Editing Chandragupta I (section)

== Extent of kingdom ==
[[File:Guptaempire1.gif|thumb|Possible extent of the Gupta Empire under Chandragupta I{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=13}}{{sfn|Dilip Kumar Ganguly|1987|p=13}}]]
Little is known about Chandragupta other than his ancestry, his marriage, and his expansion of the Gupta power, as evident from his title ''Maharajadhiraja''.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=16}} The territorial extent of Chandragupta's kingdom is not known, but it must have been substantially larger than that of the earlier Gupta kings, as Chandragupta bore the title ''Maharajadhiraja''.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=13}} Modern historians have attempted to determine the extent of his kingdom based on the information from the ''[[Puranas]]'' and the [[Allahabad Pillar]] inscription issued by his son Samudragupta.{{sfn|Ashvini Agrawal|1989|p=95}}

The Allahabad Pillar inscription names several kings subjugated by Samudragupta. Based on the identity of these kings, several modern historians have tried to determine the extent of the territory that he must have inherited from Chandragupta. For example, since the king of the northern part of the [[Bengal]] region is not mentioned among the kings subjugated by Samudragupta, these historians theorize that northern Bengal was a part of Chandragupta's kingdom. However, such conclusions cannot be made with certainty, as the identity of several of the kings subjugated by Samudragupta is a matter of debate.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=13}} Nevertheless, the information from the inscription can be used to determine the territories that were not a part of Chandragupta's kingdom:{{sfn|Ashvini Agrawal|1989|p=96}}

* In the west, Chandragupta's kingdom probably did not extend much beyond Prayaga (modern Prayagraja), as Samudragupta defeated the kings of present-day [[western Uttar Pradesh]].{{sfn|Ashvini Agrawal|1989|p=96}}
* In the south, Chandragupta's kingdom did not include the [[Mahakoshala]] area of Central India, as Samudragupta defeated the kings of the forest region, which is identified with this area.{{sfn|Ashvini Agrawal|1989|p=96}}
* In the east, Chandragupta's kingdom did not include southern [[Bengal]], because the Allahabad Pillar inscription mentions [[Samatata]] in that region as a frontier kingdom.{{sfn|Ashvini Agrawal|1989|p=96}} Moreover, the [[Iron pillar of Delhi#Inscription of King Chandra or Chandragupta II|Delhi Iron Pillar]] inscription suggests that [[Vanga Kingdom|Vanga kingdom]] in that region was conquered by the later king [[Chandragupta II]].{{sfn|Ashvini Agrawal|1989|p=97}}
* In the north, the Allahabad Pillar inscription mentions [[Nepala]] (in present-day Nepal) as a frontier kingdom.{{sfn|Upinder Singh|2017|p=343}}

A passage in the ''[[Vayu Purana]]'' states that the Guptas ruled over Saketa (modern [[Ayodhya]]), [[Prayaga]], and [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]]. Based on this, multiple modern scholars have theorized that Chandragupta ruled over these territories.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=13}} However, this conclusion is not certain, as the ''Vayu Purana'' does not mention the name of a specific ruler.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|pp=13–14}} Scholars critical of this theory argue that the passage describes the territories of either the dynasty's founder [[Gupta (king)|Gupta]] or its 6th century rulers who oversaw the kingdom's decline.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=14}} Critics also point out that the corresponding passage in the ''[[Vishnu Purana]]'' states that the Guptas and the Magadhas jointly ruled over Prayaga and Magadha, and does not mention Saketa at all. The corresponding passage in the various manuscripts of ''[[Bhagavata Purana]]'' either does not mention the word "Gupta", or uses it as a common noun meaning "protected" instead of using it as the name of a specific dynasty. Even somes manuscripts of the ''Vayu Purana'' use the words "Guhya", "Sapta" or "Manidhanyaka" instead of "Gupta".{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=13}} Supporters of the theory dismiss these as scribal mistakes. Historian Ashvini Agrawal argues that the ''Vayu Purana'' passage cannot be a reference to the Gupta territories during the empire's period of decline, as it does not mention Bengal, which formed a part of the Gupta kingdom during this period.{{sfn|Ashvini Agrawal|1989|p=96}}

According to historian [[R. C. Majumdar]], Chandragupta's kingdom may have included the whole of present-day Bihar, and a part of present-day [[Uttar Pradesh]] and [[Bengal]].{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=13}} Historian Dilip Kumar Ganguly believes that he ruled a large kingdom extending from [[Allahabad]] in the west to the Ganga river in Bengal in the east; the kingdom excluded south-eastern Bengal ([[Samatata]]), southern Bengal (Vanga), eastern Bengal, and western Bengal (the kingdom of [[Chandravarman]]).{{sfn|Dilip Kumar Ganguly|1987|p=13}} Historian Ashvini Agarwal states that his kingdom included central and eastern Uttar Pradesh (including [[Prayaga]] and [[Awadh]]), and Bihar; but not Bengal.{{sfn|Ashvini Agrawal|1989|p=97}}