Chashtana was a ruler of the SakaWestern Satraps in northwestern India during 78-130 CE. He was satrap of Ujjain during that period. Among the modern scholars, the beginning of the Saka era is widely equated to the ascension of Chashtana in 78 CE. A statue found in Mathura together with statues of the Kushan king Kanishka and Vima Taktu, and bearing the name "Shastana" is often attributed to Chashtana himself. Chashtana is called Tisman by the bards, a spelling that matches the Greek rendition of his name more closely. Chashtana was mentioned by Ptolemy as "Tiasthenes" or "Testenes", ruling a large area of Western India into the 2nd century CE, especially the area of Ujjain, during the reign of the Satavahana king Vasisthiputra Sri Pulamavi. According to Ptolemy, Chashtana directly ruled Ujjain, while Paithan continued to be ruled by Siristolemaios. Ptolemy in his "Geographia", where he qualifies the Western Satraps as "Indo-Scythians", describes Chashtana's territory as starting from Patalene in the West, to his capital Ujjain in the east, and beyond Barigaza in the south: Chashtana was the grandfather of the great Western SatrapconquerorRudradaman I. Chashtana was founder of one of the two major Saka Satrap dynasties in north-western India, the Bhadramukhas; the other, short-lived dynasty, the Kshaharatas, included Bhumaka and Nahapana.
Coinage
The coinage of Chastana combines a corruptedGreek legend on the obverse, around his portrait, and a Brahmi script legend on the reverse around a "Three hills and river" symbol together with the sun and two moons. Obverse: The obverse in Greek corrupted script typically reads "ΡΑΝΝΙω ΙΑΤΡΑΠAC CIASTANCA", transliteration of the PrakritRaño Kshatrapasa Chashtana: "King and Satrap Chashtana". Reverse: The reverse in Early/Middle Brahmi script reads: RAJNO MAHAKSHATRAPASA GHSAMOTIKAPUTRASA CHASHTANASA “Of the Rajah, the Great Satrap, son of Ghsamotika, Chashtana". This legend is sometimes followed by the name "Chatḥaṇasa" in Kharosthi script.
