Bhitari pillar inscription
Topic: Gupta Empire and the Classical Age · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Bhitari pillar inscription is a record of the Gupta king Skandagupta (5th century CE). It is carved on a stone pillar at Bhitari in the Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh. It lists the Gupta family line and praises Skandagupta for saving the family's shaken fortunes. It tells of his fight against the Pushyamitras and his clash with the Hunas from Central Asia. It is a key source on the first big threats to the Gupta empire.
Example
The inscription says that while fighting to restore his family's fortunes, Skandagupta spent a night sleeping on the bare ground. It then says he clashed with the Hunas, and that the earth shook under the force of the battle.
Don't confuse with
- Pushyamitra Shunga: the founder of the Shunga dynasty (2nd century BCE). The Pushyamitras in this inscription were a different group of enemies in the 5th century CE.
- Junagadh inscription of Skandagupta: another record of the same king, at Girnar in Gujarat. It is about restoring the Sudarshana lake, not wars.
Related concepts
- Hunas
- Skandagupta
- Eran inscription of Bhanugupta
- Mihirakula
- Song Yun
- Yashodharman
- Aulikara dynasty
- Decline of the Guptas
- Valabhi