Vishnugupta (Gupta Empire)

Vishnugupta Candraditya (Gupta script: Vi-ṣ-ṇu-gu-pta,[1] Sanskrit: 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.[2]

Vishnugupta
Vishnugupta Candraditya Circa 540-550 CE. The name Vi-ṣ-ṇu appears vertically under the left arm of the King.[1]
14th Gupta Ruler
Reignc. 540 – c. 550 CE
PredecessorKumaragupta III
Successor?
DynastyGupta
Gupta Empire
320 CE–550 CE
Gupta (c. late 3rd century)
Ghatotkacha (c. late 3rd century - 319)
Chandragupta I (c. 319 – 335/350)
Kacha (early 4th century?)
Samudragupta (c. 335/350 – 375)
(Ramagupta) (late 4th century?)
Chandragupta II (380 – 413/415)
Kumaragupta I (415 – 455)
Skandagupta (455 - 467)
Purugupta (467 – 473)
Kumaragupta II (473 - 476)
Budhagupta (476 – 495)
Narasimhagupta (495 – ?)
(Bhanugupta) (circa 510)
Vainyagupta (circa 507)
Kumaragupta III (circa 530)
Vishnugupta (540 – 550)

The last known inscription by a Gupta emperor is from the reign of Vishnugupta (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.[3] This follows the occupation of most of northern and central India by the Aulikara ruler Yashodharman circa 532 CE.[3]

According to a Nalanda seal, Vishnugupta was son of Kumaragupta, and grandson of Purugupta.[4]

  • Nalanda clay seal of Vishnugupta. The seal states that Vishnugupta was son of Kumaragupta, and grandson of Purugupta.[5]
  • The Damodarpur copper plate of Vishnugupta Year 224 = 542-543 CE.

References
  1. Allen, John (1914). Catalogue of the coins of the Gupta dynasties. p. 145.
  2. Agarwal, Ashvini (1989). Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas, Delhi:Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-0592-5, pp.238-9
  3. Indian Esoteric Buddhism: Social History of the Tantric Movement by Ronald M. Davidson p.31
  4. Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum Vol.3 (inscriptions Of The Early Gupta Kings) p.364
  5. Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum Vol.3 (inscriptions Of The Early Gupta Kings) p.364
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Kumaragupta III		 Gupta Emperor
540 – 550		 Succeeded by
?


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