Ikshvakus

Mahatalavaras, or subordinate rulers, were employed by Ikṣvhaku rulers to administrate their territory, and members of this ruling class married into the Ikṣhvaku royal family.


After the decline of the Sātavāhanas, the transition from Prakrit to Sanskrit as an epigraphic language is apparent in the Ikṣvāku inscriptions.

Ikshvakus were originally feudatories of the Satavahanas and bore the title Mahatalavara.

Vashishthiputra Sri Santamula (Santamula I) is the founder and established the Ikshvaku dynasty with vijayapuri as the capital. 

Sri Chamtamula, Sri Virapushadatta, Sri Ehavala Chamtamula and Sri Rudra Purushadatta

The second Ikshvaku monarch Madhariputra Srivira- purushadatta followed the Brahmanical faith in the early period of his reign and during the later years he patronized Buddhism.

In one of the Peddabankur (Karimnagar) inscriptions of Virapurushadatta, the Ikshvaku king of Vijayapuri, it was stated that his father Chamthamula donated thousands of ploughs in order to promote agriculture. 

Santamula's mother was Vashishthi, as is evident from his name. Virapurushadatta was the son and successor of Santamula through his wife Madhari. He had a sister named Adavi Santisri. He took a queen from the Saka family of Ujjainand gave his daughter in marriage to a Chutu prince.

Ikshvaku coins were found in the interior Telangana, Keesaraguta assumes great importance due to the fact that the early unadulterated Brahmanical faith flourished here

The last of the Iksvaku kings, Purushadatta II, was overthrown by Pallava Simhavarman I (a.d. 315-345)