Campaigns of Samudragupta

Wars of Samudragupta
Malavas Utkala Ganjam Vizagapatam Godavari Krishna Nellore Kanchi Kabul Purushpura Taxila Sialkot Srinagar Indraprastha Mathura Ayodhya Prayaga Magadh Vanga Nepala Abhiras Kamarupa N. Sakas W. Sakas Vakatakas class=notpageimage| Samudragupta's military campaign in the South (Eastern Deccan Region along the Bay of Bengal), North and West with boundaries.
Date 4th c. CE Location Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Nepal, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Sindh, Afghanistan Result Unification of the Ganges Valley Territorial changes Territories extending from Chenab River in the west to Brahmaputra River in the east and from the Foothills of Himalayas to Vindhyas falls to the Gupta Empire under direct rule. Territories till Kanchipuram annexed into Gupta Empire as Tributaries. Gupta borders extends from Assam in the east to Afghanistan in the west
Belligerents
Gupta Empire	Aryavarta Kingdoms Kingdoms: Kingdom of Achyuta Kingdom of Nagasena Kingdom of Kota Kingdom of Rudradeva Kingdom of Matila Naga Kingdom Pushkarana Kingdom Magha dynasty Forest Kingdoms Kingdoms: Parivrajaka dynasty Dabhala Kingdom Unknown 16 kingdoms Frontier States States: Samatata Davaka Kumarupa Nepala Katripura Tribal Oligarchies Tribal Kingdoms: Malavas Arjunayanas Yaudheya Madra kingdom Abhiras Sanakanikas Kakas Prarjunas Kharaparikas Dakshinpatha Kingdoms Kingdoms: Kingdom of Kosala Nalas Mahakantara Kurala Pishtapura Kottura Erandapalla Pallava dynasty Avamukta Vengi Vashishta dynasty Chieftains of Kusthalapura Foreign Kingdoms Kingdoms: Later Kushanas Sakas Murundas Simhala
Commanders and leaders
Samudragupta (WIA)	Achyuta Naga   Nagasena   Ganapati Naga   Kota ruler (POW) Mahendra (POW) Vyagharaja (POW) Mantraja (POW) Mahendragiri (POW) Svamidatta (POW) Damana (POW) Vishnugopa (POW) Nilaraja (POW) Hastivarman (POW) Ugrasena (POW) Kubera (POW) Dhananjaya (POW) Rudradeva † Matila † Nagadatta † Chandravarman † Balavarman †

The Conquests and Campaigns of Samudragupta, or the Wars of Samudragupta were a number of conflicts fought between the mid 4th c. CE and late 4th c. CE throughout the various parts of the present day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Nepal. The campaigns resulted in the unification of the Ganga valley and the fall of several independent kingdoms, republics and tribes to the Gupta realm.

Samudragupta's Allahabad Prashasti records his campaigns in detail, said to have been written by Harisena. Samudragupta first launched his First Aryavarta Campaign against the local rulers of the Ganga valley and completely uprooted them, the states of Achyuta, Ganapati Naga and Nagasena suffered the cause. The ruler of Kota dynasty was captured by the army of Samudragupta and was forced to accept the Gupta suzerainty.

Samudragupta after consolidating his power in the Ganga valley, moved to suppress the Southern Kings, who were captured, liberated and reinstalled back to their thrones. Samudragupta in the Dakshinpatha campaign, defeated 11 kings of South India, and annexed them into Gupta Empire as tributary states.

After finishing off with his Dakshinpatha campaign, Samudragupta launched his final campaign of Aryavarta, where he defeated 9 kings and annexed them into Gupta Empire under direct administration. Thus, a 'war of extermination' against the Aryavarta kings was started by Samudragupta which was violent and bloody.

By the end of his reign, Samudragupta was able to gain control over almost whole of the Indian subcontinent, extending from modern day Punjab in the west to Assam in the east and from the foothills of Himalayas in the north to the Vindhyas in the south with the allegiance of Southern Kings along the eastern coast of India.

Aims of Samudragupta's Conquests

Ashvamedha type coin of Samudragupta

Various Scholars have interpreted the objectives and aims of Samudragupta to launch such offensive campaign throughout the Subcontinent. According to SR Goyel, Samudragupta was inspired by the Hindu ideals of Universal Ruler which was very popular during the Gupta age. According to BG Gokhale, the reason might have been religious. Samudragupta might have been influenced from the Nāgas performing the Vedic Ashvamedha Sacrifice, and he sought to perform it after his victory over Nagas. Buddha Prakash states that, the Dakshinpatha campaign was led under economic considerations, as the demand of trade and commerce between India and Southeast Asia was rising, it became important for Samudragupta to secure few ports for the Empire. Chattopadhyaya accepts this theory.

Moreover, Tej Ram Sharma concludes that, Samudragupta was eager to conquer lands of Bharatvarsha and to be the 'Universal Monarch' after completing the Ashwamedha Sacrifice which is even evident from his coinage.

First North Indian Campaign

Unification of Ganges Valley

The kingdom of Chandragupta I consisted of the parts of modern day Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, despite this he adopted the title of Maharajadhiraja. He must have some sort of control over the Naga kings. By his death the Naga Kings, Achyuta, Ganapati Naga and Nagasena, broke off from the Gupta realm and established their own kingdoms. Achyuta is identified as the ruler of Ahichchatra (modern day Bareilly), Nagasena to be the ruler of Padmavati (Gwalior) and Ganapati Naga to be the ruler of Mathura. Samudragupta suppressed their revolts by the use of military scientists operated on the inner lines. The kings submitted to him seeking for Samudragupta's forgiveness.

Another ruler from the Kota dynasty tried to break off from the Gupta realm. The Kota ruler is identified as the ruler of Punjab region. The coins bearing the Legend kota and Shiva with his Bull has been found in various places such as Ludhiana, Sunet and Sanghol. Giving less importance to the revolt, Samudragupta divided the Imperial army and sent one of his general to defeat and punish the Kota ruler while he was campaigning against the Nāga rulers. The Kota ruler was then defeated and captured.

Thus, they were the first to fall in his conquests, which extended Gupta rule far beyond Prayaga and Saketa, reaching the areas around Mathura and Padmavati. It is also cleverly suggested that this battle against the rebellious princes took place at Kausambi, where Samudragupta used the Ashoka pillar as a symbol of his victory.

South Indian Campaign

After establishing his power in the surrounding areas, Samudragupta launched his South Indian Campaign. The campaign had three features, namely capture of the enemy, liberating them, and reinstalling them back.

Route of the Campaign

Samudragupta's military campaign in the South primarily focused on the eastern Deccan region along the Bay of Bengal's coast. He began by moving through the forest areas of Madhya Pradesh and proceeded to the Orissa coast. From there, he advanced through the regions of Ganjam, Vizagapatam, Godavari, Krishna, and Nellore, eventually reaching Kanchi (modern-day Kanchipuram) south of present-day Chennai.

There is a theory by Fleet and some scholars suggesting that during his return journey, Samudragupta also conquered kingdoms on the western coast of India. However, evidence from historical inscriptions challenges this view. For example, the inscription mentions Kaurala, identified as Keralaputra (linked to the Chera kingdom of Southern India), and Kottura, identified with a place in Coimbatore. Palakka is equated with Palaghat on the Malabar coast, while Erandapalla is linked to Erandol in the Khandesh district, and Devarashtra is associated with Maharashtra. The sequence of conquests listed in the inscription, however, indicates that Samudragupta's campaign moved steadily southward. The names of regions like Erandapalla and Devarashtra would logically appear after southernmost areas like Vengi and Kanchi if they were actually part of his campaign. Thus, it seems unlikely that he would have turned back to the south after conquering western regions. Instead, the evidence supports the idea that his southern expedition ended at Kanchi, without extending further into western territories like Maharashtra.

Mahendra of Kosala

The route of Samudragupta’s southern campaign can be traced based on the sequence of events recorded in his inscriptions. Leaving the Jumna Valley, he likely advanced through the present-day regions of Rewa and Jabalpur, reaching his first target: the kingdom of Kosala. This kingdom, known as Southern Kosala, had its capital at Sripura (modern-day Sirpur in Central Province). It encompassed the eastern and southern areas of the Central Province, covering the modern districts of Bilaspur, Raipur, Sambalpur, and parts of Ganjam. The ruler of Kosala at the time was King Mahendra.

Vyagharaja of Mahakantara

Samudragupta then entered the dense Vindhyan wilderness of eastern Gondwana, known as Mahakantara. Its ruler, Vyaghraja—aptly called the "Tiger of the Forest"—was a notable leader and a feudatory of the Vakatakas. Vyaghraja had a son, Jayanatha of the Uchchakalpa dynasty, who is recorded in the year 174 of the Kalachuri era, indicating he was a contemporary of Chandragupta II, and thus, Vyaghraja was a contemporary of Samudragupta. The region’s likely capital was Sambalpur on the Mahanadi River.

Mantraja of Kurala

J.F. Fleet initially suggested that "Kaurālaka," mentioned in Samudragupta’s inscriptions, could be a mistake for "Kairalaka," referring to Kerala on India’s western coast, possibly due to the unfamiliarity of the name. Others offered varying theories: L.D. Barnet associated it with Korada, while S.K. Aiyangar proposed a location near present-day Khurda in Odisha's Cuttack district. Kielhorn, while studying the Aihole inscription of Pulakesin II, suggested that "Kaurala" (or "Kunala") was likely near the Kollar Lake region between the Godavari and Krishna rivers, a view later accepted by Jayaswal. However, H.C. Raychaudhuri argued that this region would have fallen within the boundaries of Vengi, ruled by Hastivarman. R. Sathianathier proposed an alternative identification with Cherla in Nagpur Taluk of the East Godavari district, but this area, too, was likely within Hastivarman’s territory. G. Ramdas speculated it to be the plains northeast of the Mahendra Hills, aligning with the sequence in Samudragupta’s inscription. B.V. Krishnarao suggested "Kaurala" might refer to "Kulula," as mentioned in the Mahendragiri pillar inscription of Chola king Rajendra Chola I, situated south of the Maikal range in Madhya Pradesh’s Chanda district. However, this location was considered too far north. A recent discovery offers a promising solution: a copper plate grant of Maharaja Narendra from the Sarbhapuriya dynasty of South Kosala references a region called "Mantrarajabhukti," likely named after a ruler called Mantraraja, who may correspond to the "Mantraraja" in Samudragupta’s inscriptions. This evidence suggests that the kingdom of "Kurala" was near South Kosala, clarifying its probable location.

Mahendragiri of Pishtpura

There has been some debate over the correct name of the ruler of Pishtapura. J.F. Fleet argued that a name ending in "giri" was unlikely to be a king’s name, as such endings were commonly associated with the Dasanami Gosains, a sect of recluses. Fleet therefore interpreted the ruler's name as simply "Mahendra," with "giri" linked to the following place name, "Kottura," translating it to mean "Kottura on the hill." However, D.R. Bhandarkar countered that this interpretation was grammatically flawed. V.S. Ramachandramurti further noted that several rulers in the Telugu region indeed had names ending in "giri" or its equivalent, "adri," validating "Mahendragiri" as a plausible royal name. Pishtapura, identified as present-day Pithapuram, lies 12 miles from Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh’s East Godavari district. This inscription provides the earliest recorded mention of Pishtapura, described in the Ragolu plates of King Vasishthiputra Shaktivarman as a city within the Kalinga territory. It is also referenced in inscriptions of King Anantavarman of Kalinga. In the early 7th century, shortly before 634–635 CE, the Chalukya ruler Pulakesin II conquered Pishtapura and incorporated it into his kingdom.

Svamidatta of Kottura

After conquering Pishtapura, Samudragupta turned his attention to Kottura, ruled by King Svamidatta. Kottura is identified as either modern Kothoor in the Ganjam district or as a location at the base of the hills in the Vizagapatam (now Visakhapatnam) district.

Damana of Erandapalla

The location of Erandapalla is essential to defining the southern reach of Samudragupta’s campaign. J.F. Fleet identified it with Erandol in East Khandesh, Maharashtra, supported by Gupta-era remains found there. However, Dubreuil disagreed, proposing Erandapali near Srikakulam (Chicacole) based on references in the Siddhantam plates issued by Ganga king Devendravarman, which mention a place named Erandapalli. G. Ramdas offered a different perspective, suggesting either Yendipalli in Golgonda Taluk, Visakhapatnam district, or Endipalli in Ellora Taluka, West Godavari district. He argued that Erandapalli’s kingdom likely spanned from the northern boundary of Golgonda Taluk down to Ellore. An "Eradavishaya" appears in the Nagadam plates of Ganga king Vajrahasta (dated to Saka year 979), though it is spelled with a dental "d" rather than the cerebral "d" seen in the Allahabad Pillar inscription. Jayaswal also placed Erandapalli in Kalinga, near Kalinganagara (Mukhalingam) in Ganjam district, suggesting it was under Svamidatta of Pishtapura, with Damana of Erandapalli serving as a local ruler. Ramdas’s view, proposing Erandapalli’s kingdom stretched from northern Golgonda to Ellore, is widely regarded as the most plausible identification.

Vishnugopa of Kanchi

We have some information about Vishnugopa, a member of the well-known Pallava dynasty in the south. He was the younger brother of Simhavarman (c. 332–344 CE) and the son of Skandavarman II (c. 297–332 CE). During his brother’s reign, Vishnugopa held the title of *Yuvamaharaja* (crown prince) and issued a grant under the name Vishnugopavarman. Later, he served as regent for his nephew, Skandavarman III, suggesting that Samudragupta's invasion may have occurred during this period. The Pallavas’ capital was Kanchi, present-day Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu.

Nilaraja of Avamukta

The identity of Avamukta is not very clear. Historian H. C. Raychaudhuri thought that an old sea-port named Nilapalli, near Yanam in the Godavari district, might be linked to a king named Nīlarāja. He also mentioned a temple called Avamukteśa in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. However, the name Avimukteśa is another name for the Hindu god Shiva, and the term Avimuktakshetra usually refers to the area around Varanasi. Another historian, Jayaswal, pointed out two places called Ava and Pithunda mentioned in the Hathigumpha inscription of King Kharavela. He suggested that Pithunda might be the same as Pitundra, a place on the eastern coast mentioned by the ancient Greek geographer Ptolemy. B. V. Krishnarao had a different idea. He suggested that Ava could be the same as a place called Arvarnoi, also mentioned by Ptolemy. He thought this place might refer to Hiranya-rashtra, which is in the Kuddapah and Kurnool districts of Andhra Pradesh.

Hastivarman of Vengi

Vengi has been identified as the area around Peddavegi in the Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. The kingdom of Vengi covered the coastal region between the Godavari and Krishna rivers and stretched west to the Ghats mountains. It was a central part of Andhra Pradesh and a major crossroads where roads from different regions like Kalinga, Draviḍa, Karṇāṭa, Mahārāṣṭra, and Kośala met. Vengi played an important role in spreading Indian culture to the islands of the Pacific Ocean. Hastivarmā, a king of Veṅgi, was part of the Śālaṅkāyana dynasty (also known as Vāṅgēyakās) and is known for his many victories. The Śālaṅkāyana dynasty ruled Vengi for three generations before the region briefly came under the control of the Pallavas. Later, it was taken over by the Vishnukundins.

Ugrasena of Palakka

Ugrasena of Palakka was initially thought by historian Vincent Smith to be connected with Palakkadu, an area in the Palghat division of South Malabar. However, he later changed his mind and agreed with V. Venkayya that Palakka should actually be located in the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh. Another historian, Hultzsch, did not agree with identifying it with Policut. G. Ramdas mentioned a region called Pakanadu or Panganadu in the inscriptions of the Chola king, Rajaraja Chola. He suggested that it could be the same as Pakkai, an area between Udaygiri and Venkatagiri in the Nellore district. J. Dubreuil believed it was the same place as Palakkada, mentioned in several Pallava inscriptions. For example, the Uruvapalli grant of Yuvamaharaja Vishnugopavarman was issued from Palakkada, which might have been an important center for Pallava rulers. This place seems to have existed during the time of the Gupta king Samudragupta and was governed by a Pallava prince named Ugravamra.

Kubera of Devarashtra

The historian Fleet initially identified Devarashtra as a region in Maharashtra. However, Dubreuil disagreed and located it in the Yellamanchili Taluk of the Vishakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh. Dubreuil based this on mentions of Devarashtra as a "Vishaya" (district) in the Elamanchi Kalingadesha, as seen in the Kasimkot plates of Chalukya king Bhima I. This is further supported by the Srungavarapukota plates of Anantavarman, which were issued from Pishtapura. In these plates, Anantavarman's grandfather, Gunavarman, is referred to as the ruler of Devarashtra. G. Ramdas opposed this idea, arguing that the Vishakhapatnam area should be part of the Pishtapura kingdom. He pointed out that it is unlikely for an independent state to exist within another independent kingdom. However, it seems these small southern kingdoms were quite small, some even smaller than a modern district. The coastal area between the mouths of the Mahanadi and Godavari rivers was divided into three small kingdoms: Kotura, ruled by Svimidatta in the Ganjam district; Devarashtra of Kubera in the Vishakhapatnam district; and Pishtapura, near Mahendragiri in the East Godavari district. Y. R. Gupte presented new evidence linking Devarashtra to Maharashtra. He noted that there is still a village called Devarashtra in the Khanpur Taluk of the Satara district, where the main temple, a Shiva lingam, is named Samudresvara. Gupte believed this preserved the memory of the Gupta emperor Samudragupta. However, most evidence supports the identification of Devarashtra on the eastern coast of India.

Dhananjaya of Kusthalapura

V.A. Smith believed that Kushtalapura was another name for Kusasthalapura, which is one of the holy cities connected to Dwaraka. However, based on the identifications of Erandapalli and Devarashtra mentioned earlier, it is clear that Samudragupta’s military campaign was limited to eastern Deccan, and he did not reach as far west as Saurashtra. Barnet thinks that Kuttalur, located near Polur in the North Arcot district of Andhra Pradesh, is the ancient kingdom of Kushtalapura. On the other hand, B.V. Krishnarao suggests that the present-day town of Kolorupak or Kollipak on the Aleru river, a tributary of the Musi River that flows into the Krishna River, is actually the ancient Kushtalapura. According to him, Kushtalapura is another name for Kusasthalapura, which means "the place of Kusa" (a figure in Hindu mythology). B.V. Krishnarao also says that the leaders of the Kot region (also known as ancient Dhanyakataka) trace their ancestry to a king named Dhananjaya, who was possibly defeated by Samudragupta. This king's territory was in western Andhra, between the Godavari River to the north and the Krishna River to the south.