SOAS Research Online

Abstract

The present studies have been taken up to throw fresh light on many problems of the political history of Magadha during the period under review. Many of these problems have been solved and better alternatives to some of the suggested solutions have been offered. The introduction contains a review of the work previously done by scholars, a discussion on the impact of geography and economics on the political history from the earliest times to the death of Kumara-gupta 1. In the first chapter it has been shown that Kumara-gupta 1 was succeded by Puru-gupta and not by Skanda-gupta as generally held. Kumara-gupta of the Samatha inscription is different from the Kumara-gupta of the Bhitari Seal. The second chapter deals with the reign of Skanda-gupta and Kumara-gupta 11, and the third chapter is devoted to Budha-gupta who has been shown to be the last great Gupta emperor and the coins of Prakas' Aditya have been assigned to him; The fourth chapter deals with the break-up of the empire under the successors of Buddha-gupta and, Valnya-gupta, Prakatiditya and Bhanu gupta have been placed in proper sequence.The fifth chaptter proves that the original home of the 'later Guptas' was somewhere in Magadha, not in Malwa. The sixth is concerned with the rule of the later Guptas' before the conquest of Magadha by the Maukharis. Magadha under the Maukharis, is dealt with in the seventh chapter and under Jayanaga and S'aa'Snka is discussed in the eighth Purnavarman and Harsa take up the nihth chapter.The tenth is devoted to the 'later guptas' said it is made clear that the kingdom of Adityasena and Devagupta was much more extensive than ordinarily believed. In the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth chapters, which deal with the rise of the Palas and the rule of Dharmapala and -Devapala. many fresh solutions have been offered as regards the genealogy and chronology of the period. the fourteenth deals with the disruption of the empire after the Death of Devapaila and the fifteenth gives an account of the x restoration of the empire under Mahipaila 1.