Vasishthiputra Pulumavi

Vasishthiputra Pulumavi

Bilingual coinage of Sri Vasishthiputra Pulumavi in Prakrit and Dravidian (possibly Old Kannada), and transcription of the obverse Prakrit legend.

Obverse: Portrait of the king. Legend in Prakrit in the Brahmi script (starting at 12 o'clock):
𑀭𑀜𑁄 𑀯𑀸𑀲𑀺𑀣𑀺𑀧𑀼𑀢𑀲 𑀲𑀺𑀭𑀺 𑀧𑀼𑀎𑀼𑀫𑀸𑀯𑀺𑀲
Raño Vāsiṭhiputasa Siri-Puḷumāvisa
"Of King Lord Pulumavi, son of Vasishthi"

Reverse: Ujjain and arched-hill symbols. Legend in Dravidian (resembling Tamil more than Telugu ), and the Dravidian script, similar to the Brahmi script (starting at 12 o'clock):
𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀡𑀓𑀼 𑀯𑀸𑀳𑀺𑀣𑀺 𑀫𑀸𑀓𑀡𑀓𑀼 𑀢𑀺𑀭𑀼 𑀧𑀼𑀮𑀼𑀫𑀸𑀯𑀺𑀓𑀼
Arahaṇaku Vāhitti Mākaṇaku Tiru Pulumāviku
or: Aracanaku Vācitti Makaṇaku Tiru Pulumāviku
"Of King Tiru Pulumavi, son of Vasishthi"
Satavahana King
Reignc.85–125 CE
PredecessorGautamiputra Satakarni
SuccessorVashishtiputra Satakarni
DynastySatavahana
FatherGautamiputra Satakarni
ReligionBuddhism

Vasishthiputra Pulumavi (Brahmi: 𑀯𑀸𑀲𑀺𑀣𑀺𑀧𑀼𑀢 𑀧𑀼𑀎𑀼𑀫𑀸𑀯𑀺, Vāsiṭhiputa Puḷumāvi, IAST: Vāsiṣṭhiputra Śrī Pulumāvi) was a Satavahana king, and the son of Gautamiputra Satakarni. The new consensus for his reign is c.85-125 CE, although it was earlier dated variously: 110–138 CE or 130–159 CE. He is also referred to as Vasishthiputra Sri Pulumavi. Ptolemy, the second century writer, refers to Pulumavi as Siriptolemaios, a contemporary of the Western satrap, Chastana.

He is said to be the first Satavahana king to rule from Dhanyakataka, now Dharanikota in Andhra Pradesh, while some note his capital as Paithan.