Chandragupta I
| Chandragupta I | |
|---|---|
| Maharajadhiraja | |
A coin depicting Chandragupta and Kumaradevi. The name () Chandra(-gupta) appears vertically under the left arm of the emperor. This unique coin type of Chandragupta I was probably issued by his successor Samudragupta as a commemorative issue. | |
| Gupta emperor | |
| Reign | c. 319 – c. 335 |
| Coronation | 26 February 320 |
| Predecessor | Ghatotkacha |
| Successor | Samudragupta |
| Co-ruler | Kumaradevi |
| Died | 335 |
| Spouse | Kumaradevi |
| Issue | Samudragupta, Possibly Kacha |
| House | Gupta Empire |
| Dynasty | Gupta |
| Father | Ghatotkacha |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Gupta Empire 320–550 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Chandragupta I (Gupta script: Cha-ndra-gu-pta, r. c. 319–335) was a monarch of the Gupta Empire, who ruled in northern and central India. His title "Mahārājadhirāja" (lit. 'Great king of kings') suggests that he was the first suzerain ruler of the dynasty. It is not certain how he turned his small ancestral kingdom into an empire, although a widely accepted theory among modern historians is that his marriage to the Licchavi princess Kumaradevi helped him extend his political power. Their son Samudragupta further expanded the Gupta Empire.