Vishnugupta (Gupta Empire)

Vishnugupta Candraditya (Gupta script: Vi-ṣ-ṇu-gu-pta,[1]) was one of the lesser-known kings of the Gupta Dynasty. He is generally considered to be the last recognized king of the Gupta Empire. His reign lasted 10 years, from 540 to 550 CE. From the fragment of his clay sealing discovered at Nalanda during the excavations of 1927–28, it is revealed that he was the son of Kumaragupta III and the grandson of Narasimhagupta.[3]

Vishnugupta
Vishnugupta Candraditya Circa 540-550 CE. The name Vi-ṣ-ṇu appears vertically under the left arm of the King.[1]
Gupta emperor
Reignc. 540 – c. 550 CE
PredecessorKumaragupta III
SuccessorUnknown
DynastyGupta
ReligionHinduism[2]

The last (the Damodarpur copper-plate inscription), in which he makes a land grant in the area of Kotivarsha (Bangarh in West Bengal) in 542/543 CE.[4] This follows the occupation of most of northern and central India by the Aulikara ruler Yashodharman circa 532 CE.[4]

According to a Nalanda seal, Vishnugupta was son of Kumaragupta III, and grandson of Purugupta.[5]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Allen, John (1914). Catalogue of the coins of the Gupta dynasties. p. 145.
  2. ^ A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India by Upinder Singh p.521
  3. ^ Agarwal, Ashvini (1989). Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas, Delhi:Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-0592-5, pp.238-9
  4. ^ a b Indian Esoteric Buddhism: Social History of the Tantric Movement by Ronald M. Davidson p.31
  5. ^ Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum Vol.3 (inscriptions Of The Early Gupta Kings) p.364
  6. ^ Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum Vol.3 (inscriptions Of The Early Gupta Kings) p.364
Regnal titles
Preceded by Gupta Emperor
540 – 550
Succeeded by
?