In the post-Mauryan period, the techniques of cloth-making, silk- weaving, and the manufacture of luxury articles developed. Mathura was a great center for the manufacture of a special type of cloth which was called shataka.
The earliest Satavahana inscriptions belong to the 1st century BCE. In the 1st century BCE the Satavahana defeated the Kanvas and established their rule over parts of central India.
The Satavahanas dynasty is also known in history for starting the practice of giving royal grants of land. These royal grants were given to Brahmanas and Buddhist monks, including those associated with tax exemptions.
The lowest level of administration during the Satavahana period was a grama or village. It was under the charge of a gaulmika or village headman. The village headman was also the head of a military regiment consisting of nine chariots, nine elephants, 25 horses and 45 foot soldiers.
Though the Satavahanas made liberal sacrificial fees to the Brahmanas, they also promoted Buddhism. Some of the important Buddhist sites under the Satavahanas were Nagarjunakonda and Amravati in Andhra Pradesh and Nashik and Junar areas of Maharashtra.
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