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The Indian Analyst
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North Indian Inscriptions |
POLITICAL HISTORY along the Ganges and that their might will spread not only over the Magadha country but also beyond as far as Prayāga and Sākēta. Magadha here denotes the Lichchhavi territory with Pāṭaliputra as its capital. So the Gupta dominions herein described extended as far westward as Prayāga (Allahabad), and even Sākēta (Ayōdhyā), that is, much beyond Magadha. This description of the extent of the Gupta territory cannot possibly fit his son, Samudragupta, because his kingdom, as we shall see shortly, had spread over a much wider area, and was practically co-extensive with the whole of Āryāvarta, excluding only West Panjab, Sind, and some parts of Rajputana. Chandragupta thus seems to have obtained East India through his marriage alliance with the Lichchhavis and to have uprooted the Bhāraśivas of Varanasi and annexed their territory to his own dominions.
Allan aptly remarks about Chandragupta I that âit is unlikely that, as he was a mahārājādhirāja
, he was content to issue a âjointâ coinage throughout his reignâ especially as it
extended over âa comparatively long period.â1 In this connection we have to bear in mind
that there were two Chandraguptas of this imperial dynasty and that it is not at all improbable
that coins that were really issued by Chandragupta I have been foisted upon his grandson
who was his namesake. We may thus select for our consideration what is called the Chhattra
Type of Chandragupta II. This is the type to which V. A. Smith has given the name âUmbrellaâ.
But âit seems better,â says Allan, âto retain the Indian term, as it has the technical meaning
of a symbol of royal power.â2 On the obverse, the king stands sacrificing at an altar with his
right hand, his left leaning on a sword hilt. Behind him is a boy or dwarf attendant who holds
a chhattra over him.3 If any king of the Imperial Gupta dynasty had the first claim to issue this
coinage, it was Chandragupta I, as he was the first ruler of this family who made himself a mahārājādhirāja with whose rank alone the chhattra symbol agrees best.4 Secondly, it is worthy
of note that this coin type was not struck by any other Gupta sovereign. The only Gupta
sovereign that was therefore pre-eminently fitted to issue the Chhattra Type must be Chandragupta I. Thirdly, we have to bear in mind that this Type presents âa number of varietiesâ
which suits excellently for the long reign of Chandragupta I. All evidence thus points to this
sovereign being responsible for the striking of this Chhattra Type. We have again to note that
there is one coin type which is common to all kings of this imperial dynasty, namely, the
Archer Type. We find it issued not only by Samudragupta, Chandragupta II, Kumāragupta I
and Skandagupta, but also by the successors of Skandagupta with the solitary exception of
Prakāśāditya.5 It is inconceivable that it was not struck by Chandragupta I, although he was
a mahārājādhirāja. The natural conclusion is that some of the specimens of this type that have
so long been attributed to Chandragupta II must now be attributed to Chandragupta I,
especially as Allan tells us that the âArcher coins of Candragupta are by far the commonest
of the whole series, and a considerable number of varieties may be distinguished . . . .â.6 We shall
therefore not be far from right if we say that Chandragupta I struck coins not only of the
Chandragupta-Kumāradēvī Type but also of the Chhattra and Archer Types. The last two
types give him the title of Vikrama and Vikramāditya. This does not run counter to any establi-
shed conclusions, because this title was not the monopoly of Chandragupta II, and we know 1 Catalogue of the Coins of the Gupta Dynasty, Intro., p. lxviii.
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