In the Allahabad Pillar inscription, Gupta and his successor Ghatotkacha are described as "Maharaja" ("great king"), while the next king Chandragupta I is called a "Maharajadhiraja" ("king of great kings"). In the later period, the title "Maharaja" was used by feudatory rulers, which has led to suggestions that Gupta and Ghatotkacha were vassals (possibly of Kushan Empire). However, there are several instances of paramount sovereigns using the title "Maharaja", in both pre-Gupta and post-Gupta periods, so this cannot be said with certainty. That said, there is no doubt that Gupta and Ghatotkacha held a lower status and were less powerful than Chandragupta I.