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(?)-gupta, we shall have to refer to many events of the reigns of Skanda-gupta and Kumāragupta II, whose rale intervened between those of Kamāra-gupta I and Budha-gupta. .
From the evidence of the dates 124 and 129, which undoubtedly refer to the Gupta era, recorded in Plates Nos. 1 and 2, and from the use in them of the paramount titles parama-daivata, parama-bhattaraka and mahārājādhiraja, it is clear that the Kumāra-gupta of these two inscriptions must be the imperial monarch Kumāra-gupta I, son and successor of Chandra-gupta II. Another inscription belonging to the same monarch's reign bears the date 129 G.E. From these two plates of the reign of Kumara-gupta I we discover for the first time that North Bengal (the bhukti of Pundravardhana) was a province under the political jurisdiction of the imperial Guptas. The governors of this bhukti were, as we see, appointed by the emperors themselves, and had in their turn the power of appointing the vishayapatis (district officers) of Kotivarsha (which we identify with the tract of country constituting the northern part of the modern District of Rājshahi and the southern part of that of Dinajpur, including perhaps a portion of the Districts of Malda and Bogra). At least during the period between 124 G.E. and 129 G.E. we find that North Bengal was governed by the Emperor's dependant, Chirāta. datta, enjoying the use of the title of uparika, under whom again kumärämätya Vētravarman administered the Kotivarsha vishaya from the adhishthāna (town) of the same name. North Bengal during the Gupta period, therefore, formed an integral part of the Gupta empire. Hereby the north-eastern limit of that empire is definitely settled, North Bengal (Pandravardhana) coming within the bounds of the Gupta empire, but Kamarüpa remaining 48 an outlying provinco ruled by pratyanta-ntipatis (as known from the Allahabad stone pillar ingcription of Samudra-gupta, 11. 22-23), acknowledging a certain amount of obedience to the Gapta sovereigns. The absence of any mention of the old, but neighbouring, country of Paņdravardhana from the list of countries conquered by Samudra-gupta led us at one time to think that this province formed from the beginning a part of the Magadhan empire under the early Gupta ralers, and was under the direot jurisdiction of the Guptas. That such an inference is true is now proved by the discovery of new facts from the epigraphic records under discussion. Mr. Vincent Smith's once probable identification of the tributary kingdom of Davāka (which also, like Kāmaräpa, was an outlying province and acknowledged a certain amount of obedience to the Gupte sovereigns) as having corresponded with the Bogra (Bagraba), Dinajpur and Rajshahi Districts to the north of the Ganges" is now to be regarded as incorrect ; for these districts of North Bengal form the old bhukti of Pandravardhana, governed by the agents of the Gupta emperors.
Another point that may be raised here is that Plates Nos. 1 and 2 show no reduction of Kumāra-gupta I's power-they rather point to the fact that at least in the eastern portion of the Gupta dominions his rule continued uninterruptedly. From the mere use of the subordinate title of mahārāja with the name of Kumāra-gapta I in the Manku war inscription mentioned above the late Dr. Fleet3 started an alternative theory that towards the end of Kumāra-gupta I's reign the emperor was reduced to feudal rank owing to the beginning of the attacks of the Hiņas and the Pushyamitras. Troubles the emperor must have had in the western part of his vast dominion ; but there is no clear evidence to show that he was actually reduced to the rank of a feudatory ruler. Our plates, on the contrary, show that even in 129 G.E., so near to the end of his long reign, the emperor was ruling in full glory at least in the east.
The Mankuwar stone-image inscription-Fleet, C. I. I., Vol. III, No. 11. ? V. Smith, Early History of India, 3rd Edition, p. 285. • Fleet, C. I.I., Vol. III, p. 46.
