Editing Chandragupta II (section)

=== Western Kshatrapas ===
{{Main|Gupta–Saka Wars}}

Historical and literary evidence suggests that Chandragupta II achieved military successes against the [[Western Kshatrapas]] (also known as [[Shakas]]), who ruled in west-central India.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=53}} The [[Allahabad Pillar]] inscription of Chandragupta's father [[Samudragupta]] names the "Shaka-Murundas" among the kings who tried to appease him.{{sfn|Ashvini Agrawal|1989|p=125}}{{sfn|Tej Ram Sharma|1989|p=77–78}} It may be possible that Samudragupta reduced the Shakas to a state of subordinate alliance, and Chandragupta completely subjugated them.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=54}}

Virasena's Udayagiri inscription describes him as a resident of [[Pataliputra]], and states that he came to Udayagiri in Central India with the king who sought to "conquer the whole world". This indicates that Chandragupta had reached Udayagiri in central India during a military campaign. The theory that Chandragupta led an army to Central India is also corroborated by the c. 412–413 CE (Gupta year 93) Sanchi inscription of [[Amrakarddava|Amrakardava]], who is said to have "acquired victory and fame in many battles and whose livelihood was secured by serving Chandragupta." A c. 401–402 CE (Gupta year 82) inscription of Chandragupta's feudatory ''Maharaja'' Sanakanika has also been discovered in Central India. The only important power to have ruled in this region during Chandragupta's period were the Western Kshatrapas, whose rule is attested by their distinct coinage. The coins issued by the Western Kshatrapa rulers abruptly come to end in the last decade of the 4th century.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=53}} The coins of this type reappear in the second decade of the 5th century, and are dated in the Gupta era, which suggests that Chandragupta subjugated the Western Kshatrapas.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=54}}

The exact date of Chandragupta's victory is not known, but it can be tentatively dated to sometime between 397 and 409.{{sfn|Hermann Kulke|Dietmar Rothermund|2004|p=91}} The last of the 4th century Kshatrapa coins – that of [[Rudrasimha III]] – can be dated to the [[Shaka era|Shaka year]] 310 or 319 (the coin legend is partially lost), that is 388 or 397.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=53}} Chandragupta's coins, dated to 409, are similar to the Kshtrapa coins, with the Shakas' Buddhist vihara symbol replaced by the Gupta symbol of [[Garuda]].{{sfn|Hermann Kulke|Dietmar Rothermund|2004|p=91}}

Literary evidence also corroborates Chandragupta's victory over the Western Kshatrapas. The Sanskrit play ''[[Devichandraguptam]]'', whose historicity is disputed, narrates that Chandragupta's elder brother [[Ramagupta]] agreed to surrender his queen [[Dhruvadevi]] to a Shaka chief when besieged, but Chandragupta went to the enemy camp disguised as the queen, and killed the Shaka chief.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=54}} Chandragupta bore the title ''Vikramaditya'', and several Indian legends talk of king [[Vikramaditya]] who defeated the Shakas. Several modern scholars have theorised that these legends may be based on Chandragupta's victory over the Shakas.{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=54}}

As a result of his victory over the Western Kshatrapas, Chandragupta must have extended his empire up to the [[Arabian Sea]] coast in present-day [[Gujarat]].{{sfn|R. C. Majumdar|1981|p=54}}