Gautamiputra Satakarni (c. 78–102 CE) was the twenty-third ruler of the Satavahana

Satavahana

The Sātavāhana Empire or Andhra Empire, was a royal Indian dynasty based from Dharanikota and Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh as well as Junnar and Prathisthan in Maharashtra. The territory of the empire covered much of India from 230 BCE onward...

 Empire.

Rule

Gautamiputra Satakarni, often acknowledged by historians as the greatest of the Satavahana rulers, took to the throne after his father, Satakarni. Satakarni had earlier expanded the Satavahana Empire and gained considerable prosperity due to his two Aswamedha sacrifices. When Gautamiputra ascended the throne, the Satavahana Empire was loosely attached and was facing the threats of invasions from Saka

Saka

The Saka were a Scythian tribe or group of tribes....

s and Yavanas. Gautamiputra defeated the Yavanas, Saka

Saka

The Saka were a Scythian tribe or group of tribes....

s, and Pahlavas and re-established the ancient glory of the Satavahanas. He overthrew Nahapana

Nahapana

Nahapana was an important ruler of the Western Kshatrapas, descendant of the Indo-Scythians, in northwestern India. According to one of his coins, he was the son of Bhumaka.-History:...

 and restruck a large number of Ksaharata coins of the Jogalthembi hoard.

The Nasik Prasasti describes Gautamiputra as the ruler of the Aparanta, Anupa, Saurashtra, Kukura, Akara, and Avanti, and he must have wrested them from Nahapana. He also seems to have recovered the territories in Central Deccan, which had been lost by the Satavahanas during the earlier rule of his predecessors. Under him, the Satavahana

Satavahana

The Sātavāhana Empire or Andhra Empire, was a royal Indian dynasty based from Dharanikota and Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh as well as Junnar and Prathisthan in Maharashtra. The territory of the empire covered much of India from 230 BCE onward...

 arms must have reached as far south as Kanchi. He is also credited with the conquest of territories in the Kolhapur area in the Southern Maharashtra

Maharashtra

Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...

, which he seized from the Ananda

Ananda

Ānanda was one of the principal disciples and a devout attendant of the Buddha. Amongst the Buddha's many disciples, Ānanda had the most retentive memory and most of the suttas in the Sutta Pitaka are attributed to his recollection of the Buddha's teachings during the First Buddhist Council...

 rulers. Gautamiputra also annexed the Banavasi area, thus established his sway over portions of Karnataka

Karnataka

Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...

. He was succeeded by his son, Vasisthiputra Sri Pulamavi

Vasisthiputra Sri Pulamavi

Vasisthiputra Sri Pulamavi was a Satavahana king, and the son of Gautamiputra Satakarni.He was mentioned by Ptolemy under the name Siristolemaios .He was succeeded by his younger brother Vashishtiputra Satakarni....

 in about 130

130

Year 130 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Catullinus and Aper...

 AD.

Gautamiputra Satakarni started the Shalivahana era

Shalivahana era

The Shalivahana era, also known as the Saka era, is used with Hindu calendars, the Indian national calendar, and the Cambodian Buddhist calendar. Its year zero begins near the vernal equinox of the year 78....

 or Shaka Calendar which is still used by Gujaratis, Maharashtrians, Telugus, and Kannadigas

Kannadigas

Kannadiga , or Kannadati is a reference to the people who natively speak the Kannada language. Kannadigas are mainly located in the state of Karnataka in India and in the neighboring states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa and Maharashtra...

.

Gautamiputra Satakarni took the titles of

• Trisamudrapitatoyavahana (one whose horses had drunk waters from 3 oceans)
• sakayavanapallavanisudana (destroyer of saka
  Saka
  The Saka were a Scythian tribe or group of tribes....
  
  , yavana and pahlavas)