Samudragupta who reigned through 335 to 380 BC was the second ruler of Gupta Dynasty who brought golden age in India. Samudragupta was a benevolent ruler, a great warrior and patron of arts. Samudragupta was the son of Chandragupta I and probably the freatest king of Gupta dynasty. In Javanese text Samudragupta`s name is mentioned as `Tantrikamandaka`. Most detailed and authentic record of Samudragupta`s reign was composed by his court poet Harisena, which is still found in the rock pillar of Allahabad. Samudragupta was the chosen successor of his father Chandragupta I and thereby there was a belief that Samudragupta had to undergo struggle for the throne with his elder brothers after his father`s death.

Chandragupta I married a Lichhavi princess Kumardevi and had a son Samudragupta. Chandragupta, the king of Magadha got the hold over Ganges river valley by marrying Kumardevi and thus could control the main source of north Indian commerce. He ruled for about ten years in north-central India.

After the death of ChandraGupta I, Samudragupta ascended the throne and conquered almost whole of India. His reigning period can be ascribed as vast military campaign. At the beginning he attacked his neighbouring kingdoms Shichchhatra (Rohilakhand) and Padmavati. The successive rulers were Achyuta and Nagasena. He won over Bengal, some kingdoms in Nepal and put Assam under his suzerainty. He also conqured some tribal states like the Malvas, Yaudheyas, Arjunayanas, Abhiras and Maduras. Later Kushanas and Sakas paid him tribute. After his victory Samudragupta reinstated his enemies as the tributary kings. Samudragupta had a powerful navy along with his mighty army.

Samudragupta also proceeded along the coast of Bay of Bengal with a great vigor and conquered Pithapuram`s Mahendragiri, Kanchi`s Vishnugupta, Maharaja of Kurala, Khosla`s Mahendra and many more until he reached the Krishna River.

Samudragupta also expanded his kingdom towards west over Khandesh and Palaghat. He preferred to maintain friendly terms with Vatakata in Central India. After winning all these big battles Samudragupta performed Ashvamedha Yajna or Horse sacrifice.

Samudragupta`s sovereign extended from the Himalayas in the north to the river Narmada in the south and from the Brahmaputra river in the east to Yamuna river in the west. His greatest achievement was the political unification of most of the India or Aryavarta into a unique power. Samudragupta took the title of Maharajadhiraja ( the king of the kings).

Samudragupta changed the monetary system of Gupta dynasty. He began the minting of seven different types of coins namely the standard type, the battle-axe type, the archer type, the Ashvamedha type, the tiger slayer type, the king and queen type and the lyrist type. All the coins exhibited an extreme delicate sculptural and technical finesse. KumaraGupta, one of his successors copied the lyrist pose in gold coins, which are extremely rare.

Samudragupta was a great warrior as well as an openhearted person. He showed great magnanimousness towards the kings who were defeated in the battle. He allowed various tribal states for autonomous rule under his protection. His court was full of poets and scholars. Samudragupta had a keen interest in music and he himself was probably a renowned lyrist. Though he followed Hindu religion like the other Gupta kings, he was well known for his tolerant spirit towards other religions. This was proved when he gave permission to the king of Ceylon to built a Buddhist monastery for the pilgrims in Bodhgaya.

After the death of Samudragupta, his son Chandragupta II or Vikramaditya was enthroned who reigned from 380 to 413 AD and the Gupta Dynasty still flourished with its glory and prosperity under his rule.