Skandagupta
Encyclopedia
Skandagupta (died 467) was a Gupta Emperor
of northern India
. He is generally considered the last of the great Gupta Emperors.
He certainly faced some of the greatest challenges in the annals of the empire having to contend with the Pushyamitras and the Hunas (a name by which the "White Huns" were known in India). He defeated the Pushyamitras, a tribe who were settled in central India but then rebelled. He was also faced with invading Indo-Hephthalites or Hunas, from the northwest. Skandagupta had warred against the Huns during the reign of his father, and was celebrated throughout the empire as a great warrior. He crushed the Huna invasion in 455, and managed to keep them at bay; however, the expense of the wars drained the empire's resources and contributed to its decline. In particular, coinage issued under SkandaGupta is seriously debased.
Skandagupta died in 467 and was succeeded by his half-brother Purugupta (467–473), Kumaragupta II (473–476), Budhagupta (476–495?) and Narasimhagupta
, whose kingdom in the plains of Northern India was continuously attacked by the Hunas. Skandagupta's name appear in the Javanese text `Tantrikamandaka', and Chinese writer, Wang-hiuen-tse refers that an ambassador was sent to his court by King Meghvarma of Sri Lanka
, who had asked his permission to build a Buddhist monastery at Bodh Gaya for the monks traveling from Sri Lanka.
Gupta Empire
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed approximately from 320 to 550 CE and covered much of the Indian Subcontinent. Founded by Maharaja Sri-Gupta, the dynasty was the model of a classical civilization. The peace and prosperity created under leadership of Guptas enabled the...
of northern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He is generally considered the last of the great Gupta Emperors.
Rule
Skandagupta's antecedents remain unclear. Later official genealogies omit his name, and even the inscriptions of his own age omit the name of his mother. Another contemporary record notes that the "goddess of sovereignty, of her own accord, selected him as her husband, having in succession discarded all other princes." This has been interpreted as suggesting that Skandragupta was the son of a junior wife. It may even be that he was simply a successful general who promoted himself into the ruling Gupta clan.Skandagupta died in 467 and was succeeded by his half-brother Purugupta (467–473), Kumaragupta II (473–476), Budhagupta (476–495?) and Narasimhagupta
Narasimhagupta
Narasimhagupta Baladitya was a Gupta dynasty ruler of northern India. He was son of Purugupta and probably the successor of Budhagupta. Baladitya along with Yashovarman of Kannauj is credited with driving the Hunas or White Huns from the plains of Northern India. His clay sealing has been found in...
, whose kingdom in the plains of Northern India was continuously attacked by the Hunas. Skandagupta's name appear in the Javanese text `Tantrikamandaka', and Chinese writer, Wang-hiuen-tse refers that an ambassador was sent to his court by King Meghvarma of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, who had asked his permission to build a Buddhist monastery at Bodh Gaya for the monks traveling from Sri Lanka.
Coins of Skandagupta
Skandagupta issued four types of gold coins: Archer type, King and queen type, Chhatra type and Horseman type. His silver coins are of four types: Garuda type, Bull type, Altar type and Madhyadesha type. The initial gold coinage was on the old weight standard used by his father Kumaragupta of approximately 8.4 gm. This initial coinage is quite scarce. At some point in his reign, Skandagupta revalued his currency, switching from the old dinar standard to a new suvarna standard that weighed approximately 9.2 gm. These later coins were all only of the Archer type, and this standard and type was followed by all subsequent Gupta rulers.Further reading
- Singh, Jai Prakash (1976) History and Coinage of Skandagupta Kramāditya, Varanasi:Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture & Archaeology, Banaras Hindu University.