Gupta–Vakataka Conflicts

Date	4th century–5th century
Location	Central India, Western Malwa, Maharashtra, Nandivardhana and Madhya Pradesh.
Result	Vakataka victory
Territorial changes	Eastern parts of Vakataka dynasty captured by Samudragupta Vakataka capital Nandivardhana captured by Kumaragupta I Kosala, Mekala, and Malwa incorporated into Vakataka dynasty

Belligerents

Gupta Empire

Vakataka dynasty

Commanders and leaders

Samudragupta (WIA)
Chandragupta II
Kumaragupta I
Skandagupta
Budhagupta

Rudrasena I †?
Prithivishena I
Narendrasena
Prithivishena II
Harishena

Gupta–Vakataka Conflicts refers to millitary engagments between Gupta Empire and Vakataka dynasty during 4th century to 5th century. Samudragupta who was a key figure in Gupta history, he invaded the Vakataka dynasty during his Southern Campaign tho many Historians reject this claim it can be said he was the one who started this conflict. His successor Chandragupta II made friendly relations with the Vakatakas by offering his daughter Prabhavatigupta which helped him during Gupta–Saka Wars. Friendly relations continued until the ascension of Kumaragupta I who led a Deccan Campgain against Vakatakas. The hostilities between the two continued till the regin of Harishena.

Prelude

Samudragupta's Conquests

Main article: Samudragupta

The Allahabad Prashasti, written by Harisena, is a detailed account of Samudragupta's military campaigns. In his first Aryavarta campaign, Samudragupta targeted the local rulers of the Ganga valley, decisively defeating and displacing them. Prominent among these were Achyuta, Ganapati Naga, and Nagasena. The ruler of the Kota dynasty was also captured and compelled to acknowledge the suzerainty of the Gupta Empire. After consolidating his power in the Ganga Valley, Samudragupta set his sights on southern India and embarked on the Dakshinapatha campaign. In this campaign, he defeated 11 southern kings, capturing, liberating, and reinstating them on their thrones as vassals of the Gupta Empire, thereby establishing them as tributary states.

After the Dakshinapatha campaign was over, Samudragupta, during his final military campaign in Aryavarta or northern India, defeated nine kings, incorporating their territories into the Gupta Empire directly under his administration. This was a campaign marked by brutal violence and even called a "war of extermination" on the Aryavarta rulers.

Malavas

Utkala

Ganjam

Vizagapatam

Godavari

Krishna

Nellore

Prayaga

Magadh

N. Sakas

W. Sakas

Vakatakasclass=notpageimage| Samudragupta's military campaign in the South (Eastern Deccan Region along the Bay of Bengal), North and West with boundaries.

Samudragupta and Vakatakas

Some historians had earlier identified Rudrasena with Rudradeva, one of the kings of Aryavarta mentioned in the Allahabad pillar inscription as having been defeated and killed by Samudragupta. This identification, according to A.S. Altekar, is highly speculative and unlikely for many reasons. For example, Aryavarta is north India, but the Vakataka kingdom was based in Dakshinapatha or the Deccan region. The two powers hardly had any opportunity to clash as their territories and areas of operation were largely segregated. It is known that even when Samudragupta invaded south, he did not clash with the Vakatakas, who were still at the same place. It is unlikely that Rudrasena's son, Prithivishena, later married a princess of the Gupta house, Prabhavatigupta, if Rudrasena was really murdered by Samudragupta.

Chandragupta II and Vakatakas

Chandragupta II is believed to have arranged the marriage of his daughter, Prabhavatigupta, to Rudrasena II, the crown prince of the Vakataka dynasty, to forge a strategic alliance during his campaign against the Sakas. This alliance was particularly advantageous due to the Vakataka dynasty's potential influence in conflicts with the Saka satraps in Gujarat and Saurashtra. However, some scholars question the extent of the Vakataka royal family's active involvement, especially under Prithivishena I, during Chandragupta II's western campaign. Prithivishena I, described as a Dharmavijayin, had previously participated in Samudragupta's campaigns in the Deccan but did not pursue aggressive expansionist policies. Furthermore, the conquest of Kuntala, often attributed to the Vakataka dynasty, is now believed to have been achieved by a different branch of the family.

Inscriptional accounts portray Prithvishena I as having chivalrous virtues rather than conquest ambitions. There is disagreement amongst historians whether he presented a serious challenge against Chandragupta II's ambitions of conquering the west. However, the strategic matrimonial alliance between the Gupta and Vakataka kingdoms by Chandragupta II is viewed more on his pragmatic side, the Vakataka king's role in assisting the Gupta king in the latter's western offensive in question by historians and scholars.

The marriage of Prabhavatigupta with Rudrasena II must have occurred about 380 CE or in the very next year and the invasion of the Saka kingdom toward the end of the first decade of the fifth century or later. These two occurrences are also separated by about 20 years and are unlikely connected. However, the matrimonial alliance was useful for the Gupta Empire.

Kumaragupta I and Vakatakas

Kumaragupta's Deccan Campaign

The death of Pravarasena II might have triggered a succession struggle that Narendrasena won in the end. Vakataka inscriptions show that Narendrasena had to "restore the fortunes of his family" after some unspecified calamity, which many historians interpret as a reference to the consequences of the succession struggle. However, historian A.S. Altekar, on the other hand, offers an alternative version of this interpretation. According to him, these accounts actually describe the invasion of Bhavadattavarman, Nala king of Bastar and Kumaragupta of Gupta Empire. The two rulers had advanced into Vidarbha and captured Nandivardhana, the erstwhile Vakataka capital. According to Altekar, Narendrasena had repelled the Nalas and Guptas from his kingdom successfully.

Pushyamitras and Kumaragupta

Historian Altekar considers Narendrasena as a Vakataka ruler who crushed the Nalas and annexed their kingdom at the end of Bhavadattavarman. Inscriptions left by Prithivishena II, son of Narendrasena, describe how the kings of Kosala, Mekala, and Malwa had submitted to Narendrasena's sway. It seems Narendrasena had opened the doors to much more extensive territories for the Vakatakas. Meanwhile, in northern India, at least, there was also a big menace in the form of the invading Hunas for the Gupta Empire. This probably provided Narendrasena with the chance to consolidate and extend his rule in central India. Kumaragupta I of Gupta Empire appears to have suffered reverses at the hands of the alliance known as "Pushyamitras".

Skandagupta and Vakatakas

Pushyamitras invasion

The events between 455 and 467 CE highlight Skandagupta's role in defeating the Pushyamitras.

By whom, when prepared himself to restore the fallen fortunes of (his) family, a (whole) night was spent on a couch that was the bare earth; and then, having conquered the Pushyamitras, who had developed great power and wealth, he placed (his) left foot on a footstool which was the king (of that tribe himself).
— Line 10, Bhitari pillar inscription of Skandagupta

Skandagupta, the son of Kumaragupta, had a long and arduous campaign against Pushyamitras, who had become rich and powerful with substantial military strength. Inscriptions mention that at some point in the campaign, Skandagupta was forced to sleep on the ground for one night as the situation had become that serious. However, he managed to survive these hardships and came out triumphant.

This victory is thought to have occurred towards the end of Kumaragupta's rule, when he must have been well past the prime of life and too old to lead the military himself. The task fell therefore on Skandagupta's shoulders. The victory was of such a monumental nature that the Bhitari inscription testifies to songs about his valour and conquests being sung across the empire. Historian Goyal assumed that perhaps the rebel leader to lead the rebellion was the Panduvamshi king Bharatabala.

Vakataka invasion of Malwa

Main article: Vakataka invasion of Malwa

According to R.C. Majumdar, Narendrasena defeated the local Gupta feudatories who had shifted their allegiance from the Gupta Empire to him, leading to the incorporation of Malwa into the Vakataka dynasty.

While Historian Dasgupta states that Vakataka dynasty ruler Narendrasena was recorded to rule over the areas of Kosala, Mekala, and Malwa. There is no confirmed date regarding his reign; however, it is widely assumed that he lived around the time of Gupta emperor Skandagupta. If this assumption is true, Narendrasena could have invaded Malwa, perhaps during the later years of Skandagupta when the region was in chaos. However, this campaign seems to have been short-lived, as Narendrasena could not hold Malwa for long.

A.S. Altekar also believes that Narendrasena captured Malwa from Skandagupta.

Conquests of Harishena

Harishena, king of the Basim branch of Vakataka dynasty, quickly captured all the important land of the parent dynasty and promoted his authority in Gujarat, Malwa, southern Kosala, Andhra, and Kuntala. There is a possibility that Harishena had usurped his power for a while when the Traikutaka king Dharasena died around 495 A.D. Moreover, it is probable that Harishena conquered Malwa, the territory was lost from Gupta dominance either before or after the death of Budhagupta. While some scholars state that it was captured from Local Gupta Fedutaries.

Aftermath

According to the eighth chapter of Dashakumaracharita by Dandin, written around 125 years after the fall of the Vakataka dynasty, the son of Harishena though was talented neglected political studies and indulged in pleasures, leading his subjects to do the same. The ruler of Ashmaka exploited this by sending a minister's son to the Vakataka court, encouraging the king's dissolute behavior and weakening his forces. When the Vakataka kingdom went into disarray, the Kadamba king of Vanavasi was provoked to invade, and the Vakataka king was treacherously murdered by his own feudatories. This was the end of the Vakataka dynasty. The 519 CE copper plates of Kadamba king Ravivarma suggest that the Kadambas annexed the Vakataka territory during Ravivarma's reign of 485–519 CE.

References

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Majumdar, Ramesh Chandra; Altekar, Anant Sadashiv (1954). Vakataka Gupta age (Circa 200-550 A.D.). p. 109.
K. K Dasgupta (1960). A Comprehensive History Of India Vol. 3, Part. 1. p. 77.
Bakker, Hanes (1977). The Vakatakas: An Essay in Hindu Iconology.
Majumdar, R. c And Altekar (1946). New History Of The Indian People Vol. 6: The Vakataka-Gupta Age. Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 100–122.
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