Chandragupta – 1 and Samudragupta

Foundation of the Gupta Dynasty

• Sri Gupta is considered to be the founder of the Gupta dynasty.
• He was the first Gupta ruler to be featured on coins.
• He was succeeded by his son Ghatotkacha.
• Both are mentioned as Maharajas in inscriptions.
• Chandragupta I, the son of Ghatotkacha, ruled from 319 to 335 CE.
• He is considered to be the first great king of the Gupta Empire.
• Chandragupta held the title of Haharaja –adhiraja.

Chandragupta (319 – 335 CE)

• Chadragupta I, Who was the third ruler of the Gupta dynasty married Kumaradevi, a Lichchavi prince.
• The gold coins attributed to Chandragupta bear the images of Chandragupta, Kumaradevi.
• The legend ‘Lichchhavayah’.

Samudragupta (335 – 375 EC

• Chandragupta I appointed his son Samudragupta to succeed him in 335 CE.
• The Prayog Prashasti, composed by Samudragupta’s court poet Harisena, was engraved on the Allahabad
• This Allahabad Pillar inscription is the main source of information for Samudragupta’s reign.
• It refers to three stages in his military campaign.

1. Against some rulers of North India.
2. His famous “Dakshinapatha” expedition against south Indian rulers.
3. A second campaign against some other rulers of North India.
4. He performed the horse sacrifice ritual (Ashvamedha Yaagam) to proclaim his military conquests,
5. Lanka, its ruler Mehavarman sent presents and requested permission from Samudragupta to build a Buddhist monastery at Gaya.
6. Samudragupta patronized scholars and poets like Harisena and thus promoted Sanskrit literature.
7. Though an ardent follower of Vaishnavism, he also patronized the great Buddhist scholar Vasubandhu.
8. As a lover of poetry and music, he was given the title “Kaviraja”.
9. His coins bear the insignia of him playing the vina (lute).

Prashasti: Prashasti is a Sanskrit word, meaning commendation or ‘in praise of ‘.

Consolidation of Gupta Dynasty

• In the southern Pallava kingdom, the king who was defeated by Samudragupta was Vishnugopa.
• He reduced 12 rulers of southern India to the status of feudatories and forced them to pay tribute.
• Samudragupta was a devotee of Vishnu.