Chandra Gupta II

(r. 376–415 C.E.) Third in the line of great
monarchs in the Gupta dynasty, after
his father, Samudra Gupta, and his
grandfather, Chandra Gupta I. The
Gupta dynasty reached its territorial
peak under Chandra Gupta II. During
his reign the Shaka kingdom of the
Malwa region was finally conquered,
after which the Guptas controlled by
conquest or tribute all of northern India
and modern Pakistan, as well as the
Coromandel Coast all the way to modern Madras. The Gupta dynasty flourished between about 350 and 550 C.E.,
and its reign is associated with the
development of Indian culture and a
revival of Hinduism in northern India.
Both were accomplished through the
patronage of the Gupta kings, who are
remembered both as patrons of high
culture and ardent devotees (bhakta) of
Shiva. This is especially true of Chandra
Gupta II, since one of the major figures
associated with his court is Kalidasa,
considered the greatest of the Sanskrit
poets. See also Shaka era.