The Vakataka–Gupta Age (circa 200–550 A.D.) c7.3

c7.3

The third century had succeeded in practically putting an end to foreign domination. Early in the fourth century A.D. the Guptas rose to power (c. 320 A.D.) Their great achievement was to secure as large a political unity and solidarity for the country as was practicable in those days. The Yaudheyas and the Nāgas, the Kuṇindas and the Mālavas had no doubt re-established their independence, but their political horizon did not extend beyond their own homelands. They did not aim at establishing a strong state that might become a bulwark against foreign aggression and secure peace and prosperity for the country as a whole. The great Gupta emperors definitely aimed at founding a powerful unitary state, which could achieve these goals. Traditional political philosophy no doubt recommended that a conqueror should permit the vanquished kings to rule as feudatories; but like Ajātaśatru and Chandragupta Maurya, the Gupta emperors showed scant respect to it and boldly proceeded to annex the territories of a number of kings that were then ruling in Bihar, Bengal, the United Provinces and Central India. In the days of Samudra-gupta, Magadha once more became the leading power of India after a lapse of 500 years. He, however, did not follow the annexation policy throughout; he permitted the Yaudheyas, the Arjunāyanas, the Madras, the Mālavas and a few others to rule as his feudatories and restored the kingdoms of the conquered kings in Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Andhra-deśa. Probably he realised that the means of communication being what they were, it would be impracticable for a power in Magadha to rule effectively over these distant provinces, and the very aim of a strong central power would be defeated if the impossible was sought to be achieved.