Naneghat – The Royal Mountain Pass

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Author’s Info: Aditi Dixit is a software professional and history buff with a special interest in ancient Indian History. She has completed an M.A. in Indology from Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune, with distinction. She has visited several ancient historical sites across India and participated in on-site seminars, courses, and lecture series related to Ancient Indian History.


 

Sachham bhaņa Godāvari puvvasamuddéņa sahiāsanti
Sālāhaņakulasarisam jai té kulé kulam aththi?

[O river Godavari, you flow towards the Eastern ocean. Tell me, where have you seen a dynasty greater (in fame) than the Satavahanas?]

This often-quoted Prakrit gatha by an unknown poet eulogizes the greatness of the Satavahana dynasty. They ruled and flourished with a long reign of about 300+ years from c. 2nd century BCE to 2nd century CE. This period has been of considerable significance in the history of ancient India, especially for the Deccan region.

But what is the association of Satavahanas and a mountain pass called Naneghat?

The majestic Sahyadri ranges divide Maharashtra’s terrain, separating Konkan’s coastline region from the rest of the mainland. Sahyadri ranges are dotted with various mountain passes for travel to and beyond the coastal region and the Deccan plateau. They have existed for over 2000 years and were the backbone of the all-important trade with the West. Borghat, Malshej ghat, and Thal ghat are some examples.

Naneghat, nestled in the rugged ranges of the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, India, is one such pass that connects the coastal region with the rest of Maharashtra. This pass, situated around 30 km west of Junnar in the Pune district, holds a special place in the annals of Indian history, particularly regarding the reign of the Satvahan dynasty and the legendary Queen Naganika.

The Satavahana dynasty is considered the first dynasty of Maharashtra. They ruled Maharashtra for more than 300 years. The exact duration of the reign, their origin, dynastic capital, Kings, and lineage are all topics of scholarly debate. Still, no one can argue that Satavahanas significantly impacted the history of Deccan. Scholars also unanimously agree that the Satavahana period was the most prosperous period for this land.

The ghat route

Naneghat Route

Naneghat is at a natural recess between 2 cliffs that have been widened, and the natural descent of the cliff has been spruced up to have a winding, rocky path to go down (and also come up). This is not a path for vehicular traffic, but only for animal-drawn vehicles. The route must be crossed on foot. The route was built about 2000 years ago, and interestingly, it is still used by locals to get quickly to the Murbad/Kalyan area. The path takes the traveller directly to the coastal regions of various ancient ports such as Sopara, Choul, and Kayan.

The names of two villages at the base, Pradhanpada (main center) and Vaishakhare (from Vaishaghar or the place of Vaishya, i.e., traders), bear-proof that this was a heavily used trade route. The traders would load the goods on animals and take the route to the base villages of Pradhan pada and Vaishakhare to rest there and then proceed up the ghat to disperse to the significant trade centers like Junnar, Paithan, Ter, Nevase, Karad, etc.

A toll collection center?

Toll collection pot

As one approaches the head of the pass, an in-situ colossal stone pot can be spotted. It is locally known as “jakaticha ranjan,” or a toll collection pot. It is clear that this pass was made for the convenience of traders who were taking the goods from the ports of Kalyan, Choul, and Sopara to the trading centers in other parts of Maharashtra, such as Junnar, Paithan, Ter, etc. So, it stands to reason that the head of the pass could have been a toll collection center, and the colossal pot may have been used to collect the tax from the traders. “Nane” in the local Marathi language means a coin, and thus the name “Nane” ghat.

The cave

The Cave

The most exciting thing about Naneghat is not just the ghat path. A little further down, as one starts descending the crooked stone steps, one comes upon a man-made cave. A man-made cave is not unique in this area, as surrounding Junnar regions have the most dense population of such caves. However, unlike most caves which are Buddhist caves, this cave is Brahmanical in character.

To the right of the cave entrance, there are some water cisterns along the outer wall. The insides appear highly bare. It is a rectangular cave of generous proportions which is entirely devoid of all the ornamentation or sculptures that one would expect at such a rock-cut cave in this region. This seemingly empty cave holds significant evidence, though.

The cave’s wall contains a long inscription of great historical importance. It is written in Brahmi script in the Prakrit language and is one of the most critical pieces of evidence about the Satavahana dynasty.

The inscription

Col. Sykes first published the inscriptions at the Naneghat caves in the 4th volume of the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society in 1837. Since then, various Indologists have studied its multiple aspects. The inscription is mutilated in different places, and some parts are impossible to read. It is clear that a woman commissioned it, but unfortunately her name is not legible. However, based on the research by eminent Indologists and scholars such as Dr. V. V. Mirashi and Dr. Shobhana Gokhale, it is attributed to Queen Naganika, the queen of Siri Satakarni. The 20 inscription lines describe the queen and her family and list several Vedic sacrifices the royal couple performed. The inscription was undoubtedly written on this bustling trade route to showcase the great deeds of the ruling dynasty.

Significance

If we consider the trade flourishing in the 1st century BCE and the early common era centuries, the importance of Naneghat can be easily understood. The ghat connected well-known ports like Kalyan, Sopara, and Choul with flourishing trade centers like Junnar, Paithan, Nashik, Ter, etc. Although it is generally believed that Paithan was the capital of the Satavahana empire, the numismatic and epigraphic evidence suggests that the Satavahana (or their close relatives by marriage alliance – the Maharathis) had a stronghold in the Junnar area. In all probability, Junnar was their capital in the early times. Consequently, it is also evident that Naneghat was a strategic location for controlling trade. The contents of the inscription strongly support this theory.

Historical significance

The inscription is dated to the 1st Century BCE. It gives crucial historical information about the Satvahana dynasty, particularly about Naganika. The inscription is most important in proving that she was Siri Satakarni’s queen and Skandshri Satakarni’s mother. Along with mentioning that she was the daughter of Maharathi from Angi-kul, she is also described with many adjectives, such as Masopavasani, and Grih-tapasi, indicating a woman living the life of an ascetic. But going by the fact that she had commissioned the inscription to list her accomplishments, it can be deduced that she was probably active in the polity of the Satavahana rule. It also indicates that women could hold positions of power in the 1st Century BCE.

Cultural significance

This inscription has several very important and interesting cultural aspects, such as Kings, Dynasties, and Religious influences, and most importantly, it paints a vivid picture of Queen Naganika. The inscription begins with salutations to Vaidik deities such as Indra, Prajapati, Chandra, Surya, Varun, Kuber, and, very interestingly, Yama-Dharma. This indicates that Satavahanas were followers of Vaidik Dharma, which is also evident from the references to various Vedic sacrifices the royalty did. Further, it also offers salutations to two most influential figures in the Pancharatra Philosophy – Sankarshana and Vasudeva, indicating that these two Pancharatra heroes were more prevalent in these parts. Over time, the popularity of Sankarshana diminished, and “Vasudeo” dharma became commonplace in Maharashtra. Incidentally, this mention of “Vasudeo” is considered the oldest in the cave inscriptions in Maharashtra.

The inscription mentions an extensive list of sacrifices such as Angiras, Ashwamedh, Agnyadhyey, Atiratra, Anarambhaniy, Aptoryam, Gargatiratra, Dasharatra, Rajsooy, Saptadashatiratra, Gavamayan, Vajapey, etc. It also mentions the donations that were given to the officiating priests in the form of thousands of cows and karshapanas and also several cows, elephants, horses, and villages as dakshina. Thus giving us an idea of the prosperity and stability of the Satavahana rule. The mention of several Vedic sacrifices provides us with a view of the prevalent Vedic practices and shows that, most likely, the “Chaturvarn” system was strictly followed.

Interestingly, the text mentions many numerical figures that describe the quantity of various types of donations given on the occasion of each sacrifice. Due to these numerical figures, Mrs. Shobhana Gokhale, an eminent epigraphist, could decipher the much-distorted sacrifice name “Vajpey.” The numeral ‘Seventeen’ is vital in the “Vajpey” sacrifice. So when Mrs. Gokhale noticed that the donations for a particular sacrifice were all in the multiples of seventeen, she could identify the distorted word as “Vajpey’. The donation list mentions donations of “Karshapan” and “Prasarpak” coins, which is extremely important from the Numismatic perspective.

The statues

A conjectural representation of statues in the cave | Heritage India Communications Pvt. Ltd.

There is something more that is unique about this cave. The far and shorter side of the rectangle has a niche carved into the wall, which appears quite bare at first glance unless one knows what to look for. Seven (+ one illegible) short-label inscriptions can be seen at the top of the niche. They are the names of the royal family members. It is believed that the niche had eight statues of the royal family. The names (and the statues) are arranged in an interesting order.

A conjectural view of statues | Heritage India Communications Pvt Ltd.

There has been much debate amongst scholars about the statues’ timespan and relationships between the depicted (now lost)royal figures. However, eminent Indologist Dr. V. V. Mirashi’s conclusions are generally accepted with consensus. Dr. Mirashi concludes that the statues are (from L to R) that of Raja Simuk Satavahana, Devi Naganika, Rayo Siri Satakarni, Kumar Bhayal, Kumar Shaktishree, Maharathi Tranakyir, Kumar Vedashri and Kumar Hakusiri. The inclusion of Maharathi Tranakyir, the father of Queen Naganika, in this family “portrait” is quite interesting. It probably indicates that Maharathi Tranakyir was an influential figure, and this marriage alliance was beneficial to the Satavahana family. The placement of Naganika right after Simuk and even before her husband is also a little unusual, but it may indicate that Naganika held quite a sway in the Satavahana rule. Unfortunately, now the statues have disintegrated entirely, and only some portion of their feet can now be seen in the form of  round projections. However, the label inscriptions conclusively indicate that the statues were there.

The Naneghat thus holds a crucial importance in the reconstruction of ancient Indian History, especially for the Deccan region. It is not just a mountain pass but a significant historical site that has witnessed the ebb and flow of trade, culture, and dynastic power for the last 2000 years. The evidence and order of statues show some interesting power plays of polity and the inscription in the cave is one of the oldest historical documents of Western India. It provides valuable cultural insight into the 1st century BCE society. It also gives a peek into a society where a woman could hold such a powerful position in a dynastic rule, so as to commission a cave, an elaborate inscription, and possibly the royal family statues too. Queen Naganika has genuinely carved her name immortally on the pages of Indian History.


References:
1. PurābhilekhVidyā – By Dr. Shobhana Gokhale
2. The History And Inscriptions Of The Sātavāhanas And The Western Kshatrapas – By. Dr. V. V. Mirashi