Traikutaka dynasty

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 dominions of the Traikutakas further included Aparanta and northern Maharashtra.[1]

Silver coin of king Dharasena.
Obv: Bust of king.
Rev: Chaitya and star.Brahmi inscription: "Maharajendradattaputra Parama-Vaisnava Sri-Maharaja Dahrasena": "The glorious king Dahrasena, foremost follower of Vishnu, and son of king Indradatta.

The coins of the Traikutaras are found extensively in southern Gujarat, and southern Maharashtra beyond the Ghats. Their design is very close to that of the Western Satraps, from which they probably inherited some territories, and traces of the obverse legend with Greek letters can still be seen.[2]

Traikuta rule of Aparanta or Konkan begins in A.D. 248 (Traikuta era) exactly the time of Abhira Ishwarsena rule, hence Traikutas are identified with the dynasty of Abhiras.[3]

The Traikutakas reckoned in a specific era, known as the Traikutaka era, or usually the Kalachuri or Chedi era, starting in 249.

Trikuta-Abhiras

It is generally supposed that Traikutakas were a different dynasty of Abhira,[4][5] and hence are sometimes called Abhira-Traikutakas .[6] Indradutta, Dahrasena & Vyaghrasena were well known kings from this dynasty.[7] Traikutikas were known for their Vaishnava faith, who claimed to be Yadav of Haiheya branch[8] and Dahrasena performed Ashvamedha yajna too[9]

Traikutaka rulers

The following Traikuta rulers are known from the coins and inscriptions of Gupta period-

• Maharaja Indradatta (only mentioned on the coins of his son) [3]
• Maharaja Dahrasena, son of Indradatta (A.D. 455), he performed Ashwamedha[3]
• Maharaja Vyaghrasena, son of Dahrasena (A.D. 480)[3]

Further reading

• Rajgor, Dilip (1998). History of the Traikūṭakas: Based on Coins and Inscriptions. Harman Publishing House.
• MARILYN KATHLEEN EDWARDS LEESE (1983). THE TRAIKUTAKA DYNASTY AND KANHERI'S SECOND PHASE OF BUDDHIST CAVE EXCAVATION. I–II. University of MICHIGAN.

References

1. Rapson p.clxxxv.
2. Rapson, p.cixxiv.
3. Mookerji, Radhakumud (2007). The gupta empire (5th ed.). Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 9788120804401. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
4. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bombay By Asiatic Society of Bombay, p. 66
5. Ramesh Chandra Majumdar (1968). The Age of imperial unity. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. p. 223. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
6. Asiatic Society of Bombay (1935). Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bombay. The Society. pp. 66–67. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
7. Lionel D. Barnett (October 1994). Antiquities of India: An Account of the History and Culture of Ancient Hindustan. Asian Educational Services. pp. 49–50. ISBN 978-81-206-0530-5. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
8. Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency ..., Volume 1, Part 1 By Bombay (India : State), p. 58
9. Sailendra Nath Sen (1 January 1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization. New Age International. pp. 426–. ISBN 978-81-224-1198-0. Retrieved 3 January 2011.

References

• "A catalogue of the Indian coins in the British Museum. Andhras etc.." Rapson

Middle kingdoms of India
Timeline and cultural period	Northwestern India (Punjab-Sapta Sindhu)	Indo-Gangetic Plain			Central India	Southern India
		Upper Gangetic Plain (Ganga-Yamuna doab)	Middle Gangetic Plain	Lower Gangetic Plain
IRON AGE
Culture	Late Vedic Period	Late Vedic Period (Srauta culture)[lower-alpha 1] Painted Grey Ware culture	Late Vedic Period (Shramanic culture)[lower-alpha 2] Northern Black Polished Ware		Pre-history
6th century BC	Gandhara	Kuru-Panchala	Magadha		Adivasi (tribes)
Culture	Persian-Greek influences	"Second Urbanisation" Rise of Shramana movements Jainism - Buddhism - Ājīvika - Yoga			Pre-history
5th century BC	(Persian conquests)		Shaishunaga dynasty		Adivasi (tribes)
4th century BC	(Greek conquests)	Nanda empire
HISTORICAL AGE
Culture	Spread of Buddhism				Pre-history	Sangam period (300 BC – 200 AD)
3rd century BC	Maurya Empire					Early Cholas Early Pandyan Kingdom Satavahana dynasty Cheras 46 other small kingdoms in Ancient Thamizhagam
Culture	Preclassical Hinduism[lower-alpha 3] - "Hindu Synthesis"[lower-alpha 4] (ca. 200 BC - 300 AD)[lower-alpha 5][lower-alpha 6] Epics - Puranas - Ramayana - Mahabharata - Bhagavad Gita - Brahma Sutras - Smarta Tradition Mahayana Buddhism					Sangam period (continued) (300 BC – 200 AD)
2nd century BC	Indo-Greek Kingdom		Shunga Empire Maha-Meghavahana Dynasty			Early Cholas Early Pandyan Kingdom Satavahana dynasty Cheras 46 other small kingdoms in Ancient Thamizhagam
1st century BC
1st century AD	Indo-Scythians Indo-Parthians		Kuninda Kingdom
2nd century	Kushan Empire
3rd century	Kushano-Sasanian Kingdom	Kushan Empire	Western Satraps	Kamarupa kingdom	Kalabhra dynasty Pandyan Kingdom (Under Kalabhras)
Culture	"Golden Age of Hinduism"(ca. AD 320-650)[lower-alpha 7] Puranas Co-existence of Hinduism and Buddhism
4th century	Kidarites	Gupta Empire Varman dynasty				Kalabhra dynasty Pandyan Kingdom (Under Kalabhras) Kadamba Dynasty Western Ganga Dynasty
5th century	Hephthalite Empire	Alchon Huns				Kalabhra dynasty Pandyan Kingdom (Under Kalabhras) Vishnukundina
6th century	Nezak Huns Kabul Shahi		Maitraka		Adivasi (tribes)	Badami Chalukyas Kalabhra dynasty Pandyan Kingdom (Under Kalabhras)
Culture	Late-Classical Hinduism (ca. AD 650-1100)[lower-alpha 8] Advaita Vedanta - Tantra Decline of Buddhism in India
7th century	Indo-Sassanids		Vakataka dynasty Empire of Harsha	Mlechchha dynasty	Adivasi (tribes)	Pandyan Kingdom (Under Kalabhras) Pandyan Kingdom(Revival) Pallava
8th century	Kabul Shahi		Pala Empire			Pandyan Kingdom Kalachuri
9th century			Gurjara-Pratihara			Rashtrakuta dynasty Pandyan Kingdom Medieval Cholas Pandyan Kingdom (Under Cholas) Chera Perumals of Makkotai
10th century	Ghaznavids			Pala dynasty Kamboja-Pala dynasty		Kalyani Chalukyas Medieval Cholas Pandyan Kingdom (Under Cholas) Chera Perumals of Makkotai Rashtrakuta
References and sources for table References Samuel Samuel Michaels (2004) p.39 Hiltebeitel (2002) Michaels (2004) p.39 Hiltebeitel (2002) Michaels (2004) p.40 Michaels (2004) p.41 Sources Flood, Gavin D. (1996), An Introduction to Hinduism, Cambridge University Press Hiltebeitel, Alf (2002), Hinduism. In: Joseph Kitagawa, "The Religious Traditions of Asia: Religion, History, and Culture", Routledge Michaels, Axel (2004), Hinduism. Past and present, Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press Samuel, Geoffrey (2010), The Origins of Yoga and Tantra. Indic Religions to the Thirteenth Century, Cambridge University Press