Samudra Gupta

Samudra Gupta, the great ruler of India was the son of Chandragupta I of the Gupta dynasty. He is known to have ascended the throne after his father Chandragupta I died in 335 AD.

We can get the information regarding the rule of Samudra Gupta from an inscription engraved on a pillar at Allahabad. Harishena recorded the matter of this inscription. He used to be the court poet of Samudra Gupta. The inscription is partly lost. The inscription of Harishena tells the stories of Samudra Gupta's rule and his conquests. The coins of Samudra Gupta are the other useful sources to tell us about his days.

Samudragupta was undoubtedly a brave warrior. He had a passion for conquest. He went on conquering the following kingdoms one by one:

the neighboring kingdoms of Shichchhatra (Rohilkhand) and Padmavati (in Central India)

the kingdom of Kota kings

the kingdoms of Malvas

the Yaudheyas

the Arjunayanas

the Maduras

the Abhiras

Samudragupta defeated the following rulers:

• Mahendra of Khosla
• Mantaraja of Kurala
• Mahendragiri of Pithapuram
• Svamidatta of Kottura
• Damana of Erandapalla
• Vishnugupta - the Pallava king of Kanchi
• Kubera of Devarashtrain
• Dhananjaya of Kushthalapur

Samudragupta restricted his victories within the range of the river Krishna. He did not go beyond it. In the west he defeated Palaghat, Maharashtra and Khandesh. His territories ranged from the Himalayas in the north to the river Narmada in the south and from the Brahmaputra river in the east to the Yamuna river in the west. Apart from this he had won the kingdoms like Assam, Nepal, Devaka, Kartipura.