CHAPTER VII.
THE GUPTAS
(G. 90–149; a.d. 410–470.)
Chapter VII.
The Guptas, a.d. 410–470. After the Kshatrapas (a.d. 120–410) the powerful dynasty of the Guptas established themselves in Gujarát. So far as the dynasty is connected with Gujarát the Gupta tree is:
| Gupta. G.1–12(?)—a.d.319–322(?) Petty N. W. P. Chief. | |
| Ghaṭotkacha. G.12–29(?)—a.d.332–349(?) Petty N. W. P. Chief. | |
| Chandragupta I. G.29–49(?)—a.d.349–369(?) Powerful N. W. P. Chief. | |
| Samudragupta. G.50–75(?)—a.d.370–395. Great N. W. P. Sovereign. | |
| Chandragupta II. G.70–96—a.d.396–415. Great Monarch conquers Málwa. G.80 a.d.400 and Gujarát G.90a.d.410. | |
| Kumáragupta. G.97–133—a.d.416–453. Rules Gujarát and Káthiáváḍa. | |
| Skandagupta. G.133–149—a.d.454–470. Rules Gujarát Káthiáváḍa andKachch. | |
According to the Puráṇas[1] the original seat of the Guptas was between the Ganges and the Jamna. Their first capital is not determined. English writers usually style them the Guptas of Kanauj. And though this title is simply due to the chance that Gupta coins were first found at Kanauj, further discoveries show that the chief remains of Gupta records and coins are in the territory to the east and south-east of Kanauj. Of the race of the Guptas nothing is known. According to the ordinances of the Smṛitis or Sacred Books,[2] the terminal gupta belongs only to Vaiśyas a class including shepherds
Chapter VII.
The Guptas, a.d. 410–470. cultivators and traders. Of the first three kings, Gupta Ghaṭotkacha and Chandragupta I., beyond the fact that Chandragupta I. bore the title of Mahárájádhirája, neither descriptive titles nor details are recorded. As the fourth king Samudragupta performed the long-neglected horse-sacrifice he must have been Bráhmanical in religion. And as inscriptions style Samudragupta’s three successors, Chandragupta II. Kumáragupta and Skandagupta, Parama Bhágavata, they must have been Smárta Vaishnavas, that is devotees of Vishṇu and observers of Vedic ceremonies.
The Founder Gupta, a.d. 319–322(?).The founder of the dynasty is styled Gupta. In inscriptions this name always appears as Śrí-gupta which is taken to mean protected by Śrí or Lakshmí. Against this explanation it is to be noted that in their inscriptions all Gupta’s successors, have a Śrí before their names. The question therefore arises; If Śrí forms part of the name why should the name Śrígupta have had no second Śrí prefixed in the usual way. Further in the inscriptions the lineage appears as Guptavaṃśa that is the lineage of the Guptas never Śríguptavaṃśa[3]; and whenever dates in the era of this dynasty are given they are conjoined with the name Gupta never with Śrígupta.[4] It may therefore be taken that Gupta not Śrígupta is the correct form of the founder’s name.[5]
Ghaṭotkacha, a.d. 322–349(?).Gupta the founder seems never to have risen to be more than a petty chief. No known inscription gives him the title Mahárájádhirája Supreme Ruler of Great Kings, which all Gupta rulers after the founder’s grandson Chandragupta assume. Again that no coins of the founder and many coins of his successors have been discovered makes it probable that Gupta was not a ruler of enough importance to have a currency of his own. According to the inscriptions Gupta was succeeded by his son Ghaṭotkacha a petty chief like his father with the title of Mahárája and without coins.
Chandragupta I. a.d. 349–369(?).Chandragupta I. (a.d. 349–369 [?]), the son and successor of Ghaṭotkacha, is styled Mahárájádhirája either because he himself became powerful, or, more probably, because he was the father of his very powerful successor Samudragupta. Though he may not have gained the dignity of “supreme ruler of great kings” by his own successes Chandragupta I. rose to a higher position than his predecessors. He was connected by marriage with the Lichchhavi dynasty of Tirhút an alliance which must have been considered of importance since his son Samudragupta puts the name of his mother Kumáradeví on his coins, and always styles himself daughter’s son of Lichchhavi.[6]