SAMUDRAGUPTA’S PRASHASTI
Arvind was supposed to be acting as Samudragupta, a famous ruler of a dynasty known as the Guptas. We know about Samudragupta from a long inscription, inscribed on the Ashokan pillar at Allahabad. It was composed as a Kavya by Harishena, who was a poet and a minister at the court of Samudragupta.
This inscription is of a special kind known as a prashasti, a Sanskrit word, meaning ‘in praise of’. While prashastis were composed for some of the rulers you read about in Chapter 9(TRADERS, KINGS AND PILGRIMS), such as Gautamiputra Shri Satakarni, they became far more important from the time of the Guptas.
Let us see what Samudragupta’s prashasti tells us. The poet praised the king in glowing terms — as a warrior, as a king who won victories in battle, who was learned, and the best of poets. He is also described as equal to the gods. The prashasti was composed in very long sentences. Here is part of one such sentence:
“Samudragupta the warrior whose body was most charming, being covered with the plenteous beauty of the marks of hundreds of scars caused by battle-axes, arrows, spikes, spears, barbed darts, swords, iron clubs, javelins, barbed arrows, long arrows, and many other weapons.”
Activity:
1. What does this description tell you about the king? And also about how kings fought wars?
2. Do you think ordinary people would have read and understood the prashastis? Give reasons for your answer.
Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK
SAMUDRAGUPTA’S POLICIES
If you look at Map, you will notice an area shaded in green. You will also find a series of red dots along the east coast. And you will find areas marked in purple and blue as well. This map is based on the information provided in the prashasti.
Harishena describes four different kinds of rulers, and tells us about Samudragupta’s policies towards them.
1. The rulers of Aryavarta, the area shaded in green on the map. Here there were nine rulers who were uprooted, and their kingdoms were made a part of Samudragupta’s empire.
2. The rulers of Dakshinapatha. Here there were twelve rulers, some of whose capitals are marked with red dots on the map. They surrendered to Samudragupta after being defeated and he then allowed them to rule again.
3. The inner circle of neighbouring states, including Assam, coastal Bengal, Nepal, and a number of gana sanghas (remember Chapter 5(KINGDOMS, KINGS AND AN EARLY REPUBLIC)) in the northwest, marked in purple on the map. They brought tribute, followed his orders, and attended his court.
4. The rulers of the outlying areas, marked in blue on the map, perhaps the descendants of the Kushanas and Shakas, and the ruler of Sri Lanka, who submitted to him and offered daughters in marriage.
Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK
GENEALOGIES
Most prashastis also mention the ancestors of the ruler. This one mentions Samudragupta’s great grandfather, grandfather, father and mother. His mother, Kumara Devi, belonged to the Lichchhavi gana, while his father, Chandragupta, was the first ruler of the Gupta dynasty to adopt the grand title of maharaj-adhiraja, a title that Samudragupta also used. His great grandfather and grandfather are mentioned simply as maha-rajas. It seems as if the family gradually rose to importance.
Samudragupta in turn figures in the genealogies (lists of ancestors) of later rulers of the dynasty, such as his son, Chandragupta II. We know about him from inscriptions and coins. He led an expedition to western India, where he overcame the last of the Shakas. According to later belief, his court was full of learned people. About some of them whom you will read in Chapter 11(BUILDINGS, PAINTINGS AND BOOKS).
Vikram Samvat
The era beginning in the 58 BCE is traditionally associated with Gupta king, Chandragupta II, who had founded it as a mark of victory over the Shakas and assumed the title of Vikramaditya.
Activity:
Arrange these titles in order of importance: raja, maharaj-adhiraja, maha-raja.
Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK