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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JUNE, 1902.
that Samudra Gupta described himself on his coins by two different names, I feel disposed to adhere to the belief that Kacha is only another name (biruda) of Samudra Gupta.
The only possible alternatives are the theory preferred by Mr. Rapson, who supposes that Kacha was a brother of Samudra Gupta, and enjoyed a very brief reign as his predecessor, or the assumption that Kacha was a pretender, and a rival to the brother who had been selected by their father as heirapparent. It is possible that when Chandra Gupta I. died, his chosen heir was far from the capital in charge of a remote province, or commanding an invasion of foreign territory, and that Kâcha, being on the spot, was in a position to seize the throne of which he maintained possession for a brief space. This explanation of the problem is supported by the fact that Kacha's coins seem to be inferior in purity of metal to those both of Chandra Gupta I. and Samudra Gupta. But the alleged inferiority is not quite certain, 11 Mr. Rapson's suggestion is rendered improbable by the omission of Kacha's name from genealogies, and by the facts that Samudra Gupta was selected by his father as heir-apparent, and always claims to have succeeded directly. On the whole, I lean to the opinion that the hypothesis of the identity of Kacha and Samudra Gupta offer a les difficulties than either of the alternatives.
Bo far as the general chronology of the dynasty is concerned, it is immaterial which solution is accepted. The inscriptions prove that in any case Samudra Gupta must be regarded as the immediate successor of his father. Kâche, if a distinct person, must have been a rival claimant to the throne, who reigned for a short time in the home provinces concurrently with Samudra Gupta.
I waume the year G. E. 7, A. D. 828, ss that in whioh Chandra Gupta I. died, and Bamudra Gupta succeeded him. The rival rule of Kicha, if a reality, cannot have lasted more than a year or two, simultaneously with the beginning of Samudra Gupta's reign.
The year G. E. 82,= A. D. 401, as already observed, fell in the reign of Chandra Gupta II., the son and successor of Samudra Gupta. The latest inscription of Chandra Gupta is dated G. E. 93, and the earliest inscription of his son and successor Kumara Gupta is dated in G. E. 96.12 We cannot therefore err materially if we place the death of Chandra Gupta II, and the accession of his son and successor, KumAra Gupta I., in the year G. E. 94, = A. D. 418.
The interval between 326 A. D. and 413 A. D., amounting to 86 complete years, must be allotted to the two reigns of Samudra Gupta and his son and successor, Chandra Gupta II., who is known to have been reigning in A. D. 401. Evidently both reigns must have been exceptionally long, a fact clearly apparent also from the numismatio evidence.
If we assume that Samudra Gupta was twenty years of age when he entered upon his heritage, it is improbable that he attained an age exceeding eighty years. On this assumption, his death cannot be placed later than A. D. 886, and probably it occurred earlier. In the absence of specific evidence, I assume A. D. 876 as a close approximation to the true date of the transmission of the orown from Samudra Gupta to his chosen and ablo B2000880r, Chandra Gupta II., but the death of Samudra Gupta may have occurred some years earlier.
The limits of the reign of Kumara Gupta I., son and successor of Chandra Gupta II., are known with sufficient accuracy. He came to the throne, Ms we have seen, not earlier than
11 Cunningham gives the following figures as the result of the analyses or assays which he caused to be made (0. Mod. I. p. 16): No. of coins tested. King. Moon weight in graine. Puno gola. Alloy. Highest weight. Obandra Gupta I.
123
1076 154
1238 50 Samudra Gupta.
128
1076 154
1280 Kloha.
123
102-6 20-5
1185 If the highest weight' of 8 specimens of Klobs was 1185, the mean weight cannot have been 128 grains. A coin of Mr. Rivett-Carnao's is said to weigh 1858 (* Coinage,' p. 74). Ordinarily the coins of Kaohs are of light weight, the mean of four specimens being 114-95. Mr. Rivett-Carnac's other specimens weighed 116 6. 11 G. E. 82, Udayagiri insoription of Chandra Gapta II. (Flort, No. 8);
G. E. 93 ; Sánchi insoription of Chandra Gupta II. (Fast, No. 5); G E. 96; Bilsad insoription of Kamara Gupta I. (Fleet, No. 10).
12
