Page:The Age of the Imperial Guptas.djvu/17

Rh liberation of the people of Magadha from the thraldom of the hated Scythian foreigner.

We can assume that Candragupta, the son of Ghaṭotkacagupta, and the grandson of Śrīgupta, assumed the leadership of the citizens of Paṭaliputra and the people of Magadha in this war of independence. The different steps are not known to us but some of them may be guessed with a certain amount of accuracy. It is certain that neither Śrīgupta nor his son Ghaṭotkacagupta were people of much importance in the country. Harișeņa, one of the ministers of Samudragupta, calls them Mahārājas but the title had declined very much in importance. It had ceased to be an Imperial title. The Great Aśoka was content with the title of Rājan. The Greeks introduced the first change when they translated the title "Basileus Basileuon" and the Persian "Shāhdnshāh" into Mahārāja-Rājātirāja. Under the Imperial Great Kushans several additions were made to the Imperial title such as Devaputra in imitation of the title "Son of Heaven" of the Emperors of China. Early in the fourth century the Imperial title expanded into Parameśvara-Paramabhaṭṭaraka-Mahārājadhirāja. In the reign of Kumaragupta I we find that the governors of Northern Bengal, though not of royal descent and holding the rank of Uparika, are styled Mahārājas. Therefore we may