resources, Gautamiputra overthrew Nahapana and recovered northern
Maharashtra, Konkan, the Narmada valley, Saurashtra, besides Malwa and
western Rajputana. He ruled over a wide area extending from the Krishna in
the south to Malwa and Saurashtra in the north and from Berar in the east to
the Konkan in the west. To the Buddhists he made munificent donations. His
patronage of Brahmanism is revealed by the epithet ‘Ekabrahmana’.
    Vasishtiputra Pulamayi I, Gautamiputra’s successor, extended the
Satavahana power up to the mouth of the Krishna and conquered the Bellary
district. This has been proved by his special type of coins ‘ship with double
mast’ found in the Coromandel coast which also demonstrate the special
attention paid by the Satavahanas to naval power and maritime trade.
Pulamayi’s allusion in the largest number of Satavahana inscriptions and the
wide distribution and variety of his coins indicate the existence of a vast
empire and great economic prosperity. During his reign, the old stupa at
Amaravati was repaired, enlarged and encased in richly sculptured marble
slabs. The closing years of Pulamayi’s reign marked a revival of satrap power
under Chashtana.
    Pulamayi’s successor was Vasishthiputra Sri Satakarni. Perhaps to
checkmate the satrapas, he married the daughter of mahasatrapa
Rudradaman. But the Saka-Satavahana conflict began afresh in the reign of
the next king Siva Sri Pdumayi II. It is stated in an inscription that
Rudradaman defeated him twice and reconquered Aparanta (north Konkan)
and Anupa (the Nannada valley).
    The last great ruler of the Satavahana dynasty was Yajna Sri Satakarni.
Inscriptions at Nasik, Kanheri and Guntur testify that he ruled over both
eastern and western Deccan. He regained much of the area which had been
lost to the western satrapas and issued silver coins in imitation of the western
satrapa coinage. The numerous coins issued by him are of various
denominations and are widely distributed. The minting of coins in large
numbers was due to commercial prosperity and successful tennination of
hostilities with the Sakas. But during the closing years of Yajna Sri’s reign,
the Abhiras impaired the political unity of the Deccan by appropriating the
territory around Nasik. The last Satavahana of the main line was Pulamayi
IV.