The Coinage of the Gupta Empire and its Imitations c6.13

c6.13

According to one view Samudragupta was succeeded by his eldest son Rāmagupta, who after a short reign, had to give place to his younger brother Chandragupta II, who rescued the empire from a great calamity created by a successful Kuṣāṇa invasion. This view is however rejected by other scholars, who are not prepared to accept the historicity of Rāmagupta, as it is not supported by any epigraphical and numismatic evidence. The first school, however, points that Rāmagupta's name was omitted from the official genealogy either because he was a collateral or because his reign was a blot upon the fair name of the family. Recently some copper coins have been found in Mālwā, which clearly bear the name of Rāmagupta. It is not unlikely that he may be identical with the eldest son of Samudragupta. The whole position about Kācha and Rāmagupta is still very obscure.