Short Note on Vakatakas

The Vakatakas of Vidharbha were an important political power in central India and northern Deccan. We can envisage three tentative phases in the emergence of the state in Vidarbha under the Eastern Vakatakas (the Vakatakas of Nandivardhan while another branch, the Vakatakas of Vatsagulma rules in western Vidarbha). The first phase coincides with the early Vakataka rulers in the pre-Prabhavati Gupta regency period (Vindhyashakti to Rudrasena II) Who ruled mostly in the fourth century the second phase is that of Prabhavatigupta’s regency initiating a rupture in the Vakataka dominance over Vidarbha and increasing Gupta influence in the Vakataka court and the third phase ran parallel to Pravarsena II’s reign marking intensive territorial and political integrative process in the Vakataka state formation and legitimation of the Vakataka power. A study of Pravarsena II’s twenty four landgrant charters clearly reveals step wise territorial integration of Vidarbha and political incorporation of local chiefs into the Vakataka state. The Vakataka age was also remarkable for the evolution of a distinct regional style of architecture and iconography in central India.