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New Empires and Kingdoms

chapter 13 New empIReS aNd

kINgdOmS

After the breakup of the Mauryan empire, the Satavahanas and the Kushanas arose as two
important political powers. Both these empires to an end in the middle of the 3rd Century
AD. On the ruins of the Kushanas, arose the empire of the Guptas. After the Mauryan
empire, it was the second most powerful empire of ancient India. The Gupta empire kept
Northern India politically united.
tHe gupta empIre

The Gupta period lasted for more than 200 years from AD 320 to AD 540 and the period is
described as the ‘Golden Age of Indian Culture’. The founder of the Gupta dynasty was
Srigupta. Chandragupta I was the first important ruler of the Gupta dynasty. Other two
important rulers of this dynasty were Samudragupta and Chandragupta Vikramaditya.

The post Gupta period saw the rise of many small kingdoms in North and South India. These
included the kingdom of Harsha in the North and that of the Chalukyas and Pallavas in the
Deccan and the South respectively.
cHandragupta I (ad 320-335)

Magadh, which had lost importance during the Kushana period, again rose to prominence
during the reign of Chandragupta I. Chandragupta I ruled from Pataliputra. His marriage
with Kumaradevi—a Lichchhavi princess, increased the political prestige of the Guptas. He
extended his influence over Prayag (Allahabad) and Saketa (Ayodhya) in UP. He adopted the
lofty title of Maharajadhiraja.
samudragupta (ad 335-380)

Chandragupta I was succeeded by his son Samudragupta, often regarded as the greatest
ruler of the Gupta dynasty. His court poet Harisena wrote a glowing account of the military
exploits of his patron. In a long inscription at the Prayag Prashasti Pillar (at Allahabad),
the poet enumerated the people and countries that were conquered by Samudragupta.
Samudragupta believed in policy of war and conquest and because of his bravery and

generalship, he is called the ‘Napolean of India’.
We get information about Samudragupta’s reign mainly from coins and inscriptions. The
Allahabad Prashasti bears a long list of rulers, who fought against Samudragupta and were
defeated. Samudragupta annexed the region around Delhi, the Western part of UP and
parts of Bengal. He wisely decided not to annex territories that would be difficult to rule
directly from Magadha. Instead, he established indirect control over these territories and
drew tributes from them.
cHandragupta VIkramadItya

Samudragupta’s son Chandragupta II is also known as Vikramaditya. There are inscriptions
about him at Udayagiri, Mathura, Sanchi and on the iron pillar at Mehrauli, Delhi.

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