Western Kshatrapas
Also called: Kardamaka dynasty, Western Satraps · Topic: Post-Mauryan India: Shungas to Kushanas · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Western Kshatrapas were Shaka rulers of western India and Malwa from c. 1st century CE to c. late 4th century CE. "Kshatrapa" comes from "satrap", meaning a provincial governor. These rulers kept the title even after they became independent. They came from two families: the Kshaharatas, including Nahapana, and the Kardamakas, the line of Chashtana and Rudradaman. The Gupta king Chandragupta II ended their rule.
Example
Rudradaman's Sanskrit rock inscription at Girnar (Junagadh), from c. 2nd century CE, says he repaired the Sudarshana lake with his own money and without taxing his people. The Western Kshatrapas' silver coins carry dates in the Shaka era. This helps historians arrange their kings in the right order.
Don't confuse with
- Kardamaka dynasty: this is only one family of the Western Kshatrapas. It does not include Nahapana's Kshaharata family.
- Shaka Samvat: this is the calendar era starting in 78 CE that these rulers used on their coins. It is a dating system, not a dynasty.