Chandragupta I was a prominent ruler among Gupta empire rulers, who expanded the empire beyond the limits. He reigned between 320 A.D. to 335 A.D (327 to 320 BCE as per new translations). He was the son of Gatotkacha and grandson of Sri Gupta who was the first known ruler of Gupta dynasty. It was by his conquests he claimed the title " Maharajadhiraja "( king of kings ) which signified the status of the king.
Marriage with Kumaradevi :
Kumaradevi was the princess of Lichavvi empire. During the reign of Chandragupta I, Lichavvi was a powerful kingdom ruling throughout Nepal and northern parts of Bihar. He married Kumaradevi around 305 A.D. and enjoyed a extension of kingdom. This was a event of great political significance which raised the status of gupta I.
The Gupta Lichavvi relation can be clearly observed from the coins belonging to Gupta dynasty which have names and figures of Chandragupta I and his Lichavvi wife on one side and the figure of a goddess seated on a lion along with the legend Lichchhavayah on the other. It might be that the Gupta king got the Lichavvi territory as a dowry from the Lichavvi's for marrying Kumaradevi or that by a matrimonial alliance he acquired that territory to be jointly ruled by his queen.
Chandra
With this marriage, Chandragupta I received the ownership of very rich mines full of iron ore adjacent to his kingdom. By that time Metallurgy was already at an advanced stage and that iron metal was used for both internal demands and also for trade purpose which economically strengthened his kingdom. The superior armed forces of Chandragupta I made him a ruler who was feared among various known rulers at that time.
As the ruler of Magadha and Vaisali, Chandragupta attempted to expand his empire farther. Puranic evidences state that his empire included Prayaga or modern Allahabad and Saketa or Ayodhya. He is also said to have defeated the Magadha kings of Kausambi and Kosala and annexed those territories in to his kingdom. By the time of his death, he established the Gupta power on the whole of the central Ganga basin including modern Bihar and eastern Uttarpradesh.
Succession :
Chandragupta I had two sons namely Kacha and Samudragupta. Kacha was eldest and Samudragupta was younger son. Samudragupta succeeded Chandragupta I around 335 A.D ( around 320 BCE as per new translations).
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