Western Satraps

Western Satraps (Ariaca)
Possibly vassals of Kushan Empire
35–405
Approximate territory of the Western Kshatrapas (35–405).
Capital		Ujjain Barygaza
Languages		Pali (Kharoshthi script) Sanskrit, Prakrit (Brahmi script) Possibly Greek (Greek alphabet)
Religion		Hinduism, Buddhism
Government		Monarchy
Satrap, King
•	c. 35	Abhiraka
•	388–395	Rudrasimha III
Historical era		Antiquity
•	Established	35
•	Disestablished	405
Preceded by Succeeded by Indo-Scythians Gupta Empire
Today part of		India  Pakistan

The Western Satraps, Western Kshatrapas, or Kshaharatas (35–405) were Indo-Scythian (Saka) rulers of the western and central part of India (Saurashtra and Malwa: modern Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh states). They are so named in contrast to the "Northern Satraps" who ruled around East Punjab and the area of Mathura.

The Western Satraps were contemporaneous with the Kushans who ruled the northern part of the Indian subcontinent and were possibly their overlords, and the Satavahana (Andhra) who ruled in Central India. They are called "Western" in contrast to the "Northern" Indo-Scythian satraps who ruled in the area of Mathura, such as Rajuvula, and his successors under the Kushans, the "Great Satrap" Kharapallana and the "Satrap" Vanaspara. Although they called themselves "Satraps" on their coins, leading to their modern designation of "Western Satraps", Ptolemy in his 2nd century "Geographia" still called them "Indo-Scythians". The power of the Saka rulers started to decline in the 2nd century CE after the Saka rulers were defeated by the south Indian Emperor Gautamiputra Satakarni of the Satavahana dynasty. Later the Saka kingdom was completely destroyed by Chandragupta II of the Gupta Empire in the 4th century CE.

Altogether, there were 27 independent Western Satrap rulers during a period of about 350 years. The word Kshatrapa stands for satrap, itself descended from Old Persian and which means viceroy or governor of a province.