Later Gupta dynasty: Difference between revisions

Later Gupta dynasty
Later Gupta dynasty
c. 490 CE–c. 750 CE
	"Swordsman type" gold coin of Mahasenagupta from the 6th century CE. On the obverse, the King is shown holding a sword in his left hand. On the reverse, a Goddess is shown seated in a lotus pose.
	South Asia; 600 CE MORIS PANDYAS LICCHAVIS CHOLAS ZHANGZHUNG CHERAS SAMATATAS GAUDA KAMARUPA VISHNU-; KUNDINAS PALLAVAS ALUPAS NEZAKS ALCHONS KALINGAS PANDUVAMSHIS SHAILODBHAVAS GONANDAS MAUKHARIS WESTERN; TURKS TOCHARIANS MAITRAKAS RAIS PRATIHARAS PUSHYA-; BHUTIS CHALUKYAS EARLY; KALA-; CHURIS SASANIAN; EMPIRE ◁ ▷ The later Gupta dynasty at its zenith, and its neighbours.
Capital	Pataliputra
Religion	Hinduism; Buddhism;
Government	Monarchy
History
• Established	c. 490 CE
• Disestablished	c. 750 CE
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	Gupta Empire
	Alchon Huns
	Maukharis of Kannauj
	Maukharis of Gaya
Varman dynasty (Kannauj)

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Latest revision as of 13:55, 17 February 2026

The Later Gupta dynasty, also known as the Later Guptas of Magadha, were the rulers of Magadha and Malwa from the 6th to 8th centuries CE. The Later Guptas emerged after the disintegration of the Imperial Guptas. However, there is no evidence to connect the two dynasties and the Later Guptas may have adopted the -gupta suffix to link themselves with the Imperial Guptas.^[4]

There are several important sources of information regarding the Later Guptas including two epigraphs, the Aphsad inscription of Ādityasena, which sets out the genealogy of the ruling family from Kṛṣṇagupta to Ādityasena, and the Deo Baranark inscription of Jīvitagupta II. The Harshacharita of Bāṇabhaṭṭa is also an important source of information as are the records of the Chinese pilgrims Xuanzang and Yijing which also mentions them. The Gaudavaho of Vākpatirāja refers to the victory of King Yashovarman of the Varman dynasty against the king of Magadha, with the scholarly consensus being that this is a reference to Jīvitagupta II.^[5]^[6]

Origins[edit | edit source]

The general consensus among researchers of the period including John Faithfull Fleet, Bindeshwari Prasad Sinha and Ram Shankar Tripathi,^[7] is that the Later Guptas emerged from the Magadha region of what is now Bihar in India. The reasoning behind this is that all inscriptions relating to the dynasty have been found in this region. A Nepalese inscription also refers to King Ādityasena as the "Lord of Magadha". They were likely originally feudatories under the Imperial Guptas and came into possession of large territories in Magadha following the fall of the Empire.^[8]

Hans T. Bakker also agrees that the bulk of the evidence points to Magadha as the homeland of the Later Guptas.^[9]

History[edit | edit source]

Template:Asia 576 CE After the decline of the Gupta Empire, the Later Guptas succeeded them as the rulers of Magadha after originally being their vassals.^[4] Krishnagupta was the first known member of the dynasty and probably assisted the Guptas in their battles against the Alchon Huns led by Toramana with his floruit being placed around 490 to 510 CE.^[10] Krishnagupta's daughter is said to have married Prince Adityavarman of the Maukhari dynasty. He was succeeded by his son, Harshagupta, who was placed from 510 to 525 CE. Inscriptions have described him as "always displaying a glorious triumph" suggesting his participation in battles against Mihirakula, the successor of Toramana.^[11]

Jivitagupta I succeeded Harshagupta in 525 CE and carried out military expeditions in the Himalayan region and southwestern Bengal.^[12] The inscriptions left by his descendants describe him as being "dreaded by the haughty foes living on the seaside shores and the Himalayas". These campaigns in Bengal were likely aimed at the Varman dynasty of Kamarupa and the Kingdom of Gauda. Jivitagupta I was likely the first king of the Later Gupta dynasty to claim independent status. He also brought the Maukharis of Gaya under his authority.^[13]

During the reign of Jivitagupta's son, Kumaragupta, from 550 CE, the dynasty developed a rivalry with the Maukharis of Kannauj for control of the Ganges valley after originally having cordial relations and marriage alliances.^[5] Kumaragupta defeated the Maukhari king Ishanavarman in 554 CE, and extended his territory to Prayaga with Ishanavarman being forced to commit ritual suicide as a result of his loss.^[14] His son Damodaragupta, who came to the throne probably around 560 CE, suffered reverses against the Maukharis and was pushed back into Magadha, with some historians claiming that he died on the battlefield.^[15]^[12]

Damodaragupta's son, Mahasenagupta, allied with the Pushyabhuti dynasty in response to the continued threats from the Maukharis in the West and the Varmans in the East. He also extended the domain of the Later Gupta dynasty into Malwa, which had a power vacuum after the death of Yashodharman.^[16] His sister married the ruler Adityavardhana. He invaded Kamarupa and defeated Susthita Varman.^[12] But he subsequently faced three invaders: the Maukhari king Sharvavarman, the Kamarupa king Supratishthita-varman, and the Tibetan king Songtsen. His vassal Shashanka also abandoned him (and later established the independent Gauda Kingdom). The Maukhari king Sharvavarman is thought to have defeated Damodaragupta, invading Magadha circa 575 CE, which made him ruler of the entire Uttar Pradesh.^[17]^[18] Under these circumstances, Mahasenagupta was forced to flee Magadha, and take shelter in Malwa. Subsequently, the Pushyabhuti emperor Harsha (ruled c. 606 – c. 647 CE) restored the Later Gupta rule in Magadha, and they ruled as Harsha's vassals.^[4] Mahasenagupta's grandson, Mahdhavagupta, redeclared the independence of the Later Guptas after Harsha's death.^[19]

Madhavagupta was succeeded by Ādityasena who became the sovereign ruler of a large kingdom extending from the Himalayan foothills in the north to the Chhota Nagpur in the south; and from Gomati River in the west to the Bay of Bengal in the east.^[20] Ādityasena's reign marked the end of the influence of the Tibetan Empire in North Bihar, allowing him to incorporate the region into his domain. He was also the first Later Gupta ruler to use imperial titles and in his Mandar Hill inscription, he is referred to with the title of Paramabhattaraka Maharajadhiraja translating to "Supreme Lord, King of Kings".^[19]

Adityasena's son, Devagupta, came to the throne around 680 CE. He held the same imperial titles as his father, indicating that there was no reduction in the size of the territory ruled by the Later Guptas during his reign.^[21] He did however, have an encounter with the Chalukyas on or around 696 CE which ended in defeat.^[22] The Chinese monk, Yijing also visited the region during his reign and referred to him as the "King of Eastern India".^[23] Devagupta's son was Vishnugupta who came to the throne around 700 CE and it seems during his rule that the territory of the kingdom saw a substantial reduction. An inscription of his has been found in Buxar.^[24]

Jivitagupta II, the last known ruler of the dynasty, still ruled Magadha, parts of Bengal and possibly up to Varanasi into the beginning of the 8th century.^[25] He appears to have been defeated by Yashovarman of the Varman dynasty of Kannauj circa 750 CE.^[20] The details of his defeat were recorded in the 8th century poem, the Gaudavaho. The end of the Later Guptas marked the end of the Magadha region as a centre of Indian political power and the end of a period known as Pax Magadhica.^[26]^[27] Epigraphic records do however indicate that a ruler known Rāmagupta established his rule over Tirhut after Jivitagupta II's death, indicating the continuation of the Later Gupta line however they were "insignificant" in relation to the other powers of the time.^[27]

Archaeology[edit | edit source]

Remains of a Vishnu temple built by King Adityasena of the Later Gupta dynasty in Aphsad, Nawada district

The remains of a 7th-century temple dedicated to Vishnu were found by the ASI in the area of Apshad in modern-day Nawada district of Bihar during excavations between 1973 and 1983.^[28] The building of the temple has been connected to King Ādityasena of the Later Gupta dynasty on the basis of an inscription in nearby Mandar Parvat which attributes the building of a Vishnu temple from the same period to Ādityasena. The temple measured 15 metres in height, composed of five stories and was described as being a "rectangular pyramidal brick structure".^[28] Within the temple are stucco reliefs depicting scenes from the Ramayana.^[29] Sculptures including a well-preserved Vishnu have also been found in and around the site of Apshad from the Later Gupta period.^[30] Many of the shrines within the modern village of Aphsad contain statues dating back to the Later Gupta period which are still used for worship amongst the locals to this day.^[28] File:Northeastern India, Bihar, Aphsad, early Pala period, 7th Century - Personification of the Discus - 1945.367 - Cleveland Museum of Art.tif

Coinage[edit | edit source]

Coinage from the reign of the Later Gupta kings has been relatively scarce. So far the only coins discovered are from the period of Mahasenagupta who ruled from 562-601 CE. The numismatic evidence makes it clear that the Later Guptas were devout Shaivites with depictions of Nandi replacing the depictions of Garuda that were present in the coinage of the imperial Guptas. Two types of coinage from Mahasenagupta's reign have been discovered, the "archer type" and the "swordsman type".^[1]

Foreign relations[edit | edit source]

The Later Guptas maintained marital ties with their neighbours. One inscription in Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu records the marriage of the granddaughter of Adityasena to Shivadeva II who belonged to the Licchavis of Nepal.^[31]

During the reign of Jivitagupta in 539, the Later Guptas received a delegation of Buddhist monks sent by the Liang Emperor Wu who came with the purpose of collecting and translating original copies of Mahayana sutras to take back to China. The delegation was warmly received by Jivitagupta, who assigned the task of translating the texts to the monk, Paramartha.^[3] During the reign of Adityasena in the latter half of the 7th century, a Chinese Buddhist monk named Hwui Li visited the Later Gupta kingdom. Hwui Li translates Adityasena's name as "Sun Army" and records that he built a "Chinese temple" (tohina) specifically to house visiting priests from China. It is speculated that Adityasena himself may have been a Buddhist.^[3]

During the time of the Later Guptas, the Tibetan Empire had influence to the north of Magadha in Tirhut until around 703 CE. The threat of the Tibetans may have pushed the Later Guptas to ally with the Maukharis and Licchavis for a time. Once the Tibetans had left Tirhut, it was probably annexed by the Later Guptas during the reign of Jivitagupta II.^[32]

List of rulers[edit | edit source]

The known Later Gupta rulers include:^[33]^[34]^[35]

Nrpa Shri Krishnagupta (Kṛṣṇagupta), r. c. 490-505 CE
Deva Shri Harshagupta (Harṣagupta), r. c. 505-525 CE
Shri Jivitagupta I, r. c. 525-550 CE
Shri Kumaragupta, r. c. 550-560 CE
Shri Damodaragupta, r. c. 560-562 CE
Shri Mahasenagupta, r. c. 562-601 CE
Shri Devagupta, r. c. 601-605 CE (As king of eastern part of the Later Gupta kingdom after defeat of his father)
Shri Madhavagupta, r. c. 601-655 CE (Queen: Shrimati)
Maharajadhiraja Ādityasena, r. c. 655-680 CE (Queen: Konadevi)
Maharajadhiraja Devagupta, r. c. 680-700 CE (Queen: Kamaladevi)
Maharajadhiraja Vishnugupta (Viṣnugupta) (Queen: Ijjadevi)
Maharajadhiraja Jivitagupta II

Possible descendants[edit | edit source]

Guptas of Jayapura[edit | edit source]

A small kingdom that ruled the area around Lakhisarai district during the 11th and 12th centuries bore the name Gupta and has subsequently been linked as a surviving line of the Later Guptas.^[36] Evidence of their rule comes from the Panchob copper-plate inscription which was discovered in 1919.^[37]

Gallery[edit | edit source]

Four Armed Goddess from the Later Gupta period excavated from Mundeshwari Temple and currently kept at the Bihar Museum
Sculpture of Vishnu from the Later Gupta period found in Benisagar in Singhbhum, Jharkhand
Archer type coinage of King Mahasenagupta
The Aphsad inscription of Ādityasena (r. c. 655-680 CE) establishes the genealogy of the Later Gupta dynasty down to Ādityasena.

References[edit | edit source]

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Kumar, Sanjeev (2024). Treasures of the Gupta Empire: A Numismatic History of the Golden Age of India. Archaeopress. pp. 491–514. doi:10.2307/jj.17610828. ISBN 978-1-80327-796-7.
↑ Schwartzberg, Joseph E. (1978). A Historical atlas of South Asia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 146, map XIV.1 (i). ISBN 0-226-74221-0.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 Lal Hazra, Kanai (1995). The Rise and Decline of Buddhism in India. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. pp. 81–82. ISBN 978-81-215-0651-9.
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 Karl J. Schmidt 2015, p. 26.
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Ghosh, Suchandra (2022). "Later Guptas". The Encyclopedia of Ancient History. pp. 1–2. doi:10.1002/9781119399919.eahaa00571. ISBN 978-1-119-39991-9.
↑ Sailendra Nath Sen 1999, p. 246.
↑ Chand Jain, Kailash (1972). Malwa Through The Ages. Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House. pp. 259–261. ISBN 978-81-208-0824-9.
↑ Prasad Sinha, Bindeshwari (1974). "The Original Home of the Later Guptas". Comprehensive History of Bihar, Volume 1, Part 2: 683–690.
↑ Bakker, Hans (2023). The Skandapurāṇa IIa. Brill. p. 29. ISBN 978-90-04-48840-3.
↑ Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 87.
↑ Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 88.
↑ ^12.0 ^12.1 ^12.2 Sailendra Nath Sen 1999, p. 247.
↑ Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 89.
↑ Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 91.
↑ Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 93.
↑ Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 96.
↑ Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 119-120.
↑ Mookerji, Radha Kumud (1 January 2016). Harsha: Calcutta University Readership Lectures 1925. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 55. ISBN 978-81-208-0862-1.
↑ ^19.0 ^19.1 Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 157.
↑ ^20.0 ^20.1 Sailendra Nath Sen 1999, p. 248.
↑ Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 162.
↑ Alain Daniélou 2003, p. 151.
↑ Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 163.
↑ Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 165.
↑ Asher, Frederick (1980). The Art of Eastern India: 300 - 800. University of Minnesota Press. p. 69. ISBN 978-1-4529-1225-7.
↑ Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 167.
↑ ^27.0 ^27.1 Thaplyal 1985, p. 48.
↑ ^28.0 ^28.1 ^28.2 Rose Greaves, Laxshmi (11 April 2019). "The Viṣṇu Temple of Ādityasena at Aphṣāḍ, Bihar". The Art of South Asia.
↑ Rose Greaves, Lakshmi (2022). "The Art of Storytelling: Scenes from the Rāmāyaṇa on Panels from a Lost Post-Gupta Temple at Rājaona, Bihar". Religions of South Asia. 16.
↑ Chandra, P (1972). "Some Remarks on Bihar Sculpture from the Fourth to the Ninth Century". Aspects of Indian Art. BRILL. pp. 59–64. ISBN 978-90-04-64443-4.
↑ Bakker, Hans (2019). Holy Ground: Where Art and Text Meet: Studies in the Cultural History of India. BRILL. pp. 538–539. ISBN 978-90-04-41207-1.
↑ Sinha Prasad, Bindeshwari (1974). "Political History of North Bihar (550-1200 AD)". Comprehensive History of Bihar, Vol 1, part 2. KP Jayaswal Research Institute. pp. 286–287.
↑ Ronald M. Davidson 2012, p. 35.
↑ Sailendra Nath Sen 1999, pp. 247-248.
↑ Hans Bakker 2014, p. 83.
↑ Chakrabarty, Dilip (2010). The Geopolitical Orbits of Ancient India: The Geographical Frames of the Ancient Indian Dynasties. Oxford University Press. p. 38. ISBN 978-0-19-908832-4.
↑ Kumar, Anil (2000). "THE PANCHOBH COPPER-PLATE OF SAMGRAMA GUPTA: A STUDY". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 61: 1316.

Bibliography[edit | edit source]

Thaplyal, Kiran Kumar (1985). Inscriptions of the Maukharīs, Later Guptas, Puṣpabhūtis, and Yaśovarman of Kanauj. Indian Council of Historical Research.
Prasad Sinha, Bindeshwari (1977). Dynastic History of Magadha, Cir. 450-1200 A.D. Abhinav Publications. ISBN 9780883868218.
Alain Daniélou (2003). A Brief History of India. Inner Traditions / Bear & Co. p. 151. ISBN 978-1-59477-794-3.
Hans Bakker (2014). The World of the Skandapurāṇa. BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-27714-4.
Karl J. Schmidt (2015). An Atlas and Survey of South Asian History. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-47681-8.
Ronald M. Davidson (2012). Indian Esoteric Buddhism: A Social History of the Tantric Movement. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-50102-6.
Sailendra Nath Sen (1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization. New Age. ISBN 978-81-224-1198-0.

[Kumar2024-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Kumar, Sanjeev (2024). Treasures of the Gupta Empire: A Numismatic History of the Golden Age of India. Archaeopress. pp. 491–514. doi:10.2307/jj.17610828. ISBN 978-1-80327-796-7.

[2] Schwartzberg, Joseph E. (1978). A Historical atlas of South Asia. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 146, map XIV.1 (i). ISBN 0-226-74221-0.

[Hazra95-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 Lal Hazra, Kanai (1995). The Rise and Decline of Buddhism in India. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. pp. 81–82. ISBN 978-81-215-0651-9.

[FOOTNOTEKarl_J._Schmidt201526-4] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 Karl J. Schmidt 2015, p. 26.

[Ghosh2021-5] 5.0 ^5.1 Ghosh, Suchandra (2022). "Later Guptas". The Encyclopedia of Ancient History. pp. 1–2. doi:10.1002/9781119399919.eahaa00571. ISBN 978-1-119-39991-9.

[FOOTNOTESailendra_Nath_Sen1999246-6] Sailendra Nath Sen 1999, p. 246.

[7] Chand Jain, Kailash (1972). Malwa Through The Ages. Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House. pp. 259–261. ISBN 978-81-208-0824-9.

[8] Prasad Sinha, Bindeshwari (1974). "The Original Home of the Later Guptas". Comprehensive History of Bihar, Volume 1, Part 2: 683–690.

[9] Bakker, Hans (2023). The Skandapurāṇa IIa. Brill. p. 29. ISBN 978-90-04-48840-3.

[FOOTNOTEPrasad_Sinha197787-10] Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 87.

[FOOTNOTEPrasad_Sinha197788-11] Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 88.

[FOOTNOTESailendra_Nath_Sen1999247-12] 12.0 ^12.1 ^12.2 Sailendra Nath Sen 1999, p. 247.

[FOOTNOTEPrasad_Sinha197789-13] Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 89.

[FOOTNOTEPrasad_Sinha197791-14] Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 91.

[FOOTNOTEPrasad_Sinha197793-15] Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 93.

[FOOTNOTEPrasad_Sinha197796-16] Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 96.

[FOOTNOTEPrasad_Sinha1977119-120-17] Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 119-120.

[18] Mookerji, Radha Kumud (1 January 2016). Harsha: Calcutta University Readership Lectures 1925. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 55. ISBN 978-81-208-0862-1.

[FOOTNOTEPrasad_Sinha1977157-19] 19.0 ^19.1 Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 157.

[FOOTNOTESailendra_Nath_Sen1999248-20] 20.0 ^20.1 Sailendra Nath Sen 1999, p. 248.

[FOOTNOTEPrasad_Sinha1977162-21] Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 162.

[FOOTNOTEAlain_Daniélou2003151-22] Alain Daniélou 2003, p. 151.

[FOOTNOTEPrasad_Sinha1977163-23] Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 163.

[FOOTNOTEPrasad_Sinha1977165-24] Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 165.

[25] Asher, Frederick (1980). The Art of Eastern India: 300 - 800. University of Minnesota Press. p. 69. ISBN 978-1-4529-1225-7.

[FOOTNOTEPrasad_Sinha1977167-26] Prasad Sinha 1977, p. 167.

[FOOTNOTEThaplyal198548-27] 27.0 ^27.1 Thaplyal 1985, p. 48.

[Greavesweb-28] 28.0 ^28.1 ^28.2 Rose Greaves, Laxshmi (11 April 2019). "The Viṣṇu Temple of Ādityasena at Aphṣāḍ, Bihar". The Art of South Asia.

[29] Rose Greaves, Lakshmi (2022). "The Art of Storytelling: Scenes from the Rāmāyaṇa on Panels from a Lost Post-Gupta Temple at Rājaona, Bihar". Religions of South Asia. 16.

[30] Chandra, P (1972). "Some Remarks on Bihar Sculpture from the Fourth to the Ninth Century". Aspects of Indian Art. BRILL. pp. 59–64. ISBN 978-90-04-64443-4.

[31] Bakker, Hans (2019). Holy Ground: Where Art and Text Meet: Studies in the Cultural History of India. BRILL. pp. 538–539. ISBN 978-90-04-41207-1.

[32] Sinha Prasad, Bindeshwari (1974). "Political History of North Bihar (550-1200 AD)". Comprehensive History of Bihar, Vol 1, part 2. KP Jayaswal Research Institute. pp. 286–287.

[FOOTNOTERonald_M._Davidson201235-33] Ronald M. Davidson 2012, p. 35.

[FOOTNOTESailendra_Nath_Sen1999247-248-34] Sailendra Nath Sen 1999, pp. 247-248.

[FOOTNOTEHans_Bakker201483-35] Hans Bakker 2014, p. 83.

[36] Chakrabarty, Dilip (2010). The Geopolitical Orbits of Ancient India: The Geographical Frames of the Ancient Indian Dynasties. Oxford University Press. p. 38. ISBN 978-0-19-908832-4.

[37] Kumar, Anil (2000). "THE PANCHOBH COPPER-PLATE OF SAMGRAMA GUPTA: A STUDY". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 61: 1316.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Short description|Tenth ruling dynasty of Magadha}}{{use dmy dates|date=November 2016}}
+{{Short description|Early medieval dynasty in Magadha and Malwa}}
-{{use Indian English|date=November 2016}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2025}}
+{{Use Indian English|date=November 2025}}
 {{Infobox country
-| common_name = Later Gupta dynasty
+| common_name            = Later Gupta dynasty
 | conventional_long_name = Later Gupta dynasty
-| capital = Pataliputra
+| capital                = [[Pataliputra]]
-| religion = [[Hinduism]]
+| religion               = {{plainlist|
-| government_type = Monarchy
+* [[Hinduism]]
-| year_start = 6th century
+* [[Buddhism]]<ref name=Hazra95>{{cite book |last1=Lal Hazra |first1=Kanai |title=The Rise and Decline of Buddhism in India |date=1995 |publisher=Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers |isbn=978-81-215-0651-9 |pages=81–82 |url=https://archive.org/details/riseanddeclineofbuddhisminindiakanailalhazramrml_379_c/page/n46/mode/1up}}</ref>
-| year_end = 7th century
-| image_map = South Asia historical AD590 EN.svg
-| image_map_caption = The Later Gupta kingdom at its zenith around c. 590 CE, and its neighbours
-| image_map2 = South Asia historical AD625 EN.svg
-| image_map2_caption = The Later Guptas as vassals of [[Harsha]], c. 625 CE
-| p1 = Gupta Empire
-| p2 = Vardhana dynasty
-| s1 = Varman dynasty of Kannauj
 }}
-The '''Later Gupta dynasty''' ruled the [[Magadha]] region in eastern India between the 6th and 7th centuries CE. The Later Guptas succeeded the [[Gupta Empire|imperial Guptas]] as the rulers of Magadha, but there is no evidence connecting the two dynasties; these appear to be two distinct families.{{sfn|Karl J. Schmidt|2015|p=26}} The Later Guptas are so-called because the names of their rulers ended with the suffix "-gupta", which they might have adopted to portray themselves as the legitimate successors of the imperial Guptas.{{sfn|Sailendra Nath Sen|1999|p=246}}
+| government_type        = [[Monarchy]]
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+| coa_size               = 300px
+| symbol_type            = "Swordsman type" gold coin of [[Mahasenagupta]] from the 6th century CE. On the obverse, the King is shown holding a sword in his left hand. On the reverse, a Goddess is shown seated in a lotus pose.<ref name=Kumar2024>{{cite book |last1=Kumar |first1=Sanjeev |title=Treasures of the Gupta Empire: A Numismatic History of the Golden Age of India |date=2024 |publisher=Archaeopress |isbn=978-1-80327-796-7 |pages=491–514 |doi=10.2307/jj.17610828 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/jj.17610828}}</ref>
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+{{Annotation|text-align=center|90|110|[[Mori Rajputs|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">MORIS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|115|225|[[Pandyan dynasty|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">PANDYAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|175|84|[[Licchavi (kingdom)|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">LICCHAVIS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|125|205|[[Chola dynasty|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">CHOLAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|145|50|[[Zhangzhung|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">ZHANGZHUNG</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|105|215|[[Chera dynasty|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">CHERAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|215|125|[[Samatata|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">SAMATATAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|220|110|[[Gauda Kingdom|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">GAUDA</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|215|98|[[Kamarupa|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">KAMARUPA</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|145|165|[[Vishnukundina dynasty|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">VISHNU-<br/>KUNDINAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|125|185|[[Pallava dynasty|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">PALLAVAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|105|195|[[Alupa dynasty|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">ALUPAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|70|34|[[Nezak Huns|<span style="color:#006400FF">NEZAKS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|75|48|[[Alchon Huns|<span style="color:#006400FF">'''ALCHONS'''</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|155|155|[[Eastern Ganga dynasty|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">KALINGAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|155|130|[[Panduvamshis of Dakshina Kosala|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">PANDUVAMSHIS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|165|143|[[Shailodbhava dynasty|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">SHAILODBHAVAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|102|40|[[Gonanda dynasty (II)|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">GONANDAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=6|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|130|92|[[Maukhari dynasty|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">MAUKHARIS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|5|5|[[Western Turks|<span style="color:#006400FF">WESTERN<br/>TURKS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=8.5|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|160|3|[[Tocharians|<span style="color:#006400FF">TOCHARIANS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|60|125|'''[[Maitraka dynasty|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">MAITRAKAS</span>]]'''|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|55|95|[[Rai dynasty|<span style="color:#006400FF">RAIS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|80|97|[[Pratiharas of Mandavyapura|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">PRATIHARAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|110|70|[[Pushyabhuti dynasty|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">PUSHYA-<br/>BHUTIS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|100|160|[[Chalukya dynasty|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">CHALUKYAS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|110|125|[[Kalachuris of Mahishmati|<span style="color:#4F311CFF">EARLY<br/>KALA-<br/>CHURIS</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=7|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|text-align=center|5|55|[[Sasanian Empire|<span style="color:#006400FF">SASANIAN<br/>EMPIRE</span>]]|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=8.5|color=#000000}}
+{{Annotation|262|250|[[Template:South Asia in 500 CE|<span style="color:#4F311CFF"> ◁  </span>]] [[Template:South Asia in 800 CE|<span style="color:#4F311CFF"> ▷ </span>]]|text-align=center|font-weight=bold|font-style=normal|font-size=12|color=#000000}}
+|caption={{center|The later Gupta dynasty at its zenith, and its neighbours.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Schwartzberg |first1=Joseph E. |title=A Historical atlas of South Asia |date=1978 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |location=Chicago |page=146, map XIV.1 (i)|isbn=0-226-74221-0 |url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/reference/schwartzberg/query.py?display_type=image_display&object=183#gsc.tab=0}}</ref>}}
+}}
+| image_map_caption      =
+| image_map2             =
+| image_map2_caption     =
+| p1                     = Gupta Empire
+| p2                     = Alchon Huns
+| p3                     = Maukharis of Kannauj
+| p4                     = Maukharis of Gaya
+| s1                     = Varman dynasty (Kannauj)
+| s2                     =
+}}
+The '''Later Gupta dynasty''', also known as the '''Later Guptas of Magadha''', were the rulers of [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]] and [[Malwa]] from the 6th to 8th centuries CE. The Later Guptas emerged after the disintegration of the [[Gupta Empire|Imperial Guptas]]. However, there is no evidence to connect the two dynasties and the Later Guptas may have adopted the -gupta suffix to link themselves with the Imperial Guptas.{{sfn|Karl J. Schmidt|2015|p=26}}
+There are several important sources of information regarding the Later Guptas including two epigraphs, the [[Aphsad inscription of Ādityasena]], which sets out the genealogy of the ruling family from Kṛṣṇagupta to Ādityasena, and the Deo Baranark inscription of Jīvitagupta II. The [[Harshacharita]] of [[Bāṇabhaṭṭa]] is also an important source of information as are the records of the Chinese pilgrims [[Xuanzang]] and [[Yijing (monk)|Yijing]] which also mentions them. The [[Gaudavaho]] of Vākpatirāja refers to the victory of King [[Yashovarman]] of the [[Varman dynasty (Kannauj)|Varman dynasty]] against the king of Magadha, with the scholarly consensus being that this is a reference to Jīvitagupta II.<ref name=Ghosh2021>{{cite book |last1=Ghosh |first1=Suchandra |title=The Encyclopedia of Ancient History |chapter=Later Guptas |date=2022 |pages=1–2 |doi=10.1002/9781119399919.eahaa00571 |isbn=978-1-119-39991-9 |chapter-url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/9781119399919.eahaa00571|chapter-url-access=subscription }}</ref>{{sfn|Sailendra Nath Sen|1999|p=246}}
+==Origins==
+The general consensus among researchers of the period including [[John Faithfull Fleet]], [[Bindeshwari Prasad Sinha]] and [[Ram Shankar Tripathi]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Chand Jain |first1=Kailash |title=Malwa Through The Ages |date=1972 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House |isbn=978-81-208-0824-9 |pages=259–261 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_3O7q7cU7k0C&dq=later+guptas+malwa+through+the+ages&pg=PA260}}</ref> is that the Later Guptas emerged from the [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]] region of what is now [[Bihar]] in [[India]]. The reasoning behind this is that all inscriptions relating to the dynasty have been found in this region. A [[Nepali language|Nepalese]] inscription also refers to King Ādityasena as the "Lord of Magadha". They were likely originally feudatories under the [[Gupta Empire|Imperial Guptas]] and came into possession of large territories in Magadha following the fall of the Empire.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Prasad Sinha |first1=Bindeshwari |title=The Original Home of the Later Guptas |journal=Comprehensive History of Bihar, Volume 1, Part 2 |date=1974 |pages=683–690 |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.534083/page/n705/mode/2up?q=%22later+guptas%22}}</ref>
+[[Hans T. Bakker]] also agrees that the bulk of the evidence points to Magadha as the homeland of the Later Guptas.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bakker |first1=Hans |title=The Skandapurāṇa IIa |date=2023 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-48840-3 |page=29 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fx54EAAAQBAJ&q=The+Skandapurāṇa+IIa}}</ref>
 == History ==
+{{Asia 576 CE|right|The Later Gupta and main polities in Central Asia and South Asia {{circa|576}}.|{{Annotation|150|101|[[File:Rectangle (plain).svg|35px]]}}}}
+After the decline of the [[Gupta Empire]], the Later Guptas succeeded them as the rulers of [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]] after originally being their vassals.{{sfn|Karl J. Schmidt|2015|p=26}} Krishnagupta was the first known member of the dynasty and probably assisted the Guptas in their battles against the [[Alchon Huns]] led by [[Toramana]] with his ''floruit'' being placed around 490 to 510 CE.{{sfn|Prasad Sinha|1977|p=87}} Krishnagupta's daughter is said to have married Prince Adityavarman of the [[Maukhari]] dynasty. He was succeeded by his son, Harshagupta, who was placed from 510 to 525 CE. Inscriptions have described him as "always displaying a glorious triumph" suggesting his participation in battles against [[Mihirakula]], the successor of Toramana.{{sfn|Prasad Sinha|1977|p=88}}
-After the decline of the Gupta Empire, the Later Guptas succeeded them as the rulers of Magadha.{{sfn|Karl J. Schmidt|2015|p=26}} The daughter of the dynasty's founder Krishnagupta is said to have married prince Adityavarman of the [[Maukhari]] dynasty. According to Apshad inscription, Krishnagupta's grandson Jivitagupta carried out military expeditions in the Himalayan region and southwestern [[Bengal]].{{sfn|Sailendra Nath Sen|1999|p=247}}
+Jivitagupta I succeeded Harshagupta in 525 CE and carried out military expeditions in the Himalayan region and southwestern [[Bengal]].{{sfn|Sailendra Nath Sen|1999|p=247}} The inscriptions left by his descendants describe him as being "dreaded by the haughty foes living on the seaside shores and the Himalayas". These campaigns in Bengal were likely aimed at the [[Varman dynasty]] of [[Kamarupa]] and the [[Kingdom of Gauda]]. Jivitagupta I was likely the first king of the Later Gupta dynasty to claim independent status. He also brought the [[Maukharis of Gaya]] under his authority.{{sfn|Prasad Sinha|1977|p=89}}
-During the reign of Jivitagupta's son Kumaragupta, the dynasty developed a rivalry with the Maukharis. Kumaragupta defeated the Maukhari king [[Ishanavarman]] in 554 CE, and died at [[Prayaga]]. His son Damodaragupta suffered reverses against the Maukharis.{{sfn|Sailendra Nath Sen|1999|p=247}}
+During the reign of Jivitagupta's son, Kumaragupta, from 550 CE, the dynasty developed a rivalry with the [[Maukharis of Kannauj]] for control of the [[Ganges|Ganges valley]] after originally having cordial relations and marriage alliances.<ref name= Ghosh2021 /> Kumaragupta defeated the Maukhari king [[Ishanavarman]] in 554 CE, and extended his territory to [[Prayaga]] with Ishanavarman being forced to commit ritual suicide as a result of his loss.{{sfn|Prasad Sinha|1977|p=91}}  His son Damodaragupta, who came to the throne probably around 560 CE, suffered reverses against the Maukharis and was pushed back into Magadha, with some historians claiming that he died on the battlefield.{{sfn|Prasad Sinha|1977|p=93}}{{sfn|Sailendra Nath Sen|1999|p=247}}
-Damodaragupta's son Mahasenagupta allied with the [[Vardhana dynasty]]. His sister married the Vardhana ruler Adityavardhana. He invaded [[Kamarupa]] and defeated [[Susthita Varman]].{{sfn|Sailendra Nath Sen|1999|p=247}} But he subsequently faced three invaders: the Maukhari king Sharva-varman, the Kamarupa king [[Supratisthita Varman|Supratishthita-varman]], and the [[Tibetan Empire|Tibetan]] king [[Songtsen Gampo|Songtsen]]. His vassal [[Shashanka]] also abandoned him (and later established the independent [[Gauda Kingdom]]). Under these circumstances, Mahasena-gupta was forced to flee Magadha, and take shelter in [[Malwa]]. Subsequently, the Vardhana emperor [[Harsha]] restored the Later Gupta rule in Magadha, and they ruled as Harsha's vassals.{{sfn|Karl J. Schmidt|2015|p=26}}
+Damodaragupta's son, [[Mahasenagupta]], allied with the [[Pushyabhuti dynasty]] in response to the continued threats from the Maukharis in the West and the Varmans in the East. He also extended the domain of the Later Gupta dynasty into [[Malwa]], which had a power vacuum after the death of [[Yashodharman]].{{sfn|Prasad Sinha|1977|p=96}} His sister married the ruler [[Adityavardhana]]. He invaded [[Kamarupa]] and defeated [[Susthita Varman]].{{sfn|Sailendra Nath Sen|1999|p=247}} But he subsequently faced three invaders: the Maukhari king [[Sharvavarman]], the Kamarupa king [[Supratisthita Varman|Supratishthita-varman]], and the [[Tibetan Empire|Tibetan]] king [[Songtsen Gampo|Songtsen]]. His vassal [[Shashanka]] also abandoned him (and later established the independent [[Gauda Kingdom]]). The Maukhari king [[Sharvavarman]] is thought to have defeated Damodaragupta, invading Magadha circa 575 CE, which made him ruler of the entire [[Uttar Pradesh]].{{sfn|Prasad Sinha|1977|p=119-120}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mookerji |first1=Radha Kumud |title=Harsha: Calcutta University Readership Lectures 1925 |date=1 January 2016 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-0862-1 |page=55 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q30zEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA55 |language=en}}</ref> Under these circumstances, Mahasenagupta was forced to flee Magadha, and take shelter in [[Malwa]]. Subsequently, the Pushyabhuti emperor [[Harsha]] (ruled {{Circa|606|647 CE}}) restored the Later Gupta rule in Magadha, and they ruled as Harsha's vassals.{{sfn|Karl J. Schmidt|2015|p=26}} Mahasenagupta's grandson, Mahdhavagupta, redeclared the independence of the Later Guptas after Harsha's death.{{sfn|Prasad Sinha|1977|p=157}}
-After Harsha's death, the Later Gupta ruler Adityasena became the sovereign ruler of a large kingdom extending from the [[Ganges]] in the north to the [[Chota Nagpur Plateau|Chhota Nagpur]] in the south; and from [[Gomati River]] in the east to the [[Bay of Bengal]] in the west.{{sfn|Sailendra Nath Sen|1999|p=248}} However, he was defeated by the [[Chalukya]]s.{{sfn|Alain Daniélou|2003|p=151}}
+Madhavagupta was succeeded by [[Ādityasena]] who became the sovereign ruler of a large kingdom extending from the [[Himalayas|Himalayan]] foothills in the north to the [[Chota Nagpur Plateau|Chhota Nagpur]] in the south; and from [[Gomati River]] in the west to the [[Bay of Bengal]] in the east.{{sfn|Sailendra Nath Sen|1999|p=248}} Ādityasena's reign marked the end of the influence of the [[Tibetan Empire]] in [[Mithila (region)|North Bihar]], allowing him to incorporate the region into his domain. He was also the first Later Gupta ruler to use imperial titles and in his [[Mandar Hill]] inscription, he is referred to with the title of ''Paramabhattaraka Maharajadhiraja'' translating to "Supreme Lord, King of Kings".{{sfn|Prasad Sinha|1977|p=157}}
-Jivitagupta II, the last known ruler of the dynasty, appears to have been defeated by [[Yashovarman]] of [[Kannauj]].{{sfn|Sailendra Nath Sen|1999|p=248}}
+Adityasena's son, Devagupta, came to the throne around 680 CE. He held the same imperial titles as his father, indicating that there was no reduction in the size of the territory ruled by the Later Guptas during his reign.{{sfn|Prasad Sinha|1977|p=162}} He did however, have an encounter with the [[Chalukya]]s on or around 696 CE which ended in defeat.{{sfn|Alain Daniélou|2003|p=151}} The Chinese monk, [[Yijing (monk)|Yijing]] also visited the region during his reign and referred to him as the "King of Eastern India".{{sfn|Prasad Sinha|1977|p=163}} Devagupta's son was Vishnugupta who came to the throne around 700 CE and it seems during his rule that the territory of the kingdom saw a substantial reduction. An inscription of his has been found in [[Buxar]].{{sfn|Prasad Sinha|1977|p=165}}
-== Rulers ==
+Jivitagupta II, the last known ruler of the dynasty, still ruled Magadha, parts of Bengal and possibly up to [[Varanasi]] into the beginning of the 8th century.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Asher |first1=Frederick |title=The Art of Eastern India: 300 - 800 |date=1980 |publisher=University of Minnesota Press |isbn=978-1-4529-1225-7 |page=69 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d-gGxzx6wxIC}}</ref> He appears to have been defeated by [[Yashovarman]] of the [[Varman dynasty of Kannauj]] circa 750 CE.{{sfn|Sailendra Nath Sen|1999|p=248}} The details of his defeat were recorded in the 8th century poem, the ''[[Gaudavaho]]''. The end of the Later Guptas marked the end of the [[Magadha]] region as a centre of Indian political power and the end of a period known as ''Pax Magadhica''.{{sfn|Prasad Sinha|1977|p=167}}{{sfn|Thaplyal|1985|p=48}} Epigraphic records do however indicate that a ruler known Rāmagupta established his rule over Tirhut after Jivitagupta II's death, indicating the continuation of the Later Gupta line however they were "insignificant" in relation to the other powers of the time.{{sfn|Thaplyal|1985|p=48}}
+==Archaeology==
+[[File:7th century Vishnu temple Aphsad.jpg|thumb|Remains of a Vishnu temple built by King Adityasena of the Later Gupta dynasty in Aphsad, [[Nawada district]]]]
+The remains of a 7th-century temple dedicated to [[Vishnu]] were found by the [[Archaeological Survey of India|ASI]] in the area of Apshad in modern-day [[Nawada district]] of Bihar during excavations between 1973 and 1983.<ref name=Greavesweb>{{cite web |last1=Rose Greaves |first1=Laxshmi |title=The Viṣṇu Temple of Ādityasena at Aphṣāḍ, Bihar |url=https://theartofsouthasia.com/2019/04/11/the-viṣṇu-temple-of-adityasena-at-aphṣaḍ-bihar/ |website=The Art of South Asia |date=11 April 2019 }}</ref> The building of the temple has been connected to King Ādityasena of the Later Gupta dynasty on the basis of an inscription in nearby [[Mandar Parvat]] which attributes the building of a Vishnu temple from the same period to Ādityasena. The temple measured 15 metres in height, composed of five stories and was described as being a "rectangular pyramidal brick structure".<ref name= Greavesweb /> Within the temple are [[stucco]] reliefs depicting scenes from the [[Ramayana]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rose Greaves |first1=Lakshmi |title=The Art of Storytelling: Scenes from the Rāmāyaṇa on Panels from a Lost Post-Gupta Temple at Rājaona, Bihar |journal=Religions of South Asia |date=2022 |volume=16 |url=https://journal.equinoxpub.com/ROSA/article/view/24404}}</ref> Sculptures including a well-preserved Vishnu have also been found in and around the site of Apshad from the Later Gupta period.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Chandra |first1=P |title=Aspects of Indian Art |chapter= Some Remarks on Bihar Sculpture from the Fourth to the Ninth Century|date=1972 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-64443-4 |pages=59–64 |url=https://brill.com/edcollchap/book/9789004644434/B9789004644434_s011.xml}}</ref> Many of the shrines within the modern village of Aphsad contain statues dating back to the Later Gupta period which are still used for worship amongst the locals to this day.<ref name= Greavesweb />
+[[File:Northeastern India, Bihar, Aphsad, early Pala period, 7th Century - Personification of the Discus - 1945.367 - Cleveland Museum of Art.tif|thumb|Later Gupta period sculpture of Vishnu from Apshad]]
+===Coinage===
+Coinage from the reign of the Later Gupta kings has been relatively scarce. So far the only coins discovered are from the period of [[Mahasenagupta]] who ruled from 562-601 CE.
+The numismatic evidence makes it clear that the Later Guptas were devout [[Shaivism|Shaivites]] with depictions of [[Nandi (Hinduism)|Nandi]] replacing the depictions of [[Garuda]] that were present in the coinage of the imperial Guptas. Two types of coinage from Mahasenagupta's reign have been discovered, the "archer type" and the "swordsman type".<ref name= Kumar2024 />
+==Foreign relations==
+The Later Guptas maintained marital ties with their neighbours. One inscription in [[Pashupatinath Temple]] in [[Kathmandu]] records the marriage of the granddaughter of Adityasena to [[Shivadeva II]] who belonged to the [[Licchavis of Nepal]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bakker |first1=Hans |title=Holy Ground: Where Art and Text Meet: Studies in the Cultural History of India |date=2019 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-41207-1 |pages=538–539 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NPb7EAAAQBAJ&q=later+guptas+nepal}}</ref>
+During the reign of Jivitagupta in 539, the Later Guptas received a delegation of Buddhist monks sent by the [[Liang dynasty|Liang Emperor]] [[Emperor Wu of Liang|Wu]] who came with the purpose of collecting and translating original copies of [[Mahayana sutras]] to take back to [[China]]. The delegation was warmly received by Jivitagupta, who assigned the task of translating the texts to the monk, [[Paramartha (Chinese monk)|Paramartha]].<ref name=Hazra95 />
+During the reign of [[Adityasena]] in the latter half of the 7th century, a Chinese Buddhist monk named Hwui Li visited the Later Gupta kingdom. Hwui Li translates Adityasena's name as "Sun Army" and records that he built a "Chinese temple" (tohina) specifically to house visiting priests from China. It is speculated that Adityasena himself may have been a Buddhist.<ref name=Hazra95 />
+During the time of the Later Guptas, the [[Tibetan Empire]] had influence to the north of Magadha in [[Mithila (region)|Tirhut]] until around 703 CE. The threat of the Tibetans may have pushed the Later Guptas to ally with the Maukharis and Licchavis for a time. Once the Tibetans had left Tirhut, it was probably annexed by the Later Guptas during the reign of Jivitagupta II.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sinha Prasad |first1=Bindeshwari |title=Comprehensive History of Bihar, Vol 1, part 2|chapter=Political History of North Bihar (550-1200 AD) |date=1974 |publisher=KP Jayaswal Research Institute |pages=286–287 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.534083/page/286/mode/1up?q=tibet}}</ref>
+== List of rulers ==
 The known Later Gupta rulers include:{{sfn|Ronald M. Davidson|2012|p=35}}{{sfn|Sailendra Nath Sen|1999|pp=247-248}}{{sfn|Hans Bakker|2014|p=83}}
+* ''Nrpa Shri'' Krishnagupta (Kṛṣṇagupta), r. {{Circa|490}}-505 CE
+* ''Deva Shri'' Harshagupta (Harṣagupta), r. {{Circa|505}}-525 CE
+* ''Shri'' [[Jivitagupta I]], r. {{Circa|525}}-550 CE
+* ''Shri'' [[Kumaragupta (Later Gupta dynasty)|Kumaragupta]], r. {{Circa|550}}-560 CE
+* ''Shri'' Damodaragupta, r. {{Circa|560}}-562 CE
+* ''Shri'' [[Mahasenagupta]], r. {{Circa|562}}-601 CE
+* ''Shri'' [[Devagupta]], r. {{Circa|601}}-605 CE (As king of eastern part of the Later Gupta kingdom after defeat of his father)
+* ''Shri'' Madhavagupta, r. {{Circa|601}}-655 CE (Queen: Shrimati)
+* ''Maharajadhiraja'' [[Ādityasena]], r. {{Circa|655}}-680 CE (Queen: Konadevi)
+* ''Maharajadhiraja'' Devagupta, r. {{Circa|680}}-700 CE (Queen: Kamaladevi)
+* ''Maharajadhiraja'' Vishnugupta (Viṣnugupta) (Queen: Ijjadevi)
+* ''Maharajadhiraja'' Jivitagupta II
-* ''Nrpa Shri'' [[Krishna-gupta]] (Kṛṣṇagupta), r. c. 490-505 CE
+==Possible descendants==
-* ''Deva Shri'' [[Harsha-gupta]] (Harṣagupta), r. c. 505-525 CE
+===Guptas of Jayapura ===
-* ''Shri'' [[Jivita-gupta]] I, r. c. 525-550 CE
+A small kingdom that ruled the area around [[Lakhisarai district]] during the 11th and 12th centuries bore the name ''Gupta'' and has subsequently been linked as a surviving line of the Later Guptas.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Chakrabarty |first1=Dilip |title=The Geopolitical Orbits of Ancient India: The Geographical Frames of the Ancient Indian Dynasties |date=2010 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-908832-4 |page=38 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EIAyDwAAQBAJ&dq=khayaravala+pithi&pg=PT115}}</ref>
-* ''Shri'' [[Kumara-gupta]], r. c. 550-560 CE
+Evidence of their rule comes from the Panchob copper-plate inscription which was discovered in 1919.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kumar |first1=Anil |title=THE PANCHOBH COPPER-PLATE OF SAMGRAMA GUPTA: A STUDY |journal=Proceedings of the Indian History Congress |date=2000 |volume=61 |page=1316}}</ref>
-* ''Shri'' [[Damodara-gupta]], r. c. 560-562 CE
-* ''Shri'' [[Mahasena-gupta]], r. c. 562-601 CE
+==Gallery==
-* ''Shri'' [[Madhava-gupta]], r. c. 601-655 CE (Queen: Shrimati)
+<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
-* ''Maharajadhiraja'' [[Aditya-sena]], r. c. 655-680 CE (Queen: Konadevi)
+File:Later Gupta Four Armed Goddess.webp|Four Armed Goddess from the Later Gupta period excavated from [[Mundeshwari Temple]] and currently kept at the [[Bihar Museum]]
-* ''Maharajadhiraja'' [[Deva-gupta]], r. c. 680-700 CE (Queen: Kamaladevi)
+File:Later Gupta Vishnu Purushottama.webp|Sculpture of [[Vishnu]] from the Later Gupta period found in Benisagar in [[Singhbhum district|Singhbhum]], [[Jharkhand]]
-* ''Maharajadhiraja'' [[Vishnu-gupta]] (Viṣnugupta) (Queen: Ijjadevi)
+File:Archer type coinage of King Mahasenagupta of the Later Gupta dynasty.png|Archer type coinage of King Mahasenagupta
-* ''Maharajadhiraja'' [[Jivita-gupta II]]
+File:Aphsad Stone of Adityasena (photograph).jpg|The [[Aphsad inscription of Ādityasena]] (r. {{Circa|655}}-680 CE) establishes the genealogy of the Later Gupta dynasty down to Ādityasena.
+</gallery>
 == References ==
@@ Line 51: / Line 145: @@
 === Bibliography ===
 {{ref begin}}
+*{{cite book |last1=Thaplyal |first1=Kiran Kumar |title=Inscriptions of the Maukharīs, Later Guptas, Puṣpabhūtis, and Yaśovarman of Kanauj |date=1985 |publisher=Indian Council of Historical Research |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I5svAAAAMAAJ&q=maukharis+and+later+guptas}}
+*{{cite book |last1=Prasad Sinha |first1=Bindeshwari |title=Dynastic History of Magadha, Cir. 450-1200 A.D. |date=1977 |publisher=Abhinav Publications |isbn=9780883868218 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V3KDaZY85wYC}}
 * {{cite book |author=Alain Daniélou |title=A Brief History of India |url=https://archive.org/details/briefhistoryofin00dani |url-access=registration |page=[https://archive.org/details/briefhistoryofin00dani/page/151 151] |year=2003 |publisher=Inner Traditions / Bear & Co |isbn=978-1-59477-794-3 }}
 * {{cite book |author=Hans Bakker |title=The World of the Skandapurāṇa |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6p2XCgAAQBAJ |year=2014 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-27714-4 }}
-* {{cite book |author=Karl J. Schmidt |title=An Atlas and Survey of South Asian History |publisher=Routledge |year=2015 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BqdzCQAAQBAJ |isbn=9781317476818 }}
+* {{cite book |author=Karl J. Schmidt |title=An Atlas and Survey of South Asian History |publisher=Routledge |year=2015 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BqdzCQAAQBAJ |isbn=978-1-317-47681-8 }}
-* {{cite book |author=Ronald M. Davidson |title=Indian Esoteric Buddhism: A Social History of the Tantric Movement |publisher=Columbia University Press |year=2012 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nwyeIyWTlEMC |isbn=9780231501026 }}
+* {{cite book |author=Ronald M. Davidson |title=Indian Esoteric Buddhism: A Social History of the Tantric Movement |publisher=Columbia University Press |year=2012 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nwyeIyWTlEMC |isbn=978-0-231-50102-6 }}
-* {{cite book |author=Sailendra Nath Sen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk4_ICH_g1EC&pg=PA246 |title=Ancient Indian History and Civilization |publisher=New Age |year=1999 |isbn=9788122411980 }}
+* {{cite book |author=Sailendra Nath Sen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wk4_ICH_g1EC&pg=PA246 |title=Ancient Indian History and Civilization |publisher=New Age |year=1999 |isbn=978-81-224-1198-0 }}
 {{ref end}}
-[[Category:Dynasties of India]]
+[[Category:Later Gupta dynasty| ]]
 [[Category:Kingdoms of Bihar]]
-[[Category:States and territories established in the 6th century]]
+[[Category:6th-century establishments]]
+[[Category:8th-century disestablishments]]
 [[Category:States and territories disestablished in the 8th century]]
-[[Category:Ancient empires and kingdoms of India]]
+[[Category:Medieval Indian dynasties]]
+[[Category:Hindu states]]