What were the Castisms of the Guptas?

Goyal’s assertions can only be reinforced if it can be definitely shown that the Guptas were also brahmana by caste. Dasarath Sharma maintained that the Guptas were either kshatriyas or vaishyas who accepted the Dharana brahmanas as their gurus and had adopted their gotra.

Sharma’s conclusion was based on a reference in the Skanda Pur ana which refers to the brahmanas of the Dharana gotra living in Dharmaranya, a tract in Mirzapur district of eastern UP. The fact that the Guptas belonged to the Dharana gotra comes from the copper plate inscription of Prabhavatigupta, the daughter of Chandragupta II and the wife of Vakataka Rudrasena II.

Since the gotra of Prabhavatigupta’s husband was Vishnuvriddha, it has been inferred that Dharana was the gotra of the Guptas. Shan concludes that the Guptas who also belonged the same Dharmaranya area, must also have been brahmanas. K.P. Jayaswal has said that the Gupl belonged to the Jat clan of the Punja Raychaudhuri, however, conjectured thattl Guptas were descendants of Dharini, the chi queen of Agnimitra Shunga.

Goyal has rejected these theories and others based on the interpretatii of the word ‘Gupta’ thus, this word remindi Allan of Chandragupta Maurya, who according him, was of low caste origin. The Vishnu Pm mentions that the names ending in ‘Gupta’ a characteristic of the vaishya caste. On this ba many scholars believed that the imperial Gupt belonged to this caste. However, the terminatio Gupta is found in association with the names ofi the castes.

Another theory supports the kshatri; origin of the imperial Guptas. This theory is bas on the matrimonial alliances of the Gupta kings, the light of the anuloma and pratiloma rules it believed that the Lichchhavis married Kumaradel to Chadragupta I, the Nagas agreed to the marrial of Kubernaga with Chandragupta II a Prabhavatigupta was married to brahmana kii Rudrasena II.

However, Goyal believes that the marriage relations of the Guptas make it equal possible that they belonged to the brahmana cast. Further, from the Talagunda inscription of the Kadamba King Shantivarman we get til information that Kakusthavarman gave one of h daughters in marriage to a Gupta King.

This coil is possible only if the Guptas were brahmani themselves since pratiloma marriages wet extremely rare in the Gupta age. The only Gup princess Prabhavatigupta was given in marriage the brahmana Vakatakas.

Two other princesses i later period use also married to brahmanas. Thi Baladitya married his sister to Vasurata who was brahmana and Bhanugupta, related to Bhanugupti of Eran inscription, was also married to on Ravikirti who was also a brahmana.

These reasonings by Goyal appear to be a lit! Far-fetched, particularly in view of the fact that an atmosphere of obvious glorification of the brahmanas why did the Guptas themselves maintain such discreet’ silence, if they were actually brahmanas.

In view of the fact that many kings belonging to the non-kshatriya castes were declared Kshatriya by the brahmanas, many historians believe that the Guptas were originally vaishyas and came to be looked upon as kshatriyas.