Sridharavarman

Sridharavarman (Gupta script: , Shri-dha-ra-va-rmma-na, ruled c. 339 – c. 368 CE) was a Saka (Indo-Scythian) ruler of Central India, around the areas of Vidisa, Sanchi and Eran in the 4th century CE, just before the Gupta Empire expansion in these areas. He calls himself a general and "righteous conqueror" (dharmaviyagi mahadandanayaka) in an inscription, and Rajan ('King') and Mahaksatrapa ('Great Satrap') in a probably later inscription at Eran, suggesting that he may have been a high-ranked officer who later rose to the rank of a King.

Although Sridharavarman took the title of Mahakshatrapa, the traditional title of the Western Satraps, he probably did not belong to the line of Chastana, the founder of the dynasty, and belonged to a different Saka family. He probably suffered a defeat by the Gupta Emperor Samudragupta around 365 CE, who then occupied the area around Eran and made his own victorious inscription there.

Sridharavarman is probably the "Saka" ruler mentioned in the Allahabad pillar inscription of Samudragupta, as having "paid homage" to the Gupta Emperor, forced to "self-surrender, offering (their own) daughters in marriage and a request for the administration of their own districts and provinces".

After submitting to Samudragupta, he and his successor may have ruled a bit longer in Eastern Malwa, until they were vanquished by Chandragupta II in his "conquest of the whole world".

Sridharavarman is known from two inscriptions: the first one is the Kanakerha inscription at Sanchi.

Another inscription of the same Sridhavarman, made by his Naga General Satyanaga, was made on a pillar at Eran, only the top portion of which is remaining. The pillar is about 1 foot 6 inches in diameter. The inscription is dated to the 27th year of Sridharavarman's reign. Another famous inscription was later added on the same pillar, the inscription of Goparaja, who died in Eran during the rule of Gupta ruler Bhanugupta, who is also only known from this very inscription.

The Eran inscription of Sridharavarman reads:

Success! In the victorious twenty-seventh year, augmenting [his dominion for a thousand years] of the Rajan (and) Mahakshatrapa Sridharavarman, the son of the Saka Nanda —the righteous conqueror, who has obtained abundant fame by means of victories won by his valour, [who meditates on the feet of the divine Mahasena whose army has never been vanquished] on this day (namely) ... in the adhishthana (town) of Erikina in Bahirika in this ahara of Nagendra, a flight of steps [at the river Venva] [has been caused to be constructed] with devotion by [Nara]yanasvamin for the well-being of the adhishthana headed by the cows and the Brahmanas, (and) for the increase [of the religious merit of his mother and father].