The Sātavāhanas

The Śhungas seem to have fought many neighbours, perhaps including the Sātavāhanas. From the 2nd century BCE they ruled much of the Deccan, south of the Śhunga empire.

Sometimes called 'Andhras', the Sātavāhanas were a powerful dynasty. Their lands were mostly today's Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra. Their capitals changed over time; the most famous were Amrāvatī and Pratiṣhṭhāna (Paithan).

Trade boomed. Sātavāhana coins have been found from Gujarat to Andhra Pradesh, on both the western and eastern coasts.

Be a detective: many coins show ships! One shows a sea-going ship with two masts (with crossing lines, probably sails) and wavy lines below for the ocean. So sea trade mattered enough to put on the money, and they could build advanced ships and navigate well. All that from one small coin!

Farming did well in the Krishna–Godavari river area, which kept the economy steady.

Their trade reached as far as the Roman Empire:

Tolls and taxes on trade filled the treasury.

The Naneghat caves near Pune, next to a big trade route, were used to collect tolls and taxes and as resting places for traders: a tollgate and an inn, carved into rock.

Wealth and a fairly peaceful time helped literature, art and culture grow, and the Sātavāhanas added a lot to them.