Matrimonial alliance
Topic: Gupta Empire and the Classical Age · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 6 "The Age of Reorganisation"; Class 7, Ch 7 "The Gupta Era: An Age of Tireless Creativity"
Meaning
A matrimonial alliance is a bond between two kingdoms that is sealed by a royal marriage. It let a king gain friends, status and influence without fighting a war. The Guptas used it as a regular tool of statecraft (the skill of running and protecting a state). They used it alongside military conquest and diplomacy.
Example
Chandragupta I (c. 320 CE) married the Licchavi princess Kumaradevi, and they appear together on a gold coin. Later, Chandragupta II's daughter, Prabhavati Gupta, married a Vakataka prince. This tied the Guptas to their neighbours in the Deccan. The Vakatakas became allies and even jointly supported the work at Ajanta. After her husband died, Prabhavati ruled as regent (a person who rules on behalf of a child king). She called herself "mother of two kings".
Don't confuse with
- Tributary relationship: here a defeated king keeps his throne but pays tribute (regular payments) to the stronger king. This was Samudragupta's pattern with the Pallavas and Kamarupa. It is based on defeat, not marriage.