Forgotten Rulers of Vidarbha: The Rise and Fall of Mitras and Bhadras

The Rise and Fall of Mitras and Bhadras

In the heart of India’s Maharashtra state lies Vidarbha, a region with a little-known chapter of ancient history. Over two millennia ago, after the fall of the Mauryan Empire, Vidarbha did not immediately fall under any famous dynasty’s sway.

Instead, it was home to its line of local rulers, remembered today through the clues they left behind, especially their coins. Historians and archaeologists now refer to these enigmatic rulers as the Mitra and Bhadra dynasties of Vidarbha, based on the common suffixes of their names.

Far removed from the grand courts of Magadha or Pataliputra, these kings carved out independent realms in the Deccan and issued distinctive coinage. Recent research has shed light on who the Mitras and Bhadras were, how they rose to power in Vidarbha, and what ultimately became of them.

It’s a story pieced together from scattered coins and inscriptions, revealing a forgotten era when Vidarbha charted its own course in history.

Vidarbha in the Post-Mauryan Era

The period following Emperor Ashoka’s Mauryan rule (3rd century BCE) was one of political fragmentation across India.

In Vidarbha, this meant that local chieftains and governors had an opening to assert autonomy.

Vidarbha, after the Mauryas, did not immediately come under the emerging powers of the north or the far south. Instead, it saw the emergence of indigenous rulers. These rulers are known principally from numismatic evidence, the coins they struck, since they left behind no lengthy inscriptions or monuments.

According to numismatists, the Mitra and Bhadra groups were likely the first independent rulers in the Deccan after the Mauryan Empire’s collapse.

In the absence of a central authority, they established their own domains in the region. Archaeological finds at sites like Adam, Pauni, and Paunar (ancient towns in present-day Vidarbha) have yielded several coins bearing unfamiliar names, confirming that a distinct political authority existed here around the 2nd century BCE.

These early Vidarbha coinages are mostly made of copper and bear Prakrit legends in Brahmi script, a crucial source for historians. The rise of the Mitra and Bhadra dynasties can thus be seen as Vidarbha’s answer to the power vacuum, local kings stepping in to rule their people, mint currency, and maintain order in a post-imperial age.

Interestingly, these Vidarbha rulers did not style themselves with grand titles on their coins (many coins simply give a name and occasionally the title “ranno” meaning king).

Yet the very act of minting coins was a statement of sovereignty and economic activity. Researchers note that coins of this era were often produced in regional urban centres.

Variations in symbols and technique hint that kings like those of the Mitra and Bhadra line struck currency at multiple mints within their territory.

The Vidarbha region’s strategic location, bridging north India and the Deccan plateau, meant that these local rulers were aware of broader trends. Their coin designs borrowed symbols common across ancient India, such as the Ujjain symbol (a crossed four-dots motif) and various animals associated with royal power or religious significance.

This shows Vidarbha was not isolated. It was plugged into the subcontinent’s cultural currents even while politically on its own. In effect, the Mitras and Bhadras of Vidarbha filled the gap between empire and empire, coming after the Mauryans and just before the rise of the Satavahana dynasty that would later incorporate Vidarbha.

The Mitra Kings of Vidarbha

The “Mitra” rulers of Vidarbha are identified by names ending in “-mitra”, meaning friend, a suffix seen in several ancient Indian dynasties. On Vidarbha coins, these names appear in Brahmi script (where “-mitra” is rendered as “-mita” in Prakrit).

Known Mitra kings include Suryamitra, Bhumimitra, Kanha(m)itra (interpreted as Krishnamitra), and Balamitra.

Each of these names is found on copper coins discovered in Vidarbha. For example, coins bearing the legend “Suyamita” have been linked to King Suryamitra. These coins often feature dynastic symbols and motifs: elephants, bulls, sacred trees, and the popular Ujjain symbol, all of which conveyed royal authority and perhaps divine blessing.

Numismatist Shailendra Bhandare observes that such motifs were shared among clans and could signify kinship ties or common cultural affiliations among the issuers. In other words, the Mitra kings may have belonged to a related clan or network. This is supported by how similar imagery recurs across their coinage, a visual language of legitimacy recognisable to the people of that time.

One fascinating aspect of Suryamitra’s coins is the depiction of a mysterious human figure. On some coins, a man is shown standing frontally on a lotus, holding a water pot (kamandalu) and a staff (danda). This unusual icon has puzzled researchers. It does not match any well-known deity or symbol.

Some experts speculate it might represent a local deity, a syncretic figure, or an allegorical representation of kingship or prosperity. The presence of such a figure alongside familiar symbols like the eight-spoked wheel or hill motifs suggests the Mitra kings blended mainstream North Indian iconography with local elements, tailoring their message to a regional audience.

These coins lacked inscriptions beyond the king’s name, so much of their story comes from interpreting the imagery.

What do we know of the Mitra kings’ reigns? Precise dates are hard to pin down, but they are generally placed in the 2nd century BCE. Their era overlaps with the late Mauryan decline and precedes the expansion of the Satavahana Empire into Maharashtra.

Evidence shows that the Mitra authorities eventually came into contact, and conflict, with the rising Satavahanas.

Notably, some coins of King Suryamitra have been found “counter-struck” with the Ujjain symbol and Brahmi legend of a later king. This later king was Satakarni I, one of the early Satavahana rulers. The overstriking of Suryamitra’s coins by Satakarni I strongly suggests a takeover. As the Satavahana power extended into Vidarbha (around the 1st century BCE), they literally stamped their authority onto the currency of the local Mitra king. Such numismatic evidence provides a rare concrete link between the Mitras of Vidarbha and well-documented dynasties of wider Indian history.

It implies that Suryamitra’s rule, and presumably that of his Mitra successors or contemporaries, had ended by the time Satakarni asserted control in the region. Yet, for a time, Suryamitra and his fellow Mitras were sovereigns in their own right, governing Vidarbha’s lands and contributing to its economic life, as seen through the coins that still survive.

The Bhadra Kings of Vidarbha

A representation of coins from the Mitras and Bhadras Era of Vidarbha

Alongside (and possibly overlapping with) the Mitras, Vidarbha was ruled by kings whose names end in “-bhadra”, meaning auspicious or blessed.

Modern scholars group these rulers as the Bhadra dynasty, though it may not have been a single linear dynasty so much as a set of related chiefs.

The known Bhadra kings from coin legends include Damabhadra, Satyabhadra, Sarvabhadra, and Dharmabhadra. These names, like the Mitras, appear on copper coins mainly found in Vidarbha.

One king in particular, Damabhadra, is thought to be among the earliest of this group, perhaps emerging soon after Mauryan rule waned. Damabhadra’s coins are distinctive: some are punch-marked (a technique typical of earlier Indian coinage) with his name inscribed, while others are die-struck, indicating an evolution in minting technology during his reign.

The diversity of coin manufacturing techniques under Damabhadra hints that his rule spanned a period of transition, and that he possibly controlled multiple urban mints. It paints a picture of a ruler consolidating power in a formative era, when statecraft in the Deccan was still experimenting and developing.

The Bhadra kings seem to have had a succession order, though exact relationships are unclear. Numismatic research suggests Damabhadra was followed by a King Satyabhadra, then by Dharmabhadra. Intriguingly, coins bearing the name “Sachabhada” (Satyabhadra) come in two varieties. One set includes a royal title (implying a reigning king), and another set lacks the title, with slight design differences.

This has led scholars to propose that there were two Satyabhadras, perhaps a father and son, or an elder and junior branch, designated as Satyabhadra I and II.

They might have ruled successively or over different territories, but shared the same name. The Bhadra coins likewise carry rich symbolism. For instance,

Damabhadra’s issues feature motifs like the humped bull, elephants, the Indra-dhvaja (Indra’s banner) and rivers, all encased in the numismatic art style of the era. These symbols mirrored those on Mitra coins and other contemporary currencies, suggesting a shared cultural milieu.

The Bhadra kings likely patronised Vedic or local religious traditions. The very use of “Bhadra” in their names hints at a kingly aspiration to be seen as righteous or fortunate.

We also see evidence of sectarian influences. Some Bhadra coins show a trident and Nandipada (bull’s hoof symbol), often associated with Shaivite (Lord Shiva) worship. This aligns with findings from other regions, where local rulers adopted symbols of Shiva or other deities on their currency, possibly to legitimise their rule through divine association.

Like their Mitra counterparts, the Bhadras eventually confronted the reality of expanding imperial powers. The numismatic record provides a dramatic snapshot of this encounter. Coins of Dharmabhadra, one of the later Bhadra rulers, have been discovered with over-strikes from Satavahana forces, similar to Suryamitra’s case.

In one instance, archaeologists identified a copper coin originally issued by Dharmabhadra that was later stamped with Satavahana symbols and script, effectively converting it into a Satavahana coin. Historian Ajay Mitra Shastri noted that this kind of counterstriking is a direct indicator of conquest, showing how Satakarni I absorbed Vidarbha’s independent kingdoms into his realm.

Supporting this, the famous Hathigumpha inscription of Kharavela (the Kalinga ruler in Odisha, circa 1st century BCE) mentions a King “Satakani” (Satakarni) as already controlling Vidarbha.

From that inscription, we learn that by around 50 BCE, local Vidarbha kings like Suryamitra and Dharmabhadra had been subdued and their territories taken over.

Their names do not appear in the inscription, but the coin finds corroborate that these were the rulers who immediately preceded Satakarni’s hegemony in the region.

Numismatic evidence even hints at a brief resistance to the Satavahana takeover. Some coins from Vidarbha show a certain Pātālatoḷata (possibly the name of another local chief) striking coins over Satakarni’s own issues, suggesting a rebel or restoration attempt after Satakarni’s initial conquest.

This implies that the end of the Bhadra-Mitra era was not a simple, peaceful annexation, there may have been turmoil and pushback as local rulers fought to retain control. However, ultimately the Satavahana dynasty, with its greater resources and wider empire, folded Vidarbha into its expanding dominion. By the 1st century CE, Vidarbha was firmly within Satavahana territory, and the names of Mitra and Bhadra kings faded into obscurity.

The story of Vidarbha’s Mitra and Bhadra dynasties remained hidden for centuries, only coming to light through diligent archaeological research.

Tiny copper coins unearthed from dusty mounds have given these long-lost kings a voice. What emerges is a portrait of a region that did not simply await the next empire but actively forged its own path in the interim.

The Mitras and Bhadras provided continuity and governance in Vidarbha at a time of fragmentation, striking coins that tell of political authority, religious life, and cross-cultural connections in the Deccan.

Their history, though reconstructed from modest clues, enriches our understanding of ancient India beyond the well-known imperial narratives. It reminds us that between the headline empires were smaller kingdoms with their own legacies.

Vidarbha’s forgotten dynasties bridged the gap between the Mauryas and Satavahanas, and their rediscovery has added a crucial chapter to the subcontinent’s historical tapestry. As researchers continue to study new finds, each coin, seal or inscription, the picture of this once-overlooked epoch in Vidarbha’s history becomes clearer. In reviving the names of Suryamitra, Damabhadra, and their peers, we not only honour regional history but also gain insight into how local kingship functioned in ancient India’s evolving political landscape.

References

• Bhandare, S. (2017). Early Buddhist art in Deccan: The numismatic underpinnings of chronology and political backdrop. In W. Rienjang & P. Stewart (Eds.), Proceedings of the Early Buddhist Art of Gandhāra Conference. Oxford University Research Archive. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:4ea809eb-b04d-4767-8bab-94ca294ed136/files/rh989r491p

• Bhandare, S. (2022). Coins, kings, and the Deccan: Reading polity and politics through early Indian coinage. Jnana Pravaha. https://www.jnanapravaha.org/download/research/dh04.pdf

• Shastri, A. M. (1977). Satyabhadra: A Hitherto Unknown Ruler of Vidarbha. Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, 58-59, 963–967. (Reports the discovery of a coin of King Satyabhadra in Vidarbha, expanding the known list of Bhadra rulers. It provides historical context for the Bhadra dynasty and its chronology relative to other regional powers.)

• Oriental Numismatic Society (2006). Supplement to ONS Journal No. 205. Oriental Numismatic Society. (Contains a compilation of research notes on Deccan coinage. One note by Prashant P. Kulkarni discusses Vidarbha coins and suggests the integration of rulers like Subena into the Bhadra-Mitra group, as well as evidence of Satavahana over-strikes on local coins.)

• Indian Archaeological Survey (1992). Indian Archaeology – A Review 1991-92. New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India. (Includes reports of excavations in Maharashtra. Mentions coin finds from Vidarbha, including issues of “Dambhadra” (Damabhadra) and Satyabhadra, and confirms their dating to the pre-Satavahana period, as well as noting the role of A. M. Shastri and C. S. Gupta in researching these coins.)