The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c10.29

c10.29

The next alternative is to assume that Kācha was not an outside ruler, but a brother of Samudragupta, preferably an elder one, who had challenged his succession in spite of his nomination as the crown prince by Chandragupta. The anouncement of the selection of Samudragupta as the crown prince is known to have rendered the faces of the rival candidates pale and downcast. Verse 5 of the Allahabad inscription further refers to a war at the beginning of the reign of Samudragupta, and it may have been a war of succession. The Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa, v. 710, also refers to a younger brother of Samudragupta, who had disputed his succession. It is no doubt true that the name of this rebel brother is given as Bhasma, but this work is deliberately vague and enigmatical at several places in giving the names of kings, and Bhasma may have been another name of Kācha. As Kācha was soon supplanted by Samudragupta, his coins are not numerous and as he came in between him and Chandragupta I, his coins are found associated with these two rulers.