Editing History of India (section)

==== Satavahana Empire ====
{{Main|Satavahana Empire}}
{{multiple image|perrow=2|total_width=400|caption_align=center
| title = Satavahana Empire
| image1 = Sanchi Stupa No.2 Front view1.jpg
| caption1=[[Sanchi|Sanchi Stupa Two and Southern Gateway]], 1st century CE ([[UNESCO World Heritage Site]]).
| image2 = Indian ship on lead coin of Vashishtiputra Shri Pulumavi.jpg
|caption2=Indian ship on lead coin of [[Vasisthiputra Sri Pulamavi]], testimony to the naval, seafaring and trading capabilities of the Sātavāhanas during the 1st–2nd century CE.
}}
The Śātavāhanas were based from [[Amaravathi, Palnadu district|Amaravati]] in [[Andhra Pradesh]] as well as [[Junnar]] ([[Pune]]) and Prathisthan ([[Paithan]]) in [[Maharashtra]]. The territory of the empire covered large parts of India from the 1st century BCE onward. The Sātavāhanas started out as feudatories to the [[Mauryan dynasty]], but declared independence with its decline.

The Sātavāhanas are known for their patronage of Hinduism and Buddhism, which resulted in Buddhist monuments from [[Ellora Caves|Ellora]] (a [[UNESCO World Heritage Site]]) to [[Amaravathi village, Guntur district|Amaravati]]. They were one of the first Indian states to issue coins with their rulers embossed. They formed a cultural bridge and played a vital role in trade as well as the transfer of ideas and culture to and from the [[Indo-Gangetic Plain]] to the southern tip of India.

They had to compete with the [[Shunga Empire]] and then the [[Kanva dynasty]] of [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]] to establish their rule. Later, they played a crucial role to protect large part of India against foreign invaders like the [[Sakas]], [[Yavanas]] and [[Pahlavas]]. In particular, their struggles with the [[Western Kshatrapas]] went on for a long time. The notable rulers of the Satavahana Dynasty [[Gautamiputra Satakarni]] and [[Sri Yajna Sātakarni]] were able to defeat the foreign invaders like the [[Western Kshatrapas]] and to stop their expansion. In the 3rd century CE, the empire was split into smaller states.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m1JYwP5tVQUC&pg=PA113|title=Studies in Indian Coins|isbn=9788120829732|last1=Sircar|first1=D. C.|year=2008|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers}}</ref>