Kumaragupta 1, was son of emperor Chandragupta II and queen Dhruvadevi.
He maintained effective control of the territory, inherited by him, the territory which had extended from Gujarat in the west to Bengal region in the east.
Kumaragupta successfully performed ashvmedha sacrifice, and proved his territorial & imperial sovereignty. His military accomplishments includes defeating & dragging out Aulikaras of central India and Traikutas of western India..His coins discovered from south gujrat resemble the coins issued by Traikutaka dynasity. This evidence is enough to prove his dominance over Traikutas.
Some coins of Kumaragupta’s coins depict him as a rhinoceros-slayer, which some scholars see as an evidence of his successes against the king of Kamarupa in present-day Assam, where the Indian rhinoceros is abundant. Another category of his coins portray him as a tiger-slayer, which may help reaching a conclusion that he had control over the territory to the south of the Narmada River, where tigers are in abundance.
Kumaragupta suffered a few defeats against Pushyamitras and hunas, however there’s no evidence that he lost any territory to them during his lifetime.
Kumaragupta bore the titles Maharajadhiraja Paramadvaita and Paramabhattaraka. He also adopted the title Mahendraditya, and several variants of this name, including Shri-Mahendra, Mahendra-simha, are mentioned on the coinage of his era.
Several garuda-inscribed coins have been discovered in western India, and his peacock -inscribed coins have been discovered in the Ganges valley. This shows that he was able to maintain effective control over the vast territory that he inherited he had inherited from Samudragupta and Chandragupta-2.
Kumaragupta’s coins have also been found in Maharashtra. .
Inscription number 15.
Bilsad Stone Pillar Inscription of Kumara-gupta 1,
(c.414-55 A.D.) -Gupta Year 96 ( 415-16 A.D.)
Provenance: Bilsad. Eta district. U.P.
Script: Late Brahmi of the Northern Class lass .
Language: Sanskrit.
Meters: V1. V.2.
Refrences: Cunningham A.S.I.. XI, pp91 f, J.F. Fleet. C.I.I. III,
Number 10, pp.42 ff: Bhandarkar’s List No.1263, (for other references )
D.C. Sircar Sel.Inss. I, pp.285-86.
Footnote 1
1. Gupta gold coins were called dinara. while silver coins, were known as paka. The two are mentioned in the Baigram copper Plate Inscription of the Gupta year 128( Infra Vol III, Number.78). The silver coins were originally issued
by Chandragupta 2, for circulation in western India, soon after its conquest from the saka Kshatrapas, whose coin types influenced these issues. The king ‘s bust, Greek letters and date are attributed to this influence.
2 The figure is not legible.
3. Legend on another type is श्री गुप्त कुलस्य महाराजधिराज श्री चंद्रगुप्त विक्रमा इ कस्य
(BM.C. Gupta Coins. pp. 51)
Footnote 2
1. From the facismile in C.I.I. III, Pl.V, pp.44,
2. This Prakritisation may be a lapse of the engraver. The lot portions of the 11.1-3 have bean restored with the help of Prayagraj Prasasti of Samudragupta,
( Supra Vol II, No 5) and Bhitari
Poillar Inscription of Skandagupta (Infra II, 30) It may be noted that
in the eastern division of Bilsad town. two round red sand stone columns, bearing identical inscriptions were
discovered. The distribution of the matter in the lines varies. The duplicate copy on the Southern round pillar,
though, not sufficiently clear. helps in clarifying certain dim letters on the Northern pillar.
4. Correct construction would be a
This type of spaksha samasa is often used in early inscriptions, of Silver
coins: Inscription. of Rudradaman 1 (Supra 1, number 136) and Garha stone Inscription of Rudrasena1
(Supra I Number. 142).
Footnote 3
1. Read षण्णवतितमे Literally – राज्य संवत्सर
Regnal-year. When the राज्य संवत्सर of a particular
king Chandragupta 1, in this case. continued in use as an era, the qualifying phrase राज्य संवत्सर was not
changed. It came to be used to indicate that the year in question of the era fell in the reign of the king.
Sometimes both the regnal year and the year of the era are
used. as in Mathura Pillar Inscription of Chandragupta 2, ( supra Vol. II, No. 10, Regnal year 5) the era is distinguished by the phrase कालानुवत्र्तमान संवत्सर
2. Fleet संतता
3. Sircar Suggests restoration
माता – पित्रो रात्यनश्च पुण्यार्थ साधुपर्षदा
4. Read कृतमिदम्
5. Marks of punctuation used in 1st and 3rd lines of both the verses are unnecessary.
Footnote 4
According to lexicon, प्रतोली street or main road of a city.
But here it is used for some sort of
construction such as the gateway or deorhi leading to
the road. The प्रतोली
was as high as a staircase to
heaven.छन्द a house or palace from छद
to cover
2. शम्र्मा = धृवशम्र्मा There is a play on the word धृव
3. प्रख्यातिर would be grammatically correct. but has been changed to प्रख्यात
in order to conform to metre.
4. Read सत्त्व
5. Restored conjecturally by me
English Translation of the inscription
In the ninety sixth year, during the augmenting victorious
reign of the maharajadhiraja Shri Kamaragupta
L5, Who is the sons begotten on the Mahadevi Dhruva, of the Maharajadhiraja Chandragupta-2,
who was himself without a matching adversary, who was the most devout worshipper of Lod Vishnu and
L4-5 Who was the son, begotten on the Mahaded Dattadevi of the Maharajadhiraja Shri Samadragupta-,
L1.1-2 Who was the exterminator of all kings who was a matchless warrior in this world whose fame was tasted by the waters of the four oceans. who
was equal to (the Gods) Kubera, Varuna and Yamarajas.
who was the very axe of Yama who is the giver of many crores of lawfully acquired cows and gold.
who was the restorer of the ashvmedha sacrifice, that had been long in abeyance (and)
L1.3-4 Who was the great-grandson of Maharaja Shri Gupta
the Grandson of the Maharaja Shri Ghatotkacha- (and) the son of the Maharajadhiraja Shri Chandragupta-1,
, and the daughter’s son of the Lichhavis, begotten on the Mahadevi Kumaradevi.
L1.7-9 On this lunar day (specified) as above — at the temple of the Lord Swami-Mahasena, whose wondrous
form has arisen from the accumulated lustre of the three worlds, Who is the god Brahmanya (and) who
dwells at – this great work has been
accomplished for the increase of religious merit of his parents and himself by Dhruvasarman, who
follow the path of the dharma and good conduct as prevailed in the Krita age. (and who is honoured by
the assembly of virtuous persons.
L.10-11 Having made here the dwelling place of saints, with a gateway in the form of a stainless leading (as it were)
to heaven, its steps (dala) of shining white crystallin gems resembling the dwelling of Kubera (and having
also made) a hall as beautiful as a leading palace and of high quality for a proper religious assembly –
he the virtuous-minded Shrman goes there delightfully as if among his own virtuous deeds. may he remain
eternal (1.e. immortal, true to his name Dhruva).
L1.12-13. This firm and excellent Pillar has been raised by that same Dhruvasarman, who constructed the gateway of rocks with an unprecedented mustering of funds, who is devoted to the god and (has belief in) equality not considering any creature as inferior. (and) –
has obtained auspicious. immortal and excellent fame on this earth. who shall not pay respects to him.