Draft:Sassanian–Gupta conflicts

Sassanian-Gupta conflicts was a series of military conquests and campaigns between the Gupta Empire under Samudragupta and Chandragupta II and the Sassanian Empire under Shapur II in the 4th century.

Sasanian–Gupta Wars
Part of Samudragupta's conflicts with Sasanians and Vikramaditya's Foreign campaigns
Date 351-400s Location Oxus, Bactria, Central Asia, Afghanistan & Pakistan Result Gupta Empire victory Samudragupta conquered significant Sasanian possessions in the east. Then probably a truce was negotiated between Shapur and Samudragupta. Chandragupta II conquered Sasanian territories up to Balkh.
Belligerents
Gupta Empire • Kushāṇas	Sasanian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Samudragupta Chandragupta II Kidāra	Shapur II
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

Shapur II's invasion of Kabul

Gandhara and Punjab

See also: Sasanian Empire, Shapur II, and Hind (Sasanian province)

In the east around 350 CE, Shapur II gained the upper hand against the Kushano-Sasanian Kingdom and took control of large territories in areas now known as Afghanistan and Pakistan, possibly as a consequence of the destruction of the Kushano-Sasanians by the Chionites. The Kushano-Sasanian still ruled in the north. Important finds of Sasanian coinage beyond the Indus river in the city of Taxila only start with the reigns of Shapur II (r. 309–379) and Shapur III (r. 383–388), suggesting that the expansion of Sasanian control beyond the Indus was the result of the wars of Shapur II "with the Chionites and Kushans" from 350 to 358 CE as described by Ammianus Marcellinus. During the last phase of the reign of Shapur II, a Sasanian mint was established south of the Hindu Kush, the role of which was probably to pay local troops.

Samudragupta's Western and Northern campaigns

Samudragupta's Western campaign

Samudra Gandhara coin, Punjabi mint Circa CE 350-375.

Samudragupta's Central Asiatic expedition

Coin of Samudragupta, with Garuda pillar, emblem of Gupta Empire. The name Sa-mu-dra in an early version of the Gupta Brahmi script, appears vertically under the left arm of the king.

The Chionitai and Euseni/Cuseni (Kushans or Guptas) were troubling Central Asia. It is suggested by Ilkka Syvänne that the Euseni were actually the Indian Guptas under their gifted leader Samudragupta whose career spanned the years of 325 to 375/381, during which he conquered most of India. The Saka satraps of Sindh, who were nominally under the Sasanians, and the Kushans also recognized his suzerainty, which means that he had conquered significant portions of Sasanian provinces in the east. It was therefore not all surprising that he received the title 'Sarva-rājo-chchhettā', 'exterminator of all Kings', and date his western and northern campaigns to the 350s.

Samudragupta's Kabul campaign

Portrait of Kidarite King Kidara I, circa 350-386 CE.

The Samudragupta was contemporary of the Kushāṇa Kidāra. Kidāra was originally a member of the Great Kushāṇa family. It was after him that his people later became known as the Little Kushāṇas. But he was merely a Shahi, he was not so powerful enough to use the title "Shāhānushāhi". His coins bore 'Kidāra Kushāṇa Shā' proved it. He can be easily identified with the 'Devaputrashāhi' of the Allahabad inscription.

The Kushāṇas acknowledged the supremacy of Samudragupta.

Chandragupta II's campaigns against Sasanians

Assuming that Kalidasa's account of Raghu's campaign of conquest has a real historical background and that Chandragupta Vikramaditya adopted a land route for conquering the Parasikas, he must have come close to the South-Eastern fringe of the Sassanian Empire, where according to Kali Dasa he defeated the Parasikas. Kalidasa's mention of the bearded heads of the Persian warriors suggests their identification with the Sassanians who bore beards.