THE GUPTA DYNASTY Of the subsequent history of the Lichhavis nothing is known until early in the fourth century A.D., when a Lichhavi princess married a small local ruler near Patli- putra known as Chandra Gupta, a name similar to that borne by the first Maurya king. This lady appears to have been very influential, and the result of her marriage with Chandra Gupta was that the latter acquired him- self much influence, and gradually rose from the position of a small chief into one of much greater power. How he succeeded to the throne of Magadh is unknown, but the fact remains that in the year AJD. 320 he became King of Magadh. He died in the year AJ>. 326, and was succeeded by his son, Samudra Gupta, who reigned until about the year A.D. 375. Samudra Gupta greatly extended by conquest the kingdom he had inherited, but he did not include Saurashtra among the conquered lands. He was followed by his son, Chandra Gupta II, who assumed the title of " Vikramaditya "—"Sun of Power." From the first Chandra Gupta II followed the example of his father in extending the boundaries of the Empire, and in about the year A.D. 388 he attacked Rudrasinha and added Saurashtra once more to Magadh. The bards of Kathiawad relate that Chandra Gupta II did not himself invade Saurashtra, but that he sent his son Kumara Gupta in command of the victorious army* Be this as it may, Rudrasinha was killed, and the rule of the Saka Satraps, which had lasted for 450 years, became a reality of the past. It has not yet been found possible to construct any sort of connected idea of the condition of Saurashtra when the Gupta rule extended over the country. That it was in a state of great commercial prosperity we know, and it is likely that at no subsequent period of its history was it such a means of intercourse between Europe and Asia as at that time. The Gupta emperors were not 31