Nalanda Seals of Budhagupta and Visnugupta
By A. Ghosh
Summary
This paper presents two royal seals unearthed at Nālandā that illuminate Gupta genealogy. One seal names Viṣṇugupta Candrāditya as son of Kumāragupta and grandson of Purugupta; another names Budhagupta as son of Purugupta and grandson of Narasiṁhagupta. By collating the seal inscriptions the author reconstructs a genealogical table showing four successive rulers between A.D. 467 and 476. The seals clarify that Budhagupta was Purugupta’s son rather than a younger brother of Skandagupta and confirm that Viṣṇugupta belonged to a junior branch. They also illustrate how Narasiṁhagupta’s line diverged from the main succession. The article discusses palaeographic features of the seals, noting their late Gupta script, and considers their historical implications: they force a revision of the chronology of Gupta succession, support the view that several short‑lived reigns occurred between Skandagupta and Budhagupta, and demonstrate that the Gupta emperors maintained a presence at Nālandā. The author stresses the importance of epigraphic evidence for settling debates about the genealogies of Indian dynasties and suggests that further archaeological exploration at Nālandā may yield additional seals linking other obscure rulers.
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Conclusion
By decoding two fragmentary seals from Nālandā, this study clarifies the succession of late Gupta rulers and confirms that Budhagupta was the son of Purugupta. The seals’ genealogical lists expose a short series of rulers between Skandagupta and Budhagupta and place Viṣṇugupta in a collateral branch. These findings refine our understanding of Gupta chronology and highlight the value of epigraphic discoveries in reconstructing ancient Indian dynastic history.