Gupta Empire of India
320 - 550 CE

Sri Gupta and his son Ghaotkacha Gupta were rulers of a small kingdom near Magadha (present day Behar state in India). Very little was known about their origins. An inscription on a temple shows that Sri Gupta had built it for the chinese buddhist monks to worship during their piligrimage to India. Ghaotkacha Gupta's son Chandragupta I founded the Gupta Empire in 320 CE. After accession to the throne, Chandragupta I married Kumaradevi, a Licchavi princess from the adjacent kingdom ( It may have included Magadha).  This event was commemorated by issue of gold coins (Many numismatic scholars believe that the coins were issued by their son Samudragupta) showing the king and the queen, a unique event that was repeated only in the roman imperial coins. This marriage alliance united Chandragupta's and Licchavi's kingdoms. This might had been the begining of Gupta Empire. At this point, Chandragupta had taken a new title Maharajadhiraja (great king of kings).

Samudragupta was the son of Chandragupta and succeeded him in 335 CE. He ruled the empire until his death in 380 CE. Rama Gupta, eldest son of Samudragupta came to power. But, he was captured in a battle with Shaka Satrap and had to abdicate after his release. His brother Chandragupta Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II) killed Shaka Satrap in an eloborate plot and ascended to throne. He ruled the empire untill c. 414 CE. Upon Chandragupta Vikramaditya's death, his son Kumaragupta Mahendraditya ascended to the throne and ruled the Gupta empire until his death in c. 455 CE.

Skandagupta Kramaditya, son of Kumaragupta ruled the empire c.455 - 480 CE. After the death of Skandagupta,  his nephew Budhagupta Sri Vikrama ruled Malwa part of the empire between 480 - 500 CE.  Puragupta Prakasaditya, another nephew of Skandagupta ruled Magadha from 480 - 485 CE. Kumaragupta II Kramaditya, son of Puragupta ruled Magadha from 507 - 532 CE. Visnugupta Candraditya (c 540 - 550 CE) ruled during the declining years of the Gupta Empire.