Ādityasena
| Ādityasena | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Aphsad Stone of Adityasena, British Museum. | |
| King of Magadha | |
| Reign | 655-680 |
| Predecessor | Mādhavgupta |
| Successor | Devagupta |
| Successor | Devagupta |
| Died | 680 |
| House | Later Gupta |
Ādityasena was King of the Later Gupta dynasty from c. 655 CE till c. 680 CE. Much of what we know about him comes from his Aphsad inscription which is currently held in the British Museum.[1]
| Later Guptas of Magadha c. 490 – c. 750 CE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ādityasena was the son of Mādhavgupta, who ruled from 601 to 655. The inscriptions left from the period of his rule also indicate that he was the first member of the Later Gupta line to claim imperial titles like Parambhāgavata and the assumption of these titles would have come about after some military expansion. During the period of his reign, much of North Bihar was likely under the influence of the Tibetan Empire and the power of the Tibetans would have formed a potential threat to the Later Guptas in Magadha. His Queen is recorded in inscriptions as Konadevi.[1]
A Chinese Buddhist monk named Hwui Li visited the Later Gupta kingdom during Ādityasena's reign. Hwui Li translates Adityasena's name as "Sun Army" and records that he built a "Chinese temple" (tohina) specifically to house visiting priests from China. It is speculated that Adityasena himself may have been a Buddhist.[2]
Aphsad inscription
The inscription describes the genealogy and the deeds of the Late Gupta Dynasty kings up to Aditya-sena.[3][4] The inscription is especially known for mentioning that the Maukharis fought against the remnants of the Alchon Huns in the areas of the Gangetic Doab and Magadha (while the Aulikaras repelled them in the Malwa region).[5]
References
- ^ a b Sinha, Bindeshwari Prasad (1977). Dynastic History of Magadha, Cir. 450-1200 A.D. Abhinav Publications. p. 119-120.
- ^ Lal Hazra, Kanai (1995). The Rise and Decline of Buddhism in India. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. pp. 81–82. ISBN 9788121506519.
- ^ Dandekar, Ramchandra Narayan (1941). A History of the Guptas. Oriental book agency. p. 166.
- ^ "Aphsad Inscription of Adityasena siddham". siddham.uk.
- ^ GHOSE, MADHUVANTI (2003). "The Impact of the Hun Invasions: A Nomadic Interlude in Indian Art". Bulletin of the Asia Institute. 17: 145–146. ISSN 0890-4464. JSTOR 24049312.