Achievements of Samudragupta on the basis of Allahabad Pillar inscription:

(i) The inscription engraved on a pillar at Allahabad enumerates the people and the regions conquered by Samudragupta.

(ii) He adopted different policies for different areas conquered by him. In the Ganga-Yamuna doab, he followed a policy of annexation. He defeated nine Naga rulers and incorporated their kingdoms in the Gupta empire. He then defeated the forest kingdom of central India. This area had a strategic value as it contained a route to south India. It enabled Samudragupta to proceed south along the eastern coast conquering twelve kings on the way and reaching as far as Kanchi.

(iii) Samudragupta, instead of annexing their kingdoms, liberated and reinstalled these kings on their thrones.

(iv) This policy of political conciliation for south India was adopted because he knew that it was difficult to keep them under control and subservience once he returned to his capital in the north. So, it was enough for him that these states recognised his suzerainty and paid him tributes and presents.

(iv) According to the Allahabad inscription, neighbouring five frontier kingdoms and nine republican states of Punjab and western India were occupied by the conquests of Samudragupta. They agreed to pay tribute and taxes to Samudragupta and obey his orders without any fight. This inscription adds that Samudragupta also received tributes from many kings of south-east Asia.