Samudragupta

Samudragupta (reigned c. 335-375) was the second emperor of the Gupta dynasty, son of Chandragupta I, who expanded the empire into a dominant power across northern India. His campaigns are recorded in a long eulogy inscribed on an Ashokan pillar at Prayaga (Allahabad), composed by his court poet Harishena, listing conquests in the north and expeditions as far south as the Deccan. A patron of the arts who is depicted as a musician on some of his coins, he laid the foundations for the Gupta golden age realized under his son Chandragupta II.