SAMUDRA GUPTA
महाराज समुद्रगुप्त
THE FORGOTTEN GREAT EMPEROR OF INDIA
SARASIJ MAJUMDER
Samudra Gupta (died 380 CE) regional emperor of India from
about 330 to 380 CE. He generally is considered the epitome of an “ideal king”
of the “golden age of Hindu history,” as the period of the imperial Guptas
(320–510 CE) has often been called. The son of King Chandra Gupta I and the
Licchavi princess Kumaradevi, he is pictured as a muscular warrior, a poet, and
a musician who displayed “marks of hundreds of wounds received in battle.” In
many ways he personified the Indian conception of the hero.
Founder of the Golden Age Period in Indian history in the
4th century AD. Born to King Chandragupt 1st in the year 328. He was chosen as
a successor to his father despite having many elder brothers. He was an epitome
of a perfect king and ruled for 45 glorious year from 335 to 380 AD. 80
EXPANSION OF KINGDOM:
Samudra Gupta apparently had to repress revolts in his first
years of rule. On pacifying the kingdom, which probably then reached from what
is now Allahabad (in present-day Uttar Pradesh state) to the borders of Bengal,
he began a series of wars of expansion from his northern base near what is now
Delhi. In the southern Pallava kingdom of Kanchipuram, he defeated King
Vishnugopa, then restored him and other defeated southern kings to their
thrones on payment of tribute. Several northern kings were uprooted, however,
and their territories added to the Gupta empire. At the height of Samudra
Gupta’s power, he controlled nearly all of the valley of the Ganges (Ganga)
River and received homage from rulers of parts of east Bengal, Assam, Nepal,
the eastern part of the Punjab, and various tribes of Rajasthan. He
exterminated 9 monarchs and subjugated 12 others in his campaigns.
A legendary warrior.
He was reputed to have never lost a battle in his life.
Written on this inscription is, "who’s most charming body was covered over
with all the beauty of the marks of a hundred confuse wounds caused by the
blows of battle axes, arrows, spears, pikes, swords, lances, javelins".
HISTOREANS OF EUROPE COMPARED HIM WITH NAEPOLEAN. I think Samudragupta was better. In a way, he is comparable to Alexander. Both have not lost any battle, or war.
BECAME
EMPEROR
He revived the ancient Vedic Ritual of Horse Sacrifice, ( ASHWAMEDH --अश्वमेध) probably at the conclusion
of his fighting days, and distributed large sums for charitable purposes during
these ceremonies.
India, during his rule was stretched from Afghanistan in the
west to Assam in the east and from Himalaya in the north to Sihala (Sri Lanka)
in the south. No body dared to challenge him in the region, and afar.
RELIGION
He was a staunch follower of Sanatan Dharma.
He lived his life as per Vedic scriptures. He did enormous
efforts to help poor subjects (PROJA) under his rule.. There was no count of
donation which he gave to needy people ---from cows to coins, to homes and everything.
From inscriptions on gold coins and on the Ashoka pillar in
the fort at Allahabad, Samudra Gupta is shown to have been especially devoted
to the Hindu god Vishnu.. A special gold coin that he issued commemorated this
ceremony, while another showed him playing the harp; all were of high gold
content and example of excellent workmanship.
The caste status of Samudra Gupta and his successors remains
uncertain. It is reasonable to assume, however, that the Guptas supported caste
distinctions, and they may have been responsible for the re-emergence of
Brahmanism as a theological system as well as a code of social behaviour, which
was carried into Hindu society, till nineteenth century.
A patron of art and culture.
Samudragupta
had renowned poet Hari Sena in his court who inscribed the king’s bravery on
the famous Allahabad Pillar. It is also mentioned that Samudragupta liked
playing the lute and loved listening to poems. He was titled ‘Kaviraj’ for his
love for poems.
He is father of today's Indian culture. He was a patron of
learning, a celebrated poet and a musician. He was also given the title Kaviraj. (King
of poets) There are coins of him ( not shown here) which depicts him playing Veena proficiently.
SUPREME PERSONA.
He was the richest of the rich in the world at his time. He possessed
strongest army. He had the largest navel fleet and he was ruling the largest
part of world as a single EMPIRE at his time.
We all know about Vikramadity, Ashoka, Chandragupt Mourya and
many others but we hardly hear, and read about this great king who started the golden era
of Indian history, which ended after Emperor Ashoka. The book written by
FA-HIEN, who came subsequently, referred his tenure.
He is almost a Forgotten EMPEROR , and a Legend!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
https://www.importantindia.com/416/samudragupta/
Yoddha-Dynasty-Samudragupta- -Rajat-Pillai
Samundragupta---Military-Genius-Tsathrongla-Sangtam
IMAGES:-- GOOGLE
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