• from Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas by Ashvini Agarwal

Purugupta

Purugupta had a number of sons, though for a long time only Narasimhagupta was known from the Bhitari silver-copper seal. Subsequently, the Nalanda clay sealing revealed the name of Budhagupta. The publication of the fragmentary Nalanda clay sealing of Vainyagupta also seems to indicate that he was also a son of Purugupta. It is possible that Kumaragupta of the Sarnath Buddha image inscription dated 154 was also a son of Purugupta as his date is so close to the time of Purugupta.

Kumaragupta II

His name came to light for the first time with the discovery of the Sarnath Buddha image inscription of G.E. 154. Previous to that Kumaragupta of the Bhitari silver seal was called Kumaragupta II. However, this view is no longer tenable and has been discarded.

Only one epigraph of his reign is known at present, the Sarnath image inscription mentioned above. Accidentally, this is also the date of composition of the Mandasor inscription of the Guild of Silk-Weavers, namely A.D. 472-473.

Kumaragupta II bore the title Kramaditya which is found on the gold coins of Archer type and weigh between 139.5 and 143 grains. During his rule the Buddhist monastery at Sarnath appears to have been in a highly flourishing condition. Pious monks like Abhayamitra were enhancing its splendour by installing the images of the Buddha of a very high aesthetic merit. It can be safely inferred that the Gupta empire was enjoying peace and prosperity and the country had emerged unscathed from the Huna invasion which took place during the rule of Skandagupta.

The absence of the silver coins of Kumaragupta II cannot be taken as an indication of the loss of Gujarat to the Guptas, as opined by B.P. Sinha. We learn from the Bhamodra Mohotooa copper-plate of the Maitraka ruler Dronasimha dated Gupta-Valabhi year 183 i.e. A.D. 502, that the sovereignty of the Guptas was still recognized in these parts. Therefore, the question of the loss of Gujarat does not arise at all. Morever Kumaragupta II had a short reign. Even his gold coinage is not copious. The absence of the silver coinage should not be taken as an indication of any territorial loss. His rile cane to an end in c. A.D. 476, the year in which we find Bughagupta ruling over the Gupta empire.