The Early History of India, from 600 B.C. to the Muhammadan Conquest, including the Invasion of Alexander the Great c29.14

c29.14

² For the chronology of the dynasty see the author’s paper, ‘Revised Chronology of the Early or Imperial Gupta Dynasty’ (*Ind. Ant.*, 1902, p. 257), which modifies the scheme as given in his numismatic works, but requires some correction. Dates expressed in the Gupta era (G. E.) may be converted approximately into dates A. D. by the addition of 319; e. g. 82 G. E. = A. D. 401. For Gupta inscriptions as known in 1888, see Fleet, *Gupta Inscriptions* (*Corpus Inscr. Ind.*, vol. iii). The principal discoveries since the publication of that work are: (1) Bhitarī seal of Kumāragupta II, not dated (ed. V. A. Smith and Hoernle, *J. A. S. B.*, vol. lviii, part i, 1889); (2) Basāṛh seals of Ghaṭotkachagupta and queen of Chandra-gupta II (*Arch. S. Annual Rep.*, 1903–4, pp. 101–22, Pls. xl–xlii); (3) Bharadī Dīh inscr. of Kumāragupta I, dated 117 G. E. (*A. S. Progr. Rep. of N. Circle*, 1907–8, p. 39; ed. in *J. A. S. B.*, vol. v, N. S. (1909), p. 457); (4) Dhanāidaha inscr. of same king, dated 113 G. E., the earliest known copper-plate grant (*J. A. S. B.*, *ut supra*, p. 459); (5) a valuable Gupta-Vākātaka grant, partially described by Mr. K. Pathak in *Ind. Ant.*, 1912, p. 214; (6) the Sārnāth inscriptions (*A. S. Progr. Rep. of N. Circle*, 1914–15, pp. 6, 14, 15 and App. E, p. vi, Nos. 1 and 4); (7) five copper-plates found at Damōdarpur in the Dinājpur district, which comprise inscriptions of Kumāragupta II and Budhagupta. Many other inscriptions dated in the Gupta era, but not giving the names of kings, have been discovered, including at least two in Burma (*A. S. Progr. Rep., Burma*, 1894, pp. 15, 20).