A History of India, Third Edition

THE GREAT ANCIENT EMPIRES

The Allahabad inscription also lists fourteen realms and tribes whose
rulers are described as ‘border kings’ (pratyanta-nripati). These rulers paid
tribute (kara) to Samudragupta and were prepared to follow his orders
(ajna) and to show their obedience (pramana) by attending his court. The
list includes Samatata (southeast Bengal), Kamarupa (Assam), and Nepal
as well as tribal chieftaincies in eastern Rajasthan and northern Madhya
Pradesh (e.g. Malwas, Abhiras and Yaudehas). Furthermore some jungle
rajas (atavikaraja) are mentioned whom Samudragupta had made his
servants (paricaraka). The jungle rajas probably lived in the Vindhya
mountains. Later inscriptions also mention eighteen such ‘forest states’ in
this area. Another group of kings listed in the inscription are those
independent rulers who lived beyond the realms of the border kings. The
Kushanas (the Daivaputra Shahi Shahanushahi mentioned in the previous
chapter), the Shakas, Murundas, as well as Simhala (Sri Lanka) and the
inhabitants of ‘all islands’ are referred to in this context. It is stated that
these independent rulers sent embassies to Samudragupta’s court, donated
girls for his harem and asked him for charters with the imperial Garuda
Seal which would certify their legitimate title to their respective realms.
The Shakas or Kshatrapas of western India were subdued only by
Samudragupta’s successor after a long struggle. The Kushanas in north-
western India, Gandhara and Afghanistan were certainly beyond
Samudragupta’s reach but they must have been interested in good
diplomatic relations with him. The reference to Sri Lanka and the
inhabitants of all islands seems to be rather strange in this context, but
there is fortunately some Chinese evidence for Sri Lanka’s relations with
Samudragupta. According to a Chinese report, King Meghavanna of Sri
Lanka had asked Samudragupta for his permission to build a monastery
and a guesthouse for Buddhist pilgrims at Bodh Gaya. For this purpose
Meghavanna must have sent an embassy with presents to Samudragupta
which he considered to be a tribute just as the Chinese emperor would
have done in a similar context. Diplomatic relations were established in
this way without any effect on the actual exercise of political control.

The structure of the Gupta empire

From the very beginning, the Gupta empire revealed a structure which it
retained even at the height of its expansion (see Map 6) and which served
as a blueprint for all medieval kingdoms of India. The centre of the empire
was a core area in which Samudragupta had uprooted all earlier rulers in
two destructive wars (prasabha-uddharana, i.e. violent elimination). This
area was under the direct administration of royal officers. Beyond this area
lived the border kings some of whom Samudragupta even reinstated after
they had been presumably subdued by some of their rivals. These border
kings paid tribute and were obliged to attend Samudragupta’s court. In