Give an account of the other inscriptions of the Gupta period

The other inscriptions of the Gupta period are as follows:

1. Nalanda copper plate of Samudragupta

2. Gaya copper plate of Samudragupta

3. Mathura Pillar inscription of the time of Chandragupta II

4. Sanchi stone inscription of the time of Chandragupta II

5. Mathura stone inscription of the time of Chandragupta II

6. Bilsad pillar inscription (Kumaragupta I)

7. Two Gadhwa stone inscriptions (Kumaragupta I)

8. Udaigiri cave inscription (Kumaragupta I)

9. Dhanaidaha copper plate (Kumaragupta 1)

10. Mathura Jain image inscription (Kumaragupta I)

11. Tumain stone inscription (Kumaragupta I)

12. Karamdanda Brahmanical image inscription (Kumaragupta I)

13. Kulaikuri stone inscription (Kumaragupta I)

14. Two Damodarapur copper plates (Kumaragupta 1)

15. Baigram copper plate (Kumaragupta I)

16. Mankuwar Buddhist image inscription (Kumaragupta I)

17. Indor copper plate of Skandagupta

18. Kahaum pillar inscription (Skandagupta)

19. Supia (Rewa) pillar inscription (Skandagupta)

20. Paharpur copper plate of Buddhagupta

21. Damodarpur copper plate of Buddhagupta

22. Eran pillar inscription (Buddhagupta)

23. Gunaighar copper plate of Vainyagupta

Apart from these stone, pillar and copper plate inscriptions we have many cave inscriptions, many inscriptions on the images and many inscriptions on the clay seals. These are as follows:

1. Two Udaigiri cave inscriptions (Chandragupta II’ reign)

2. Udaigiri cave inscription (Kumaragupta I’s reign)

3. Basarh clay seals of Govindagupta (Chandragupta I I’s reign)

4. Basarh clay seals of Ghatotkachagupta (Kumaragupta I’s reign)

5. Nalanda clay seal of Narasimhagupta

6. Bhitari seal (Kumaragupta II’ reign)

7. Nalanda seal (Kumaragupta II’ reign)

8. Nalanda seal (Buddhagupta’s reign)

9. Nalanda seal of Vishnugupta

10. Naland seal of Vainyagupta

11. Mathura Jain image inscription (Kumaragupta I’s reign)

12. Karamdanda Brahmanical image inscription (Kumaragupta I’s reign)

13. Mankuwar Buddhist image inscription (Kumaragupta I’s reign)

14. Sarnath Buddhist image inscription (Kumaragupta IT’s reign)

15. Sarnath Buddhist image inscription (Buddhagupta’s reign)

Many contemporary rulers and their feudatories also sometimes issued charters and engraved inscriptions on stone pillars which furnish important data regarding that age.

The next category of evidence is provided by the coins of the Guptas and their contemporaries. The first hoard of the Gupta gold coins was discovered as early as 1783 at Kalighat. Later on many such hoards were discovered.

In 1914 Allan published his famous Catalogue of the Coins of the Gupta Dynasties in which the coins found at Bharsar (1851), Jessore (1852), Hugli (1883), Tanda (1885), Kotwa (1885), Basti (1887), Hazipur (1893) and Tekri Debra (1910) were put together.

Later, A S Altekar published his Coinage of the Gupta Empire in which the coins found at Kasarva (1914), Mitathal (1915), Sakori (1914), Kumarakhan (1953) and Bayana (1946) were included. The Bayana hoard is the biggest hoard of the Gupta gold coins discovered so far. The early Gupta emperors modelled their coinage after the gold coinage of the imperial Kushanas, though very soon the process of Indianisation was at work and within a few decades the Gupta coinage had become almost thoroughly Indian in character.

From the internal evidence of a coins-series we know about some specific events in the Gupta political history. From the ashvamedha type coins of Kumaragupta I we know that he performed this expensive sacrifice; from Chandragupta I – Kumaradevi type we know the importance of Gupta-Lichchhavi alliance.

The coin-types issued by Samudragupta create the impression that his reign was marked by unusual military activity while the types issued by Chandragupta II give the impression that in his reign the atmosphere in the Gupta court had become more sober and sophisticated.

The Gupta kings rarely announce their full titles on their coins, though they invariably mention their personal epithets. On the other hand, the Gupta rulers inscribed on their coins legends announcing their meritorious deeds. This is in contrast to the coins issued by the foreign rulers.

The coinage of the successors of Kumaragupta I reveal a gradual decline in their artistic execution and fineness. It not only indicates the general deterioration in the economic condition of the empire but also helps us in assigning a probable date to a king who is not known from other sources. For, generally speaking the coins of the rude fabric are relatively later than the finely executed types.

The inference is strengthened by the history of the metrology of the Gupta gold coins. The coins of Chandragupta I follow the standard of 121 grains. The same is the case with most of the coins of Samudragupta though some of them are even lighter and weigh in the vicinity of 115 and 118.