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69-682: Trigarta (also known as Jalandhara) was an ancient Indo-Aryan kingdom based in the region of modern day Punjab . The focal point of its administration was situated in Jalandhar . However at its zenith it encompassed the hill territory extending from the Sutlej to the Ravi , with a secondary capital in Kangra . According to a genealogical record of the Kangra State , the first significant monarch
138-761: A diverse collection of peoples speaking Indo-Aryan languages in the Indian subcontinent . Historically, Aryans were the Indo-Iranian speaking pastoralists who migrated from Central Asia into South Asia and introduced the Proto-Indo-Aryan language . The early Indo-Aryan peoples were known to be closely related to the Indo-Iranian group that have resided north of the Indus River ; an evident connection in cultural, linguistic, and historical ties. Today, Indo-Aryan speakers are found south of
207-546: A hundred battles, acquired a hundred wounds that looked like marks of glory, and earned the title Prakrama (valourous). The Mathura stone inscription of Chandragupta II describes Samudragupta as an "exterminator of all kings", as someone who had no equally powerful enemy, and as a person whose "fame was tasted by the waters of the four oceans". Modern scholars offer various opinions regarding Samudragupta's possible motivations behind his extensive military campaigns. The Allahabad Pillar inscription suggests that Samudragupta's aim
276-623: A kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata . Mahabharata mentions two different Trigarta kingdoms, one in the west close to the Sivi kingdom and the other north to the Kuru kingdom . Modern Kangra is one of the ancient towns in North Trigarta, extending westward to the Punjab area. Multan was the capital of Trigarta, with its original being Mulasthan. The territory of Trigarta kingdom is around
345-530: A lesser extent, Central Asian steppe pastoralists. South Indian Tribal Dravidians descend majorly from South Asian hunter-gatherers, and to a lesser extent Iranian hunter-gatherers. Additionally, Austroasiatic and Tibeto-Burmese speaking people contributed to the genetic make-up of South Asia. Indigenous Aryanism propagates the idea that the Indo-Aryans were indigenous to the Indian subcontinent, and that
414-704: A number of monarchical and tribal tributary states. Historian R. C. Majumdar theorizes that Samudragupta directly controlled an area extending from the Ravi River ( Punjab ) in the west to the Brahmaputra River ( Bengal and Assam ) in the east, and from the Himalayan foothills in the north to the Vindhya hills in the south. The south-western boundary of his territory roughly followed an imaginary line drawn from present-day Karnal to Bhilsa . In
483-537: A part of Maharashtra , based on the identification of Devarashtra with Maharashtra, and Erandapalla with Erandol , where some Gupta-era remains have been found. However, this theory is no longer considered correct. The coinage of the Gupta Empire was initially derived from the coinage of the Kushan Empire , adopting its weight standard, techniques and designs, following the conquests of Samudragupta in
552-466: A prince. An alternative interpretation is that Samudragupta dispatched his army on these campaigns, while he himself stayed at the capital. It is also possible that the poet intended to convey that these campaigns were minor affairs that did not require the king's direct involvement at the battlefront. According to the Allahabad Pillar inscription, Samudragupta captured (and later released)
621-473: A ruler whose name is lost in the damaged portion of the inscription. The third name ends in "-ga", and is generally restored as Ganapati-naga, because Achyuta-nandin (presumably same as Achyuta), Nagasena, and Ganapati-naga are once again mentioned in the later part of the inscription, among the kings of Aryavarta (northern India) defeated by Samudragupta. These kings are identified as the rulers of present-day western Uttar Pradesh ( see below ). According to
690-533: A ruthless and bloody conflict. Arjuna also annihilated an Akshouhini (a large military unit) of Trigarta warriors called the Samsaptakas . These warriors had vowed to either die or kill Arjuna as part of a larger plan by Duryodhana to capture Yudhishthira alive. Trigarta next finds mention in the Mahabharata's Sabha Parv, where it is included along with a number of other states of the time. According to
759-631: A stand-alone name, and identified Daivaputra-Shahi-Shahanushahi as a single ruler, possibly Kidara I , who had established a new kingdom Gandhara (present-day Afghanistan). According to historian Tej Ram Sharma, Daivaputra refers to a Kushan king (Devaputra being a Kushan title); Shahi refers to a sub-branch of the Kushans; and Shahanushahi refers to the Sasanians . These kings controlled parts of present-day Punjab and Afghanistan. Historian Ashvini Agrwal theorizes that Kidara, who initially ruled as
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#1732772212842828-647: A strategic move aimed at countering the threats posed by Shapur II of the Sassanian Empire . As the more powerful partner in this alliance, Samudragupta provided significant support to Kidara . This collaboration proved to be highly effective; Kidara achieved victories over the Sassanians in 367-368 AD. However, these victories did not necessarily result in Shapur II becoming a vassal of either Kidara or Samudragupta. Some scholars believe that
897-461: A strong confederacy to oppose him. According to these scholars, the claim that Samudragupta released these kings is an attempt by Samudragupta's courtier to cover up the emperor's failure. However, there is no evidence of the southern kings forming a confederacy against Samudragupta. Historian Ashvini Agrawal notes that setting free a captured king is inline with the ancient Indian political ideals. For example, Kautilya defines three types of conquerors:
966-600: A symbol of Shiva and his bull , have been discovered. The inscription states that the Gupta army captured the Kota ruler, while Samudragupta himself "played" (or pleased himself) in a city called Pushpa (the name Pushpa-pura referred to Pataliputra at Samudragupta's time, although it came to be used for Kanyakubja in the later period). Modern scholars have interpreted the word "played" in various ways: According to one theory, this portion describes Samudragupta's achievements as
1035-687: A vassal of the Sasanian king Shapur II , may have formed an alliance with Samudragupta to overthrow his Sasanian overlord. In Raghuvamsha , the Gupta court poet Kalidasa states his hero Raghu defeated the Parasikas (Persians): Agrwal speculates that this description may be inspired from the Kidraite-Gupta victory over the Sasanians. According to Abraham Eraly and others, the expression Devaputra Shāhi Shāhānu Shāhi evidently designates
1104-424: Is also uncertain. If Samudragupta is regarded as the founder of the Gupta era, his ascension can be dated to c. 319–320 CE. On the other hand, if his father Chandragupta I is regarded as the founder of the Gupta era, Samudragupta's ascension must be dated to a later date. Samudragupta was a contemporary of King Meghavarna of Anuradhapura Kingdom , but the regnal period of this king is also uncertain. According to
1173-543: Is found in the works of the Gandharan Sanskrit Grammarian Pāṇini , in which he characterizes the republic being a martial state and consisting of a confederation of six states. As per the Mahabharata , Trigarta encompassed seven states, indicating the possibility that one state had either seceded from the union or amalgamated with another state. The Audumbaras are a tribal group situated in
1242-678: Is identified as Susarman , who is recognised for his participation in the Kurukshetra War based in the early Iron Age . It was during this period that the kingdom held Multan . Prior to the incursions by Muhammadan forces, Trigarta encompassed the territory situated between the Sutlej and Ravi rivers in the outer hills, extending to the Jalandhar Doab in the South, as outlined by J. Ph. Vogel . Their territory held two principal capitals, Kangra and Jalandhar ; however, during
1311-525: Is known to have married during the reign of his son Chandragupta II, in c. 380 CE (assuming c. 319 CE as the epoch of the Gupta era). Therefore, the end of Samudragupta's reign can be placed before this year. Various estimates of Samudragupta's regnal period include: Samudragupta was a son of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta I and Queen Kumaradevi, who came from the Licchavi clan. His fragmentary Eran stone inscription states that his father selected him as
1380-469: Is that the author of the inscription thought it necessary to repeat these names while describing Samudragupta's later conquests in Aryavarta, simply because these kings belonged to that region. Samudragupta dispatched an army to capture the scion of the Kota family, whose identity is uncertain. The Kotas may have been the rulers of present-day Punjab , where coins bearing the legend "Kota", and featuring
1449-577: The Gupta Empire of ancient India, and is regarded among the greatest rulers of India. As a son of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta I and the Licchavi princess Kumaradevi, he greatly expanded his dynasty's political and military power. The Allahabad Pillar inscription , a prashasti (eulogy) composed by his courtier Harisena , credits him with extensive military conquests. It suggests that he defeated several kings of northern India, and annexed their territories into his empire. He also marched along
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#17327722128421518-584: The Vedic period it included Multan as a third capital, a possession relinquished subsequent to the Kurukshetra War . The etymology of Trigarta has been understood to mean 'The land of the three rivers', referring to the Sutlej, Ravi and Beas in modern day Punjab . However it has also been thought to represent the three tributaries of the Beas in the Kangra district . The earliest documented reference to Trigarta
1587-590: The Western Kshatrapa rulers of Ujjain . Jayaswal notes that the Puranas mention the rule of 13 Murunda kings, and Hemachandra 's Abhidhana-Chintamani describes Murunda as people of Lampaka (in present-day Afghanistan). However, Agrwal points out that these sources are of relatively late origin, and it is possible that a branch of the Shakas had come to be known as "Murundas". The exact location of
1656-506: The traditional reckoning adopted in Sri Lanka for Buddha 's death, he ruled during 304–332 CE; but the modified chronology adopted by modern scholars such as Wilhelm Geiger assigns his reign to 352–379 CE. Accepting the former date would place Samudragupta's ascension to c. 320 CE; accepting the latter date would place it around c. 350 CE. The end of Samudragupta's reign is also uncertain. Samudragupta's granddaughter Prabhavatigupta
1725-964: The 1st century A.D. when the king of Kanauj , Raja Ram Deo, went on conquest and overran the hills. He spared Kumaon raja after getting his daughter in marriage, then he spared Nagarkot raja after the ruler offered his daughter in marriage. The Katoch dynasty is an offshoot of Trigratraje Dynasty. Katoch Dynasty in Kaliyuga has some major Subclans- Jaswal Clan, Guleria Clan Sibaia Clan Dadwal Clan and Chibbal Clan. Indo-Aryan peoples Pontic Steppe Caucasus East Asia Eastern Europe Northern Europe Pontic Steppe Northern/Eastern Steppe Europe South Asia Steppe Europe Caucasus India Indo-Aryans Iranians East Asia Europe East Asia Europe Indo-Aryan Iranian Indo-Aryan Iranian Others European Indo-Aryan peoples are
1794-486: The 7th-century Chinese traveler Xuanzang , who visited this monastery, appears to have regarded the rich presents sent by Meghavarna as tribute: he states that Meghavarna "gave in tribute to the king of India all the jewels of his country". The "other islands" may be the Indianized kingdoms of South-East Asia, but there is no evidence that their rulers were subordinate to Samudragupta. They probably sent embassies to
1863-605: The 8th century A.D, the Trigarta rulers acknowledged supremacy of the Karkota rulers of Kashmir . This is also mentioned in the Rajtarangini . From the 9th century to the 11th century, there are various mentions, one of the important ones being the 10th century Chamba inscription which mentions the Trigarta raja being subdued by Sahilavarman and then becoming an ally. It was also during this time that Mahmud of Ghazni entered
1932-794: The BMAC, and then migrated further south into the Levant and north-western India. The migration of the Indo-Aryans was part of the larger diffusion of Indo-European languages from the Proto-Indo-European homeland at the Pontic–Caspian steppe which started in the 4th millennium BCE. The GGC , Cemetery H , Copper Hoard , OCP , and PGW cultures are candidates for cultures associated with Indo-Aryans. The Indo-Aryans were united by shared cultural norms and language, referred to as aryā 'noble'. Over the last four millennia,
2001-423: The Gupta empire, and maintained friendly relations. The sea ports of the Gupta Empire, such as Tamralipti, were probably connected to these kingdoms through the marine routes. The widespread use of Sanskrit in these kingdoms may have happened as a result of Gupta influence. Samudragupta's empire included a core territory, located in northern India, which was directly controlled by the emperor. Besides, it comprised
2070-471: The Indo-Aryan culture has evolved particularly inside India itself, but its origins are in the conflation of values and heritage of the Indo-Aryan and indigenous people groups of India. Diffusion of this culture and language took place by patron-client systems, which allowed for the absorption and acculturation of other groups into this culture, and explains
2139-831: The Indo-Aryans developed, are identified with the Sintashta culture (2100–1800 BCE), and the Andronovo culture , which flourished ca. 1800–1400 BCE in the steppes around the Aral Sea , present-day Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The Proto-Indo-Aryan split off around 1800–1600 BCE from the Iranians, moved south through the Bactria-Margiana Culture , south of the Andronovo culture, borrowing some of their distinctive religious beliefs and practices from
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2208-469: The Indo-European languages spread from there to central Asia and Europe. Contemporary support for this idea is ideologically driven, and has no basis in objective data and mainstream scholarship. Samudragupta Samudragupta ( Gupta script : [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Sa-mu-dra-gu-pta , (c. 335–375 CE) was the second emperor of
2277-570: The Indus, across the modern-day regions of Bangladesh , Nepal , eastern- Pakistan , Sri Lanka , Maldives and northern- India . The introduction of the Indo-Aryan languages in the Indian subcontinent was the result of a migration of Indo-Aryan people from Central Asia into the northern Indian subcontinent (modern-day Bangladesh , Bhutan , India , Nepal , Pakistan , and Sri Lanka ). These migrations started approximately 1,800 BCE, after
2346-645: The Kangra fort (1009 A.D.) while the Kangra forces were away at war. The ruler of the time was Jagdish Chandra. From that point on, save one or two rulers, all rulers of the Katoch dynasty vanshavali can be traced down to the last king. The Trigarta capital was moved from Jalandhara to Nagarkot (Kangra) in 1070 A.D. due to constant contact in Jalandhar with various ambitious invading forces who usually were en route to central India. Ferishta mentioned another account of
2415-716: The Kushan princes, being a deformation of the Kushan regnal titles Devaputra, Shao and Shaonanoshao : "Son of God, King, King of Kings". This suggests that by the time of the Allahabad inscription the Kushans still ruled in Punjab , but under the suzerainty of the Gupta Emperor. According to Hans T. Bakker, candidates for the Daivaputrasāhi are the late Kushan kings of Gandhāra : Vasudeva II or Kipunadha , and regarding
2484-599: The Shakas mentioned in Samudragupta's inscription is not certain. V. A. Smith identified them with the Western Kshatrapas , who controlled the western Malwa and Saurashtra regions. D. R. Bhandarkar alternatively identified the Shaka-Murunda ruler with Shridhara-varman , a Shaka ruler whose inscriptions have been discovered at Sanchi ( Kanakerha inscription ) and Eran . Eran then came under
2553-580: The areas controlled by the tribes were also probably located at the frontier of Samudrgupta's kingdom. "Samudragupta, whose formidable rule was propitiated with the payment of all tributes, execution of orders and visits (to his court) for obeisance by such frontier rulers as those of Samataṭa , Ḍavāka , Kāmarūpa , Nēpāla , and Kartṛipura , and, by the Mālavas , Ārjunāyanas , Yaudhēyas , Mādrakas , Ābhīras , Prārjunas, Sanakānīkas, Kākas, Kharaparikas and other nations." Historian Upinder Singh theorizes that
2622-540: The defeated kings (presumably because its primary objective was to record the installation of a Vishnu idol in a temple), but it suggests that Samudragupta had subdued several kings by this time. The later Allahabad Pillar inscription, a panegyric written by Samudragupta's minister and military officer Harishena , credits him with extensive conquests. It gives the most detailed account of Samudragupta's military conquests, listing them in mainly geographical and partly chronological order. It states that Samudragupta fought
2691-574: The direct control of Samudragupta, as attested by his Eran inscription. According to the Chinese sources, Meghavarna , the king of Simhala (present-day Sri Lanka ), sought to build a monastery at Bodh Gaya, for the convenience of the pilgrims from his kingdom. He sent rich presents for this purpose, and Samudragupta sanctioned his request to build the monastery. Using poetic exaggeration, Samudragupta's courtier Harishena appears to have described this act of diplomacy as an act of subservience. Similarly,
2760-467: The era's founder is a matter of debate, and scholars variously attribute its establishment to Chandragupta I or Samudragupta. Chandragupta I probably had a long reign, as the Prayag Pillar inscription suggests that he appointed his son as his successor, presumably after reaching an old age. However, the exact period of his reign is uncertain. For these reasons, the beginning of Samudragupta's reign
2829-651: The following kings of Dakshinapatha , the southern region: The exact identification of several of these kings is debated among modern scholars, but it is clear that these kings ruled areas located on the eastern coast of India. Samudragupta most probably passed through the forest tract of central India, reached the eastern coast in present-day Odisha , and then marched south along the coast of Bay of Bengal . The inscription states that Samudragupta later released these kings, and favoured ( anugraha ) them. Most modern scholars theorize that Samudragupta reinstated these rulers as his tributaries . M. G. S. Narayanan interprets
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2898-657: The historical consensus, the Mahabharata was first penned down around the 4th century B.C. and continued to be written until the 4th century A.D. having existed in oral form prior to this. The founder of Trigarta is mentioned as Susarma/Susharman in the Mahabharata. He was credited with building the Nagarkot/Kangra fort. Along with the Greeks, the following were mentioned as vratya kshatriyas or mlechhas: Dravida, Abhira, Sabara, Kirata, Malava, Sibi, Trigarta , and Yaudheya. Historians provide multiple historical mentions during
2967-497: The inscription, Samudragupta reinstated these rulers after they sought his forgiveness. It is not clear why the names of these three kings is repeated later in the inscription. According to one theory, these three kings were vassal rulers who rebelled against Samudragupta after the death of his father. Samudragupta crushed the rebellion, and reinstated them after they sought his forgiveness. Later, these rulers rebelled once more, and Samudragupta defeated them again. Another possibility
3036-487: The inscriptions of the Parivrajaka dynasty , which ruled in this area, state that their ancestral kingdom was located within the 18 forest kingdoms. The Allahabad Pillar inscription mentions that rulers of several frontier kingdoms and tribal oligarchies paid Samudragupta tributes, obeyed his orders, and performed obeisance before him. The inscription explicitly describes the five kingdoms as frontier territories:
3105-636: The invention of the war chariot, and also brought Indo-Aryan languages into the Levant and possibly Inner Asia . Another group of Indo-Aryans migrated further westward and founded the Mitanni kingdom in northern Syria (c. 1500–1300 BC); the other group was the Vedic people. Christopher I. Beckwith suggests that the Wusun , an Indo-European Caucasoid people of Inner Asia in antiquity , were also of Indo-Aryan origin. The Proto-Indo-Iranians , from which
3174-419: The next emperor, the faces of other people of "equal birth" bore a "melancholy look". One interpretation suggests that these other people were neighbouring kings, and Samudagupta's ascension to the throne was uncontested. Another theory is that these other people were Gupta princes with a rival claim to the throne. If Emperor Chandragputa I indeed had multiple sons, it is likely that Samudragupta's background as
3243-472: The north to central India in the south-west; several rulers along the south-eastern coast were also his tributaries. The inscription also states that many neighbouring rulers tried to please him, which probably refers to his friendly relations with them. He performed the Ashvamedha sacrifice to prove his imperial sovereignty and remained undefeated in battle. His gold coins and inscriptions suggest that he
3312-646: The north-eastern region of Punjab , particularly around Nurpur . They are mentioned in the Vishnu Purana as being linked with the Trigarta. J. Ph. Vogel notes that during the Early Ghaznavid period, remnants of the Audumbaras persisted, referred to in its corrupt form by Abu Rihan as Dahamala, the capital of Jalandhar suggesting a fusion of the Audumbaras with the Trigarta. Trigarta was
3381-454: The northwest of the subcontinent. The Guptas even adopted from the Kushans the name of Dinara for their coinage, which ultimately came from the Roman name Denarius aureus . The standard coin type of Samudragupta is highly similar to the coinage of the later Kushan rulers, including the sacrificial scene over an altar, the depiction of a halo, while differences include the headdress of
3450-477: The ocean. An alternative theory is that Kacha was a distinct king (possibly a rival claimant to the throne ) who flourished before or after Samudragupta. The Gupta inscriptions suggest that Samudragupta had a remarkable military career. The Eran stone inscription of Samudragupta states that he had brought "the whole tribe of kings" under his suzerainty, and that his enemies were terrified when they thought of him in their dreams. The inscription does not name any of
3519-430: The period between when Pāṇini (5th Century B.C.) mentioned Trigarta and the 5th Century A.D. when Samudragupta invaded Trigarta and various other kingdoms. After Samudragupta, the next mention of Trigarta is from Hieun Tsang who mentions Jallandhar being ruled by Udito. Hiuen Tsang visited Jalandhara in 635 A.D. and gave details that it was a country 1000 li (about 267 km) in breadth from north to south. Then, in
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#17327722128423588-637: The relationship of these frontier rulers to the Gupta emperor had "certain elements of a feudatory relationship". According to historian R. C. Majumdar, it is likely that Samudragupta's conquests in Aryavarta and Dakshinapatha increased his reputation to such an extent that the frontier rulers and tribes submitted him without a fight. The frontier kingdoms included: The tribal oligarchies included: Samudragupta's inscription mentions that several kings tried to please him by attending on him personally; offering him their daughters in marriage (or, according to another interpretation, gifting him maidens ); and seeking
3657-596: The righteous conqueror ( dharma-vijayi ), who restores the defeated king in exchange for his acknowledgment of the conqueror's suzerainty; the covetous conqueror ( lobha-vijayi ), who takes away the possessions of the defeated king but spares his life; and the demoniac conqueror ( asura-vijayi ), who annexes the territory of the defeated king and kills him. Such political ideals existed in the Gupta period too, as evident from Kalidasa 's statement in Raghuvamsha that "the righteous victorious monarch ( Raghu ) only took away
3726-493: The royal glory of the lord of Mahendra who had been captured and released, but not his kingdom." Therefore, it is likely that Samudragupta acted like a righteous conqueror, and restored the defeated kings as his vassals. According to the Allahabad Pillar inscription, Samudragupta "forcibly uprooted" the following kings of Aryavarta , the northern region: Unlike the southern kings, the inscription does not mention
3795-548: The ruler (a close-fitting cap instead of the Kushan pointed hat), the Garuda standard instead of the trident, and Samudragupta's jewelry, which is Indian. The following types of Samudragupta's coins, inscribed with Sanskrit language legends, have been discovered: Various scholars, including numismatist John Allan , consider that the gold coins bearing the portraits of Chandragupta and Kumaradevi were issued by Samudragupta to commemorate his parents, while others have attributed
3864-439: The son of a Lichchhavi princess worked in his favour. The coins of a Gupta ruler named Kacha , whose identity is debated by modern scholars, describe him as "the exterminator of all kings". These coins closely resemble the coins issued by Samudragupta. According to one theory, Kacha was an earlier name of Samudragupta and the emperor later adopted the regnal name Samudra ("Ocean"), after extending his empire's dominion as far as
3933-518: The south, Samudragupta's empire definitely included Eran in present-day Madhya Pradesh, where his inscription has been found. The Allahabad Pillar inscription suggests that he advanced up to Kanchipuram in the south. However, since the claims in the Allahabad Pillar inscription are from a royal eulogy, they must be treated with caution. The southern kings were not under his direct suzerainty: they only paid him tribute. According to historian Kunal Chakrabarti, Samudragupta's military campaigns weakened
4002-511: The south-eastern coast of India, advancing as far south as Kanchipuram in the Pallava kingdom. In addition, he subjugated several frontier kingdoms and tribal oligarchies. At the height of his power, his empire under his direct control extended from Ravi River in the west (present-day Punjab ) to the Brahmaputra River in the east (present-day Assam ), and from the Himalayan foothills in
4071-422: The strong influence on other cultures with which it interacted. Genetically, most Indo-Aryan-speaking populations are descendants of a mix of Central Asian steppe pastoralists, Iranian hunter-gatherers, and, to a lesser extent, South Asian hunter-gatherers—commonly known as Ancient Ancestral South Indians (AASI). Dravidians are descendants of a mix of South Asian hunter-gatherers and Iranian hunter-gatherers, and to
4140-454: The successor because of his "devotion, righteous conduct, and valour". His Allahabad Pillar inscription similarly describes how Chandragupta I called him a noble person in front of the courtiers, and appointed him to "protect the earth". These descriptions suggest that Chandragupta I renounced the throne in his old age, and appointed his son as the next emperor. According to the Allahabad Pillar inscription, when Chandragupta I appointed him as
4209-436: The term "Shaka-Murundas" refers to a single entity. For example, scholars such as Sten Konow assert that "Murunda" is a Shaka title meaning "lord"; the Kushans also used similar titles (for example, Kanishka is titled a "muroda" in his Zeda inscription). Other scholars, such as K. P. Jayaswal , believe that Shakas and Murundas are two different groups of people. According to this theory, Shakas here most probably refers to
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#17327722128424278-464: The territories ruled by these kings, which suggests that their kingdoms were annexed to the Gupta empire. The inscription also mentions that Samudragupta defeated some other kings, but does not mention their names, presumably because the poet saw them as unimportant. According to the Allahabad Pillar inscription, Samudragupta reduced all the kings of the forest region ( atavika ) to subservience. This forest region may have been located in central India:
4347-439: The three rivers of Satluj, Beas, and Ravi. Trigarta kings were allies of Duryodhana and enemies of the Pandavas and Viratas. Their capital was named Prasthala . They attacked the Virata kingdom aided by the Kurus to steal cattle from there. The Pandavas living there in anonymity helped the Viratas to resist the combined forces of Trigartas and Kurus. Trigarta kings fought the Kurukshetra War and were killed by Arjuna , after
4416-504: The tribal republics of present-day Punjab and Rajasthan, but even these kingdoms were not under his direct suzerainty: they only paid him tribute. Samudragupta's claim of control over other kings is questionable. Historian Ashvini Agrawal notes that a gold coin of the Gadahara tribe bears the legend Samudra, which suggests that Samudragupta's control extended up to the Chenab river in the Punjab region. Some earlier scholars, such as J. F. Fleet believed that Samudragupta had also conquered
4485-470: The use of the Garuda -depicting Gupta seal for administering their own territories. These kings included "Daivaputra-Shahi-Shahanushahi, Shaka-Murundas, and the rulers of the island countries such as Simhala". Numismatist John Allan theorized that Daivaputra, Shahi, and Shahanushahi were three different states; or alternatively, Shahi-Shahanushahi was a single state. Historian D. R. Bhandarkar argued that Daivaputra ("a descendant of Devaputra") cannot be
4554-406: The word anugraha differently based on its occurrence in the Arthashastra ; he theorizes that Samudragupta gave "protection and aid" to these kingdoms in order to secure their alliances. Some scholars, such as J. Dubreuil and B. V. Krishnarao, theorized that Samudragupta only advanced up to the Krishna River , and was forced to retreat without fighting a battle, when the southern kings formed
4623-474: The śaka-murunda I follow Konow and Lüders, who argue that this 'passage in the Allahabad inscription of Samudragupta leaves no doubt that murunda (i.e. 'commander'), originally was a title used by Saka princes'. The șāhānuṣāhi refers to the 'king of kings' Shapur II According to S.R. Goyal , Samudragupta was determined to ensure the safety of the empire's frontiers and secure the western trade routes. To address these concerns, he formed an alliance with Kidara,
4692-410: Was an accomplished poet, and also played musical instruments such as the veena . His expansionist policy was continued by his son and successor Chandragupta II. Modern scholars variously assign the start of Samudragupta's reign from c. 319 CE to c. 350 CE. The inscriptions of the Gupta kings are dated in the Gupta calendar era , whose epoch is generally dated to c. 319 CE. However, the identity of
4761-497: Was the unification of the earth ( dharani-bandha ), which suggests that he may have aspired to become a Chakravartin (a universal ruler). The Ashvamedha performances by the Nagas , whom he defeated, may have influenced him as well. His southern expedition may have been motivated by economic considerations of controlling the trade between India and South-East Asia. The early portion of the Allahabad Pillar inscription mentions that Samudragupta "uprooted" Achyuta , Nagasena , and
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