Ādityasena


Ādityasena was King of the Later Gupta dynasty from c. 655 CE till c. 680 CE. Much of what we know about him comes from his Aphsad inscription which is currently held in the British Museum.
Ādityasena was the son of Mādhavgupta, who ruled from 601 to 655. The inscriptions left from the period of his rule also indicate that he was the first member of the Later Gupta line to claim imperial titles like Parambhāgavata and the assumption of these titles would have come about after some military expansion. During the period of his reign, much of North Bihar was likely under the influence of the Tibetan Empire and the power of the Tibetans would have formed a potential threat to the Later Guptas in Magadha. His Queen is recorded in inscriptions as Konadevi.
A Chinese Buddhist monk named Hwui Li visited the Later Gupta kingdom during Ādityasena's reign. Hwui Li translates Adityasena's name as "Sun Army" and records that he built a "Chinese temple" specifically to house visiting priests from China. It is speculated that Adityasena himself may have been a Buddhist.

Aphsad inscription

The inscription describes the genealogy and the deeds of the Late Gupta Dynasty kings up to Aditya-sena. The inscription is especially known for mentioning that the Maukharis fought against the remnants of the Alchon Huns in the areas of the Gangetic Doab and Magadha.