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Skandagupta's Wars against the Hephthalites
In the mid-5th century, during the reign of Gupta emperor Skandagupta, the Hephthalites (Huns) invaded northern India from the northwest, threatening…
Timeline
- 450–455Northwestern Indian frontier · IndiaThe Hephthalites advanced south from Central Asia through the northwestern passes, invading the Gupta Empire's northwestern frontier and threatening its heartland, forcing Skandagupta to organize defense and counterattack.
- 455–460Northern India · IndiaSkandagupta took personal command in the field; his coin inscriptions call him 'enemy of the Hephthalites.' He defeated the invading armies and defended the Gupta heartland, a major military achievement of his reign.
- 460–467Bhītari · BiharInscriptions such as the Bhītari pillar record Skandagupta's victories over the Hephthalites. Although the battle temporarily secured the empire, Hephthalite power remained a long-term threat in the northwest.
Sources
- The Cambridge History of India, Vol. I — E. J. Rapson et al. (1922)
- Skandagupta https://www.britannica.com/biography/Skandagupta