Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c20.s1: Section I. The Foundation of the Gupta Dynasty

Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c20.s1

Language: English

Section I. The Foundation of the Gupta Dynasty

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We have seen that the tide of Scythian conquest, which was rolled back for a time by the Sātavāhanas, was finally stemmed by the Gupta Emperors. It is interesting to note that there were many Guptas among the officials of the Sātavāhana conquerors of the Śakas *e.g.*, Śiva Gupta of the Nāsik Inscription of the year 18, (Pura or Puru?) Gupta of the Karle inscription, and Śiva-Skanda Gupta of the same epigraph. It is difficult to say whether there was any connection between these Guptas and the Imperial Gupta family of Northern India, two of whom actually bore the names of Skanda Gupta and Puru Gupta.²

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² In the *Modern Review* (November), 1929, p. 499 f., it has been suggested that the Guptas are of Kāraskara origin. But the evidence on the point is hardly conclusive. The identification of the “accursed” Chaṇḍasena of the *Kaumudīmahotsava* (adopted son of Sundaravarman), whose family was uprooted (p. 500) with Chandra Gupta I, son of *Mahārāja Śrī* Ghaṭotkacha whose dynasty ruled gloriously for centuries, is clearly untenable. The mere fact that Lichchhavis helped Chaṇḍasena is not enough to prove that the prince in question is identical with Chandra Gupta I. Lichchhavis appear as enemies of Magadha as early as the fifth century B.C. For a summary of the plot of the drama, which is attributed by some to a female writer, see *Aiyangar Com. Vol.*, 361f. If Sundaravarman, and his son Kalyāṇavarman are real historical figures, and if they actually ruled over Magadha, they must be placed either before Mahārāja Śrī Gupta or after Bālāditya (6th century A.D.). The memory of Varman *ādhipatya* over Magadha was fresh at the time of the Sirpur Stone Inscription of Mahāśiva Gupta (*Ep. Ind.*, XI, 191). *Cf.* also Pūrṇavarman and Devavarman mentioned by Chinese writers, as well as kings of the Maukhari line. The origin of the Imperial Gupta family is wrapped up in obscurity. We only know that they probably belonged to the *Dhāraṇa* gotra (IHQ, 1930, 565). They may have been related to Queen Dhāriṇī, the chief consort of Agnimitra. Dr. R. C. Majumdar points out (IHQ, 1933, 930 ff.) that according to a Javanese text (*Tantri Kāmandaka*) *Māhārāja* Aiśvaryapāla of the Ikshvāku race traced his genealogy to the family of Samudra Gupta. Little reliance can, however, be placed on the uncorroborated assertions of late writers. Even more unreliable is the testimony of works like the *Bhavishyottara Purāṇa* which, according to some critics, 'is a palpable modern forgery' (*NHIP*, VI. 133n). *Cf. Proceedings of the I. H. Congress*, 1944, pp. 119 ff.

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Scions of the Gupta family are not unoften mentioned in old Brāhmī Inscriptions. The Ichchhāwar ¹ Buddhist Statuette Inscription ² mentions the benefaction of Mahādevī, queen of Srī Hariḍāsa, sprung from the Gupta race (*Gupta-vaṁśodita*). A Bharhut Buddhist Pillar Inscription ³ of the Śuṅga period refers to a "Gauptī" as the queen of *Rājan* Visadeva, and the grand-mother of Dhanabhūti, probably a feudatory of the Śuṅgas.

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¹ Bāndā District.

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² Lüders, No. 11.

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³ Lüders, No. 687.

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Traces of "Gupta" rule in Magadha proper, or some neighbouring tract down the Ganges, are found as early as the second century A.D. I-Tsing, a Chinese pilgrim, who travelled in India in the seventh century A.D., mentions a Mahārāja **Śrī Gupta** who built a temple near Mṛigasikhāvana "which was about forty yojanas to the east of Nālandā, following the course of the Ganges."'¹ I-Tsing's date would place him about A.D. 175.² Allan rejects the date, and identifies Śrī Gupta, with Gupta the great-grandfather of Samudra Gupta, on the ground that it is unlikely that we should have two different rulers in the same territory, of the same name, within a brief period. But have we not two Chandra Guptas and two Kumāra Guptas within brief periods? There is no cogent reason for identifying Śrī Gupta of *cir.* A.D. 175, known to tradition, with Samudra Gupta's great-grandfather who must have flourished about a century later.

Linked texts (2)

Kaumudīmahotsava — Sanskrit
Bharhut Buddhist pillar inscription (No. 104) — Prakrit