Rudrasena I (Vakataka king)

Vakataka dynasty 250 CE–500 CE
Vindhyashakti	(250–270)
Pravarasena I	(270–330)
Pravarapura–Nandivardhana branch
Rudrasena I	(330–355)
Prithivishena I	(355–380)
Rudrasena II	(380–385)
Prabhavatigupta (regent)	(385–405)
Divakarasena	(385–400)
Damodarasena	(400–440)
Narendrasena	(440–460)
Prithivishena II	(460–480)
Vatsagulma branch
Sarvasena	(330–355)
Vindhyasena	(355–400)
Pravarasena II	(400–415)
Unknown	(415–450)
Devasena	(450–475)
Harishena	(475–500)

Rudrasena (r. c. 330 – c. 355 CE) was a ruler of the Pravarapura-Nandivardhana branch of the Vakataka dynasty. Not much is known about Rudrasena I. He was the son of Gautamiputra, who ruled from Nandivardhana near Ramtek hill (about 30 km from Nagpur).

There is a mention of Rudradeva in the Allahabad pillar inscription, bundled along with the other rulers of Aryavarta. A number of scholars, like A.S. Altekar do not agree that Rudradeva is Rudrasena I, since if Rudrasena I had been exterminated by Samudragupta, it is extremely unlikely that his son Prthivishena I would accept a Gupta princess (Prabhavatigupta) as his daughter-in-law. Secondly, no inscription of Rudrasena I has been found north of the Narmada. The only stone inscription of Rudrasena I’s reign discovered so far was found at Deotek in the present-day Chandrapur district, so he can not be equated with Rudradeva of the Allahabad pillar inscription, who belonged to the Aryavarta.^[1]

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