Chandragupta II "Vikramaditya" - One of the greatest rulers of ancient India

Gold coin of Chandragupta ll, showing him on a horse with a bow in his hand

Chandragupta II was one of the greatest ruler of ancient India. He was the son and the successor of the Gupta Emperor Samudragupta. He ruled in the period between 380 AD to 415 AD. During this period Gupta Empire reached its zenith. Tremendous progress was witnessed in the spheres of art, architecture, literature, learning and cultural development of ancient India achieved new heights. His reign is therefore called the "Golden age of India".

Chandragupta's ascendance to the throne was quite dramatical. According to "Devichandraguptam" of Vishakhadutta, Ramagupta the elder son of Samudragupta, usurped the right to the throne of his younger brother Chandragupta II (who was declared the as the future King after Samudragupta's death) and also married his betrothed Dhruvadevi by force. Ramagupta was a weak ruler not worthy of the prestige of the great Guptas. He fought against the Saka ruler Rudrasimha III and lost badly.

The Saka king demanded that Ramagupta hand over his wife Dhruvadevi in exchange for peace. The weak king was inclined to accept these terms, to the outrage of his wife and his brother Chandragupta. Using subterfuge, Chandragupta went to the Saka camp, killed the Saka king and won the victory and also the esteem of his people and the queen. Chandragupta then deposed Ramagupta and sat on the throne of the Gupta Empire as Chandragupta II. He also married Dhruvadevi and made her the chief queen.

Chandragupta II followed the expansionist policies of his father Samudragupta and carved out a vast empire, that extended from the mouth of the Ganges to the mouth of the Indus River and from what is now North Pakistan down to the mouth of the Narmada. He also strengthened his position by marriage alliances.

He married a Naga Princess, Kubernaga, that earned him the association with the powerful Nagas of the Northern India. He also married his daughter Prabhavati devi, to Rudrasena II, of the Vakataka dynasty - the mighty kingdom of the Deccan. Rudrasena died in due course and his young son became the ruler. Prabhavati acted as the regent of the minor prince and it was during this period that the virtual control of the Vakataka kingdom came into the hands of the Guptas.

Chandragupta II used this opportunity to suppress the Sakas of Western India. Saka power was completely destroyed and Gujarat and Malwa were annexed into the Gupta Empire. After defeating the Sakas, Chandragupta II took the title of "Sakari" or the "Slayer of the Sakas". He also performed Ashvamedha Yajna and took the title of "Vikramaditya" to proclaim himself the mightiest King of the time.

His victory over Malwa allowed access to the western sea and greatly enhanced trade and commerce of the Empire. Ujjain became a commercial hub and the second capital of the Guptas after Pataliputra. The large number of beautiful gold coins issued by him are a testament to the grandeur of that age. In addition, Chandragupta II was the first Gupta king to issue silver coins. These coins were intended to replace the silver coinage of the Western Kshatrapas after Chandragupta II defeated them, and were modelled on the Kshatrapa coinage.

Silver coin of Chandragupta II, minted in his Western territories, in the style of the Western Satraps

Chandragupta II's reign saw an all round cultural development in the country. His splendid royal court was adorned by the Navaratna or the nine jewels. By patronizing men like Kalidas, Varah Mihira, Vararuchi, Betalabhatta, Ghatakarpura, Dhanantwari, Kshapanaka, Amarsingha etc, Chandragupta II rendered valuable services to the culture of his age.

Chandragupta II was a devotee of Vishnu. He made the figure of Garuda the Vahana of Vishnu as the emblem of the Gupta flag. He styled himself as the Paramabhagavata. During his time India saw the activities of Brahmanic Hinduism. It led to the wonderful sculptural activities all over the country. Countless images of the Hindu gods and goddesses were made for purpose of worship.

The Iron pillar at Delhi originally erected and dedicated as dhvaja (banner) to Hindu deity Lord Vishnu is associated with Chandragupta II. The pillar has attracted the attention of archaeologists and materials scientists because of its high resistance to corrosion and has been called a "testimony to the high level of skill achieved by the ancient Indian iron smiths in the extraction and processing of iron". The pillar is made of 98% wrought iron and has stood more than 1,600 years without rusting or decomposing.

Iron Pillar at Delhi erected by Chandragupta II

Chinese traveller Fahien visited India during the reign of Chandragupta II. While he did not mention Chandragupta Vikramaditya by name in his travelogue, he provided a general description of North India at that time. Fahian wrote, "The people were rich and prosperous and seemed to emulate each other in the practice of virtue. Charitable institutions were numerous and rest houses for travelers were provided on the highway. The capital possessed an excellent hospital."