The Sendrakas: An Early Jaina Family
Summary
Nadoja Prof. Hampana’s article reconstructs the history of the Sendrakas, an early Jaina dynasty that held regional power in south and west India between the fourth and eighth centuries. The Sendrakas initially served as mandalikas (provincial governors) of the Banavasi Kadambas. They were subjugated by the Calukya sovereign Kirtivarma I (r. 566–596 CE), but this political conflict led to a strategic marriage: Kirtivarma married the sister of Srivallabha Senananda, chief of the Sendraka family, and their son Polekeśin II was thus half Sendraka. The article explains that the Sendrakas were an ancient kṣatriya dynasty whose roots reach back to the third century. Although they established themselves as a provincial power, they mostly served as feudatories to larger dynasties. The Gokak plates show that the Sendrakas were Jaina by faith from the beginning; however, few inscriptions survive, so reconstructing their genealogy and history requires piecing together copper‑plate grants, epigraphs and later records. The author notes that ‘Sendra’ was the mythical forefather of the line and that many chiefs’ names end with the suffix –satti or –śakti, derived from the Sanskrit ‘śakti’. The article details the Sendrakas’ close association with the Kadambas and Calukyas: Bhanusakti and Vanasatti served the Kadamba king Harivarman; Senananda and his relatives were maternal uncles and allies of Calukya kings; and later leaders like Durgasakti, Vanasakti and Kundasakti governed regions such as Mulgunda, Siraguppa and Banavasi. Hampana maps the Sendrakas’ territories, noting that their domain (Sendraka‑viṣaya) encompassed parts of present‑day Shimoga, Chikkamagalur, Haveri and Hassan districts in Karnataka and extended to Konkan and Gujarat. Numerous copper‑plate grants record donations of land and villages to Jaina temples: Adhirāja Indrananda granted land at Jalaragrama to the pontiff Aryanandin, Ravisakti donated land at Kiruvattikere for the caitya of Lord Śānti, and Bhanusakti facilitated grants by Kadamba kings. These inscriptions show the Sendrakas’ patronage of Jainism and their integration into broader socio‑political networks. The article also discusses the Sendrakas’ crest (an elephant or antelope), their identification with the serpent family (Nāgakula) and their presence in notable inscriptions like Halmidi and Sakkarepatna. Hampana concludes that the Sendrakas ruled for nearly five hundred years as loyal subordinates of the Banavasi Kadambas, Badami Calukyas and early Rāṣṭrakūṭas, leaving a legacy preserved in scattered epigraphs and Jaina religious history.
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Conclusion
The study concludes that, despite scarce records, the Sendrakas were a significant Jaina dynasty whose political fortunes were closely tied to the Kadambas and Calukyas. Marriages and alliances integrated them into the wider polity, while land grants demonstrate their piety and support for Jaina institutions. The Sendrakas served as local governors and military commanders across Karnataka and Konkan, spreading Jaina culture through temples and donations. Although they never became sovereign rulers, their five‑century presence underscores the diversity of regional powers in early medieval India. Recognizing the Sendrakas enriches our understanding of Jain history and the complexity of sub‑imperial dynasties.