Editing Chandragupta I (section)

== Marriage to Kumaradevi ==

Chandragupta married the Lichchhavi princess Kumaradevi. [[Licchavi (tribe)|Licchavi]] is the name of an ancient clan that was headquartered at [[Vaishali (ancient city)|Vaishali]] in present-day [[Bihar]] during the time of [[Gautama Buddha]]. A [[Licchavi (kingdom)|Lichchhavi kingdom]] existed in the present-day [[Nepal]] in the first millennium CE. However, the identity of Kumaradevi's Lichchhavi kingdom is not certain.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=12}} 

An 8th-century inscription of the Lichchhavi dynasty of Nepal claims that their legendary ancestor Supushpa was born in the royal family of Pushpapura, that is, [[Pataliputra]] in [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]]. According to some historians, such as [[V. A. Smith]], the Lichchhavis ruled at Pataliputra during Samudragupta's time. However, this inscription states that Supushpa ruled 38 generations before the 5th-century king [[Mānadeva|Manadeva]], that is, centuries before Chandragupta's period. Therefore, the claim made in this inscription, even if true, cannot be taken as concrete evidence of the Lichchhavi rule at Pataliputra during Chandragupta's time.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=12}}

The Lichchhavi kingdom of Kumaradevi is unlikely to have been located in present-day Nepal because Samudragupta's [[Allahabad Pillar]] inscription mentions Nepala (that is, Nepal) as a distinct, subordinate kingdom. Given the lack of any other evidence, historian [[R. C. Majumdar]] assumed that during Chandragupta's time, the Lichchhavis ruled at Vaishali, which is the only other base of the clan known from the historical records.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=12}}

=== Impact of marriage ===
[[File:Coin of Chandragupta I. AAM.jpg|thumb|left|A coin depicting Chandragupta and Kumaradevi]]
The gold coins attributed to Chandragupta bear portraits of Chandragupta and Kumaradevi, and the legend ''Lichchhavayah'' ("the Lichchhavis").{{sfn|Ashvini Agrawal|1989|p=90}}{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=11}} Their son Samudragupta is described as ''Lichchhavi-dauhitra'' ("Lichchhavi daughter's son") in the Gupta inscriptions.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=11}} Except Kumaradevi, these inscriptions do not mention the paternal family of the dynasty's queens, which suggests that the Gupta family considered Kumaradevi's marriage to Chandragupta an important event.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=10}}

Numismatist [[John Allan (numismatist)|John Allan]] theorized that Chandragupta defeated a Lichchhavi kingdom headquartered at Vaishali, and that Kumaradevi's marriage to him happened as part of a peace treaty.{{sfn|Ashvini Agrawal|1989|p=90}} He suggested that the Guptas considered this marriage a prestigious one simply because of the ancient lineage of the Lichchhavis.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=10}} However, the ancient text ''[[Manusamhita]]'' regards the Lichchhavis as "unorthodox and impure" (''vratya''). Therefore, it is unlikely that the Guptas proudly mentioned Samudragupta's Lichchhavi ancestry to increase their social prestige.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=11}} Also, it is unlikely that the Guptas allowed the name of the Lichchhavis to appear on the dynasty's coins after defeating them.{{sfn|Ashvini Agrawal|1989|p=91}}

It is more likely that the marriage helped Chandragupta extend his political power and dominions, enabling him to adopt the title ''Maharajadhiraja''.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=10}} The appearance of the Lichchhavis' name on the coins is probably symbolic of their contribution to the expansion of the Gupta power.{{sfn|Ashvini Agrawal|1989|p=92}} After the marriage, Chandragupta probably became the ruler of the Lichchhavi territories. Alternatively, it is possible that the Gupta and the Lichchhavi states formed a union, with Chandragupta and Kumaradevi being regarded as the sovereign rulers of their respective states, until the reign of their son Samudragupta, who became the sole ruler of the united kingdom.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=11}}