Kumaradevi
Topic: Gupta Empire and the Classical Age · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 7 "The Gupta Era: An Age of Tireless Creativity"
Meaning
Kumaradevi was a princess of the Licchavi clan, an old and respected ruling family. She married Chandragupta I (c. 320 CE), who laid the foundations of the Gupta Empire. The marriage gave the young Gupta family more prestige and more allies. This helped Chandragupta I build his power. It is a key example of a matrimonial alliance, meaning a marriage arranged between ruling families for political gain.
Example
A famous Gupta gold coin shows Chandragupta I standing with Queen Kumaradevi. On the other side (the reverse) is a seated goddess, identified as Lakshmi. Their son Samudragupta proudly called himself Licchavi-dauhitra, "daughter's son of the Licchavis".
Don't confuse with
- Prabhavati Gupta: she was Chandragupta II's daughter, and she married into the Vakataka family. Kumaradevi was a Licchavi who married into the Gupta family.