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Chandragupta I
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=== 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}}
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