23 Facts About Chandragupta II

Chandragupta II continued the expansionist policy of his father Samudragupta, mainly through military conquest.

Chandragupta II was the second ruler of the dynasty to bear the name "Chandragupta", the first being his grandfather Chandragupta I He was simply known as "Chandra", as attested by his coins.

The Delhi iron pillar inscription states that king Chandra was known as "Dhava": if this king Chandra is identified with Chandragupta II, it appears that "Dhava" was another name for the king.

Chandragupta II assumed the titles Bhattaraka and Maharajadhiraja, and bore the epithet Apratiratha.

Chandragupta II was a son of Samudragupta and queen Dattadevi, as attested by his own inscriptions.

The kalanuvarttamana year cannot be regnal year, because Chandragupta II I is not known to have ruled for as long as 61 years.

Since the kalanuvarttamana system restarts counting every 100 years, the kalanuvarttamana era used during the reign of Chandragupta II must have started in 327 CE.

Chandragupta II's empire seems to have extended from the mouth of the Indus and northern Pakistan in the west to the Bengal region in the east, and from the Himalayan terai region in the north to the Narmada River in the south.

Historical and literary evidence suggests that Chandragupta II achieved military successes against the Western Kshatrapas, who ruled in west-central India.

The only important power to have ruled in this region during Chandragupta II's period were the Western Kshatrapas, whose rule is attested by their distinct coinage.

The coins of this type reappear in the second decade of the 5th century, and are dated in the Gupta era, which suggests that Chandragupta II subjugated the Western Kshatrapas.

The exact date of Chandragupta II's victory is not known, but it can be tentatively dated to sometime between 397 and 409.

Chandragupta II's coins, dated to 409, are similar to the Kshtrapa coins, with the Shakas' Buddhist vihara symbol replaced by the Gupta symbol of Garuda.

Chandragupta II bore the title Vikramaditya, and several Indian legends talk of king Vikramaditya who defeated the Shakas.

However, there is no evidence that Chandragupta II annexed Punjab to the Gupta Empire, which suggests that Chandragupta II's victory in this region was not a decisive one.

The identification of Chandra with Chandragupta II suggests Chandragupta achieved victories in the Vanga area in the present-day Bengal region.

Chandragupta II married Kuvera-naga, whose name indicates that she was a princess of the Naga dynasty, which held considerable power in central India before Samudragupta subjugated them.

Many gold and silver coins of Chandragupta II, as well the inscriptions issued by him and his successors, describe him as a parama-bhagvata, that is, a devotee of the god Vishnu.

Chinese pilgrim Faxian visited India during the reign of Chandragupta II, and spent around six years in the Gupta kingdom.

Chandragupta II was mostly interested in Buddhist religious affairs, and did not bother to record the name of the reigning king.

Chandragupta II describes an annual Buddhist celebration, which involved a procession of 20 grand carts of Buddhas, the Brahmanas's invitation to the Buddhas to enter the city, and music performances.

Chandragupta II conquered Malwa after defeating the Western Kshatrapas ; he expelled the Kushanas from Mathura.

Bhandarkar believe that the name of the era changed to "Vikram Samvat" after the reign of Chandragupta II, who had adopted the title Vikramaditya.