Reign of Kumaragupta
[AD 415-455]
Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya)
was succeeded by his son Kumaragupta. Like his father, Kumaragupta was
also a very great and able ruler. He was able to keep the vast empire,
which extended
from North Bengal to Kathiawar and from the Himalayas
to the Nerbudda, intact. He ruled efficiently for nearly forty
years. However,
the last days of his reign were not good. The Gupta
empire was threatened by the invasions of Pushyamitras. The
Pushyamitras were a tribe of foreigners who were settled in
Central
India. However, Kumaragupta was successful in defeating the invaders
and performed
Ashvamedha Yajna (horse
sacrifice) to celebrate
his victory. He issued new coins with images of Lord Kartikeya.
Skandagupta becomes the King
Kumaragupta died in AD 455 and was succeeded by his son
Skandagupta. During his reign, the invasions of the Huns became more
frequent. Skandagupta repelled their early invasions and recovered
most of the imperial provinces.
Extract from An Advanced History of India
In one of the inscription the goddess of royal fortune is said to have
chosen him as her lord, having discarded the other princes. The full
import of this passage is obscure. It is, however, certain that the
superior ability and prowess of Skandagupta in a time of crisis led to
his choice as ruler in preference to other possible claimants. Proud
of his success against the barbarians, Skandagupta assumed the title of
Vikramaditya.
But the continuous attack of the Huns weakened the Gupta empire. Skandagupta
died in AD 467. After his death, the Gupta empire began to decline.
Decline of the Gupta Empire
Inscriptions prove that the Gupta sovereignty was acknowledged in the
Jabbalpur region in the Nebudda valley as late as AD 528, and in
North Bengal till AD 543-544. Kumaragupta is known to have been ruling
in AD 473-474, Buddhagupta from AD 476-495, Vainyagupta in AD 508 and
Bhanugupta in AD 510-511. The Gupta empire became to disintegrate and
till the middle of the sixth century AD, they had merely became petty
chiefs.