Home Region: Southern India (South Asia)

Vakataka Kingdom

255 CE 550 CE

D G SC WF R

EQ 2020 in_vakataka_k / InVakat

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

100 BCE 200 CE Satavahana Empire (in_satavahana_emp) [None]

Succeeding Entity:

No Polity found. Add one here.

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General Description

The Vakataka dynasty ruled over the central Indian region of Vidarbha and surrounding areas between the 3rd and 6th centuries CE. This polity was founded by King Vindhyasakti in around 255 CE, reached its zenith around 510, and had been replaced by the Chalukya polity by the mid-6th century. ^[1] The Vakataka period was characterized by the establishment of a centrally ruling authority, agrarian expansion, and the revival of Hinduism, aided by an increase in royal land grants assigned for religious purposes and the construction of new temples. ^[2]
Population and political organization
The Vakataka polity was ruled by a king. ^[3] Inscriptions suggest that he was aided at court by ministers and administrative personnel, including revenue officers, and in the provinces by a hierarchy of provincial and local authorities. ^[2]
No population estimates for this period could be found in the specialist literature.

[1]: (Majumbar and Altekar 1946, 44, 123) Ramesh Chandra Majumdar and Anant Sadashiv Altekar. 1986. Vakataka - Gupta Age circa 200-550 A.D. Benares: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.

[2]: (Sawant 2009) Reshma Sawant. 2008. ’State Formation Process in the Vidarbha during the Vakataka Period’. Bulletin of the Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute 68-69: 137-62.

[3]: (Sawant 2009, 145) Reshma Sawant. 2008. ’State Formation Process in the Vidarbha during the Vakataka Period’. Bulletin of the Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute 68-69: 137-62.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

1 Capital

1 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

2 Suprapolity Relations

1 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

1 Language

Religion

1 Religion Genus

1 Religion Family

1 Alternate Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

Transport Infrastructure

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Non Phonetic Writing

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases Coding in Progress.

Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

Instability Events

3 Instability Event

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k) was in:
(286 CE 400 CE)	Deccan

Home NGA: Deccan

General Variables

Identity and Location Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	43 Q	255 CE 550 CE
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Original Name	Vakataka Kingdom	255 CE 550 CE
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Capital	Padmapura	255 CE 550 CE
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Alternative Name	Vakataka Dynasty	255 CE 550 CE
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Temporal Bounds Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	510 CE
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Duration	[255 CE ➜ 550 CE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	alliance with [---]	255 CE 550 CE
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Suprapolity Relations	in_gupta_emp alliance with in_vakataka_k	320 CE 550 CE
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Preceding Entity 100 BCE 200 CE	Satavahana Empire (in_satavahana_emp) [None]
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Degree of Centralization	unitary state	255 CE 550 CE
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Language Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Indo-European	255 CE 550 CE
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Language	Sanskrit	255 CE 550 CE
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Religion Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Religion Genus	Hinduism	255 CE 550 CE
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Religion Family	Saivist Traditions	255 CE 550 CE
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Alternate Religion	Uncoded Undecided	255 CE 550 CE
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Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Polity Territory	[900,000 to 1,000,000] km²	255 CE 550 CE
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Polity Population	[6,000,000 to 7,000,000] people	255 CE 550 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	5	255 CE 550 CE
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Religious Level	[1 to 3]	255 CE 550 CE
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Military Level	[4 to 6]	255 CE 550 CE
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Administrative Level	5	255 CE 550 CE
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Professions Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present Inferred	255 CE 550 CE
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Professional Priesthood	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Professional Military Officer	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Law Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Absent	255 CE 550 CE
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Judge	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Present Inferred	255 CE 550 CE
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Court	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Absent Inferred	255 CE 550 CE
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Irrigation System	Uncoded Undecided	255 CE 550 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Special-purpose Sites Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Information / Writing System Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Script	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Non Phonetic Writing	Absent	255 CE 550 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Sacred Text	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Religious Literature	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Practical Literature	Present Inferred	255 CE 550 CE
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Philosophy	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Fiction	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Calendar	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Information / Money Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Paper Currency	Unknown Suspected	255 CE 550 CE
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Indigenous Coin	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Article	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Information / Postal System Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Unknown Suspected	255 CE 550 CE
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General Postal Service	Unknown	255 CE 550 CE
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Courier	Unknown Suspected	255 CE 550 CE
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Information / Measurement System Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Present Inferred	255 CE 550 CE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Unknown Suspected	255 CE 550 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Present Inferred	255 CE 550 CE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	255 CE 550 CE
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Moat	Present Inferred	255 CE 550 CE
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Fortified Camp	Unknown Suspected	255 CE 550 CE
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Earth Rampart	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Ditch	Present Inferred	255 CE 550 CE
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Complex Fortification	Unknown Suspected	255 CE 550 CE
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Military use of Metals Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Iron	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Copper	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Bronze	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Projectiles Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent	255 CE 550 CE
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Sling	Present Inferred	255 CE 550 CE
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Self Bow	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Javelin	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	255 CE 550 CE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	255 CE 550 CE
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Crossbow	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Composite Bow	Unknown Suspected	255 CE 550 CE
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Atlatl	Absent	255 CE 550 CE
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Handheld weapons Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Sword	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Spear	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Polearm	Unknown Suspected	255 CE 550 CE
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Dagger	Unknown Suspected	255 CE 550 CE
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Battle Axe	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Animals used in warfare Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Elephant	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Donkey	Unknown Suspected	255 CE 550 CE
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Dog	Unknown Suspected	255 CE 550 CE
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Camel	Present Inferred	255 CE 550 CE
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Armor Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Present Inferred	255 CE 550 CE
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Shield	Present Inferred	255 CE 550 CE
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Scaled Armor	Unknown Suspected	255 CE 550 CE
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Plate Armor	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Limb Protection	Present Inferred	255 CE 550 CE
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Leather Cloth	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Laminar Armor	Unknown Suspected	255 CE 550 CE
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Helmet	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Chainmail	Present Inferred	255 CE 550 CE
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Breastplate	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Naval technology Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Absent	255 CE 550 CE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Unknown Suspected	255 CE 550 CE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Unknown Suspected	255 CE 550 CE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Absent Inferred	255 CE 550 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Present	255 CE 550 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Absent Inferred	255 CE 550 CE
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Human Sacrifice Vakataka Kingdom (in_vakataka_k)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More