Complete biography of Samudragupta – the greatest ruler of India
Complete biography of Samudragupta – the greatest ruler of
India. Samudragupta was the greatest of the Gupta rulers, the founder of the
Guptas empire, the “Indian Napoleon” by virtue of his military exploits, a
diplomat and statesman of the first order, an able and efficient administrator,
“the prince of poets”, (Kaviraj) the protector and defender of the poor and the
weak.
Samudragupta
was the greatest of the Gupta rulers, the founder of the Guptas empire, the
“Indian Napoleon” by virtue of his military exploits, a diplomat and statesman
of the first order, an able and efficient administrator, “the prince of poets”,
(Kaviraj) the protector and defender of the poor and the weak.
The
slaughter of the haughty and the arrogant, and a very wise and benevolent
monarch. Beside the gold coins, the Allahabad Pillar inscription throws flood
of light on the life, ideals and deeds of Samudragupta.
Chandragupta-I was
succeeded by his son Samudragupta who became the ruler after subduing his rival
Kacha, an obscure prince of the dynasty. He ruled from 335 A.D. to 375 A.D. He
was one of the greatest ruler of ancient India.
He ranks with Ashoka, though
in fundamentals both differed radically from each other. “While Ashoka” says
R.K. Mukerjee,” stands for peace and non-violence, Samudragupta for the
opposite principle of war and aggression. The one had contempt for conquests, the
other had a passion for them”.
Samudragupta was one
of the greatest warriors of history. His ambition was inspired by becoming
“Raja Chakravarti” or a greatest emperor and “Ekrat”, undisputed ruler. In the
North, he adopted the policy of “Digvijaya” which meant the conquest and
annexation of all territories. In the South, his policy was “Dharma Vijaya”
which meant conquest but not annexation.
(I) Northern Indian Campaigns
From
the “Allahabad Pillar Inscription” we find that the first few years of Samudragupta
were spent in waging wars against neighboring countries of Northern and Central
India. The Naga Kings were the most powerful kings. The kings like Achyuta of
Ahichchhata, Nagasena of Mathura and Ganapati Naga of Padmavati and a prince of
the Kota family were defeated by him.
Ahichchhatra was the modem Ramanagara and Bareilly
district of Uttar-Pradesh. Nagasena and Ganapati Naga were the Naga princes who
ruled over Mathura and Padmavati Gwalior state. A battle was fought at
Kausambhi near Allahabad in which all three Naga Kings were killed and the
territories of these rulers were annexed to Gupta dominions.
If
the “Allahabad Inscription” is to be followed strictly, Samudragupta after
defeating these three kings in first “Aryavarta” of Northern. India, he led an
expedition in South where he have violently over thrown the nine-kings of
Aryavarta or Northern India such as-Achyuta, Balvarman, Chandravarman,
Ganapatinaga, Matila, Nandin, Nagadata, Nagasena, Rudradeva and many other
neighbouring kings.
All
these petty rulers ruled over the territories which were parts of the Upper
Gangetic Valley, Central India and Eastern India. Having defeated them,
Samudragupta annexed their territories with the Gupta Empire.
Another
great war which Samudragupta waged in the North was against the Kota kings
probably reigning in Northern Rajputana. The Kotas, like the Nagas were also
defeated and their territory incorporated in the Gupta Empire.
Samudragupta is also said to have waged wars against the
Indian and foreign tribes inhabiting the North-Western India and the Punjab.
The
important kingdoms which he subjugated were the Malavas, Abhiras, Aijunayanas,
Kakas, Kharaparikas, Mudrakas, Prarjunas, Sanakanikas etc. (in west) and
Davaka, Samatata and Kartripura kingdoms accepted the suzerainty of the
Samudragupta.
After
establishing his authority in the North firmly, Samudragupta paid his attention
towards the South. In the Southern campaigns of conquest, he followed the
principles of “grahana” or capture of the enemy, “moksha” or liberation and
“amigraha” or favoring him by reinstatement in his kingdom.
It is clear that in South India Samudra gupta was
satisfied with establishing his authority without annexing any land. It is
possible that he thought it unwise to keep such far of lands under his direct
control. For the conquest of South, he had to launch a travel of about 300
miles. Samudragupta marched to South India through Sambalpur.
In
the South India, he defeated twelve kings who were King-Mahendra of Kosala
(which undoubtedly denotes the districts of Bilaspur, Raipur and Sambalpur);
Vyaghraraja of Mahakantara (which probably was in the forest region of Jeypore
state in Orissa), Mantaraja of Kaurala (this place is not satisfactorily
identified.
It
is probably Jonpur district in the Central Province); Mahendragiri of
Pishtapuram (Pishtapuram is modern Pithapuram in the Godavari district);
Svamidatta of Kottura (probably Kothoor in Ganjan District); Damana of
Erandapalla (in Vizagapatam district); Vishnugopa of Kanchi (which is
Cojeevaram in Madaras); Hastivarman of Vengi (Ellore in Krishna-Godavari
district), Nilaraja of Avamukta (probably a small Pallava Kingdom in the
vicinity of Kanchi); Ugrasena of Palakka (in Vellore district); Kuvera of
Devarashtra (in Vizagapatam district); and Dhananjaya of Kushthalapura (in
North Arcot district).
In
this way the Southwestern coast, he turned towards the South-East and reached
his capital via Maharashtra and Khandesh.
The
other region where Samudragupta laid his hand was Atavika or forest kingdoms
which spread from the Ghazipur district in Uttar-Pradesh to Jabalpur district
in the Madhya Pradesh. The Eran Inscription corroborates these conquests.
He
forced another eighteen chiefs to his suzerainty whose kingdoms lay in the
forests. This subjugation of the forest Kingdom opened up the line of
communication between the North and South.
(IV) Vassal States
We
are told by the “Allahabad Pillar Inscription” that five kingdoms and nine
tribal states became his vassals by paying him tribute obeying his orders and
offering him homage.
The
five kingdoms were-Samatata or South- Eastern Bengal; Davaka or Now gong district
of Assam, Kamarupa or Upper-Assam, Nepal and Kartripura (which may be
identifiable with Kumaon, Garwal.
(V) Extent Of His Empire
The
empire of Samudragupta was comprised of the whole of Northern India excluding
Kashmir, Western Punjab and Western Rajputana. In this way, his empire
extending in North, from Himalaya to Narmada river in the South including the
ports of Cambay, Bhroach and Sopara in the Western coast and in the East, from
the river Brahmaputra to the Arabian sea in west.
The
region comprising Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, a portion of Central
provinces, the Vamdhya Rajputana, Gujarat, Sindh and Eastern Punjab constituted
in his dominion.
Examiner’s
Choice
•
These urban handicraft were supplemented by the manufacture of beautiful pieces
of terracotta, which are found in profuse qualities.
•Terracotta’s
were meant mostly for use of upper classes in towns. With the decline of town
in Gupta, and especially in post-Gupta time, such terracotta almost went out of
fashion.
• The Satavahana inscriptions show that there were in western India at that
time guilds which acted as banks.
•
One inscription states that an oil-pressers guild (Talikanikaya) received two
amounts of money as fixed deposit. For one amount the rate of interest payable
was 12% and for the other 9%.
(VI) Relations
With The Island States Samudragupta’s relations with foreign powers
can be perceived clearly from the “Allahabad Pillar Inscription”. The names of
the Kings with whom Samudragupta had relations are mentioned in the inscription
were :-
A.
“Daivaputra-Sahi-Sahanushahi” i.e., the Kushana Kings of the Western Punjab and
Afghanistan, who, probably wanted military assistance from Samudragupta against
the Sasanian power.
B.
The “Saka-Munandas ” who may be identified with the Saka Chiefs of Western
Malava and Kathiawar. According to a different view the reference was to the
saka Chiefs of Laghman.
C.
The “King of Ceylon” who acknowledged his authority. In the Chinese records we
find the relations of Samudragupta with Ceylon.
Meghvarna,
the king of Ceylon sent two monks to visit Bodh-Gaya and sought the permission
of Samudragupta to build a monastery at Bodh-Gaya and he accorded the
permission.
D.
The “Sarvadvipavasin” or “all other inhabitants of islands” wanted friendship
with Samudragupta. Perhaps, this phrase may refer to the islands close to
India, the Maldives and Andamans or it may be a reference to South- East Asia.
It
is not possible to say what kind of relation the foreign Kings wanted to have
with Gupta. But it can be concluded that the weak Kingdoms submitted to the
authority of the Guptas, while the strong ones like the Sakas and the Kushanas
wanted only diplomatic relations.
After
the completion of his conquests, Samudragupta performed the “Asvamedha Yanjna ”
or horse sacrifice. We have come across gold coins which seem to have been
struck on that occasion and which were distributed among the Brahmanas as
gifts. These coins show a figure of the horse to be sacrificed before an altar
and the legend.
“The
Maharajadhiraja of irresistible valour having conquered the earth now wins
heaven.” The reverse of the coins shows the figure of the queen and the legend
“Asvamedha Parakramah”, “he whose supremacy has been established by the
Asvamedha”.
There
is the stone figure of a horse now in the Lucknow museum which seems to refer
to the “Asvamedha Yanjna or horse sacrifice. It has an incomplete Prakrit
legend “ddaguttassa deyadhamma.”
Samudragupta
seems to “issued seven different types of gold coins such as -“Standard type”,
Lyrist-type, “Asvamedha-type”. Battle Axe- type, Archer types, Kacha-type and
Tiger-type. The Lyrist type coins indicated the great love of Samudragupta for
music particularly for “Vina”, a musical instrument.
The
“Asvamedha-type” coins suggest the religion of Samudragupta. These coins
portray Samudragupta performing “Asvamedha-Yanjna” or horse sacrifice. Finally,
the Battle Axe Types, Archer type, Kacha-type and Tiger type all indicate the
military powers of Samudragupta.
“The
unconquered conqueror of unconquered kings”. Excepting the Lyrist and
tiger-types all other types of coins bear legends which indicate the conquests
and military prowess of Samudragupta. The artistic execution of these coins
clearly suggests the height attained in the field of art.
