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{{Other people|Vishnugupta}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{short description|King of the Gupta Dynasty in India}}
{{short description|King of the Gupta Dynasty in India}}
{{Infobox royalty
{{Infobox royalty
|image=[[File:Vishnugupta Candraditya Circa 540-550 CE.jpg|300px]]
|image=[[File:Vishnugupta Candraditya Circa 540-550 CE.jpg|300px]]
|caption=Vishnugupta Candraditya Circa 540-550 CE. The name <sup>[[File:Gupta allahabad vi.jpg|10px]]</sup>[[File:Gupta allahabad sh.svg|14px]][[File:Gupta allahabad nnu.jpg|14px]] ''Vi-ṣ-ṇu'' appears vertically under the left arm of the King.<ref name="CCGD"/>
|caption=Vishnugupta Chandraditya {{circa}} 540–550 CE. The name <sup>[[File:Gupta allahabad vi.jpg|10px]]</sup>[[File:Gupta allahabad sh.svg|14px]][[File:Gupta allahabad nnu.jpg|14px]] ''Vi-ṣ-ṇu'' appears vertically under the left arm of the King.<ref name="CCGD"/>
| succession = 14th [[Gupta Empire|Gupta Ruler]]
| title = [[Maharajadhiraja]] (Great King of Kings)
| succession = [[List of Gupta emperors|Gupta emperor]]
| reign = {{circa|540|550 CE}}
| reign = {{circa|540|550 CE}}
| predecessor = [[Kumaragupta III]]
| predecessor = [[Kumaragupta III]]
| successor = Unknown
| successor = Unknown
| dynasty = [[Gupta Empire|Gupta]]
| dynasty = [[Gupta Empire|Gupta]]
| religion= [[Hinduism]]<ref name="Singh">A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India by Upinder Singh [https://books.google.com/books?id=H3lUIIYxWkEC&pg=PA521 p.521]</ref>
}}
}}
{{Gupta Empire}}
{{Gupta Empire}}
'''Vishnugupta Candraditya''' ([[Gupta script]]: <sup>[[File:Gupta allahabad vi.jpg|10px]]</sup>[[File:Gupta allahabad sh.svg|14px]][[File:Gupta allahabad nnu.jpg|13px]][[File:Gupta allahabad gu.jpg|14px]]<sub>[[File:Gupta allahabad pt.jpg|12px]]</sub> ''Vi-ṣ-ṇu-gu-pta'',<ref name="CCGD">{{cite book |last1=Allen |first1=John |title=Catalogue of the coins of the Gupta dynasties |date=1914 |page=[https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.47214/page/n287 145] |url=https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.47214}}</ref> {{lang-sa|विष्णुगुप्त}}) 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]].<ref>Agarwal, Ashvini (1989). ''Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas'', Delhi:Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|81-208-0592-5}}, pp.238-9</ref>
'''Vishnugupta Chandraditya''' ([[Gupta script]]: <sup>[[File:Gupta allahabad vi.jpg|10px]]</sup>[[File:Gupta allahabad sh.svg|14px]][[File:Gupta allahabad nnu.jpg|13px]][[File:Gupta allahabad gu.jpg|14px]]<sub>[[File:Gupta allahabad pt.jpg|12px]]</sub> ''Vi-ṣ-ṇu-gu-pta'',<ref name="CCGD">{{cite book |last1=Allen |first1=John |title=Catalogue of the coins of the Gupta dynasties |date=1914 |page=[https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.47214/page/n287 145] |url=https://archive.org/details/in.gov.ignca.47214}}</ref>) 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]].<ref>Agarwal, Ashvini (1989). ''Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas'', Delhi:Motilal Banarsidass, {{ISBN|81-208-0592-5}}, pp.238-9</ref>


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.<ref name="Davidson">Indian Esoteric Buddhism: Social History of the Tantric Movement by Ronald M. Davidson [https://books.google.com/books?id=n_VquVQvnBwC&pg=PA31 p.31]</ref> This follows the occupation of most of northern and central India by the [[Aulikara]] ruler [[Yashodharman]] circa 532 CE.<ref name="Davidson"/>
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.<ref name="Davidson">Indian Esoteric Buddhism: Social History of the Tantric Movement by Ronald M. Davidson [https://books.google.com/books?id=n_VquVQvnBwC&pg=PA31 p.31]</ref> This follows the occupation of most of northern and central India by the [[Aulikara]] ruler [[Yashodharman]] circa 532 CE.<ref name="Davidson"/>
 
==Biography==
According to a [[Nalanda]] seal,  Vishnugupta was son of [[Kumaragupta III|Kumaragupta]], and grandson of [[Purugupta]].<ref>Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum Vol.3 (inscriptions Of The Early Gupta Kings) [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.108395 p.364]</ref>
According to a [[Nalanda]] seal,  Vishnugupta was son of [[Kumaragupta III]], and grandson of [[Purugupta]].<ref>Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum Vol.3 (inscriptions Of The Early Gupta Kings) [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.108395 p.364]</ref>
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:Nalanda clay seal of Vishnugupta.jpg|Nalanda clay seal of Vishnugupta. The seal states that Vishnugupta was son of [[Kumaragupta III|Kumaragupta]], and grandson of [[Purugupta]].<ref>Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum Vol.3 (inscriptions Of The Early Gupta Kings) [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.108395 p.364]</ref>
File:Nalanda clay seal of Vishnugupta.jpg|Nalanda clay seal of Vishnugupta. The seal states that Vishnugupta was son of [[Kumaragupta III]], and grandson of [[Purugupta]].<ref>Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum Vol.3 (inscriptions Of The Early Gupta Kings) [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.108395 p.364]</ref>
File:Damodarpur copper plate of Vishnugupta Year 224 = 542-543 CE.jpg|The Damodarpur copper plate of Vishnugupta Year 224 = 542-543 CE.
File:Damodarpur copper plate of Vishnugupta Year 224 = 542-543 CE.jpg|The Damodarpur copper plate of Vishnugupta Year 224 = 542-543 CE.
</gallery>
</gallery>
He later produced coins that were even more debased and heavier than before, bearing the title “Candraditya.” His seal was discovered at Nalanda, and a copper plate, the fifth Damodarpur plate dated to year 224 (which corresponds to 543 to 544 A.D.), may also originate from his reign. Although this copper plate does not include his name, it still grants him the full range of imperial honors. He is considered the last ruler of the imperial Gupta dynasty to use the customary imperial titles and to issue gold coinage. However, his realm was only a remnant of the once vast empire. After his rule, around 550 to 551 A.D, the [[Gupta dynasty]] completely disappeared from power, marking the end of 231 years of Gupta dominance over [[Magadha]].<ref name=":01">{{cite book
| last1    = Sinha
| first1    = Bindeshwari Prasad
| date      = 1977
| title    = Dynastic History of Magadha (cir. 450–1200 A.D.)
| publisher = Abhinav Publications
| location  = New Delhi
| pages    = 66
}}</ref><ref name=":02">{{cite book
| last1      = Goyal
| first1    = S. R.
| date      = 1967
| title      = *A History of the Imperial Guptas*
| publisher  = Central Book Depot
| location  = Allahabad
| pages      = 378–384
}}</ref>
== See also ==
* [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]]
* [[Later Gupta dynasty]]


==References==
==References==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Vishnugupta}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vishnugupta}}
[[Category:Gupta Empire]]
[[Category:Gupta emperors]]
[[Category:6th-century Indian monarchs]]
[[Category:6th-century Indian monarchs]]




{{India-royal-stub}}
{{India-royal-stub}}

Latest revision as of 15:32, 17 June 2025

Vishnugupta
Maharajadhiraja (Great King of Kings)
Vishnugupta Chandraditya c. 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]

Vishnugupta Chandraditya (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]

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]

Biography[edit | edit source]

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

He later produced coins that were even more debased and heavier than before, bearing the title “Candraditya.” His seal was discovered at Nalanda, and a copper plate, the fifth Damodarpur plate dated to year 224 (which corresponds to 543 to 544 A.D.), may also originate from his reign. Although this copper plate does not include his name, it still grants him the full range of imperial honors. He is considered the last ruler of the imperial Gupta dynasty to use the customary imperial titles and to issue gold coinage. However, his realm was only a remnant of the once vast empire. After his rule, around 550 to 551 A.D, the Gupta dynasty completely disappeared from power, marking the end of 231 years of Gupta dominance over Magadha.[7][8]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 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. 4.0 4.1 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
  7. Sinha, Bindeshwari Prasad (1977). Dynastic History of Magadha (cir. 450–1200 A.D.). New Delhi: Abhinav Publications. p. 66.
  8. Goyal, S. R. (1967). *A History of the Imperial Guptas*. Allahabad: Central Book Depot. pp. 378–384.
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Kumaragupta III
Gupta Emperor
540 – 550
Succeeded by
?