Samudragupta and Chandragupta II broaden Gupta influence
Samudragupta’s Allahabad pillar inscription presents conquest, tribute and negotiated submission as a hierarchy of relationships. Chandragupta II later expanded influence westward and presided over a flourishing court culture.
Calling this a uniform territorial state would overstate the evidence. Some rulers paid tribute or acknowledged prestige while retaining local authority, producing an empire with different levels of control.
Source: Britannica: Gupta dynasty