kingdom · South Asia
Later Guptas
Origins
The Later Guptas appear in the late 5th and 6th centuries as rulers in Magadha and eastern Malwa after the decline of the Gupta Empire. They are known mainly from the Aphsad inscription of Adityasena, which lists the line from its founder Krishnagupta. Despite the name, there is no proven connection to the imperial Guptas.
Rule and society
For much of the 6th century the Later Guptas fought the Maukharis of Kannauj; one king, Kumaragupta, defeated the Maukhari Ishanavarman. Mahasenagupta campaigned as far as the Brahmaputra, while Madhavagupta became a close ally of Harsha of the Pushyabhuti dynasty. After Harsha's death Adityasena revived the kingdom, performed a horse sacrifice and built temples.
Decline and legacy
The last known king, Jivitagupta II, was probably defeated in the early 8th century by Yashovarman of Kannauj, whose victory over a king of Magadha is celebrated in the Prakrit poem Gaudavaho. Magadha later fell to the Pala Empire.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Gauda Kingdom split from Later Guptas590 CE
- Later Guptas was a vassal of Pushyabhuti dynasty606 CE – 647 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Later Guptas. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/later-guptas
- MLA
- “Later Guptas.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/later-guptas. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Later Guptas.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/later-guptas.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Later Guptas’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/later-guptas (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻