For many centuries, the Kushans and various other small principalities controlled the Gangetic Plain, but in about a. d. 320, a great ruler like Chandragupta arose to build a new empire based in Magadha. His name was also Chandra Gupta (r. a. d. 320-335), but the two parts of his name were separated, just like a modern person's: Chandra—sometimes shown as
Candra—was his personal name, and Gupta the name of his family, a title which attached to the dynasty he founded.
As for whether or not Chandra Gupta was actually descended from Chandragupta, historians are unclear on this point. What is clear is that Chandra Gupta built a great new empire that would usher in what is known as the “Golden Age” of ancient India. He extended his rule throughout the Gangetic Plain, and his son Samudra Gupta (sah-MOOD-rah; r. c. A. D. 335-376) broadened the reaches of the empire to include much of the subcontinent. In the south, Samudra defeated the Pallavas (pah-LAH-vuhz), a minor dynasty, and conquered the Punjab to the west with much bloodshed. By the time he died, the only other major force in northern India was the Sakas.
Chandra Gupta II (r. a. d. c. 380-c. 415) proved to be the greatest of the Gupta rulers. He dealt with the Sakas and spread his control over the areas of central India that had been ruled by a dynasty called the Vakatakas (vah-kuh-TAH-kuhz). His empire never reached the dimensions of Asoka's because his authority over the Punjab and the Deccan was much less firm than that of the earlier conqueror; nevertheless, the Gupta Empire proved to be the greatest since that of the Mauryans.
World History
