Andhra Pradesh).
- Founder Vasishthiputra Chamtamula (Santamula); the queens patronised Buddhism while the kings performed Vedic sacrifices.