Chandra Gupta II

Chandra Gupta II

 or Candra Gupta II or Vikramaditya

(flourished 4th–5th centuries AD, India) Powerful emperor (r. c. 380–c. 415) of the Gupta dynasty of northern India. A grandson of Chandra Gupta I (r. 320–c. 335), who founded the dynasty, he is thought to have achieved power by assassinating a weak elder brother. He inherited a large empire and extended control over neighbouring territories through battle and marriage alliances. Under him, India enjoyed peace and relative prosperity. His system of government and his charity were admired by the Chinese pilgrim Faxian. He was a patron of the poet Kalidasa. Though a devout Hindu, he tolerated the Buddhist and Jain religions.