Guptas (319 to 467 CE)

The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire that existed from the early 4th century CE to the late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered the Golden Age of India by historians.

 The ruling dynasty of the empire was founded by king Sri Gupta; the most notable rulers of the dynasty were Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, Chandragupta II, and Skandagupta. 

The 5th-century CE Sanskrit poet Kalidasa credits the Guptas with having conquered about twenty-one kingdoms, both in and outside India, including the kingdoms of Parasikas, the Hunas, the Kambojas, tribes located in the west and east Oxus valleys, the Kinnaras, Kiratas, and others.

Origin

The homeland of the Guptas is uncertain. According to one theory, they originated in the present-day lower-Doab region of Uttar Pradesh, where most of the inscriptions and coin hoards of the early Gupta kings have been discovered. This theory is also supported by the Purana, as argued by the proponents, that mentions the territory of the early Gupta kings as Prayaga, Saketa, and Magadha areas in the Ganges basin.

Another prominent theory locates the Gupta homeland in the present-day Bengal region in the Ganges basin, based on the account of the 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk Yijing. According to Yijing, king Che-li-ki-to (identified with the dynasty's founder Shri Gupta) built a temple for Chinese pilgrims near Mi-li-Kia-si-Kia-PO-no (apparently a transcription of Mriga-Shikha- habit). Yijing states that this temple was located more than 40 yojanas east of Nalanda, which would mean it was situated somewhere in the modern Bengal region. Another proposal is that the early Gupta kingdom extended from Prayaga in the west to northern Bengal in the east

The Age of Guptas:

After the decline of the Mauryas, it was the Gupta dynasty in Magadha which was able to carve a large

empire. Although the empire was smaller as compared to the Mauryan Empire, it consisted of a greater part of Northern India.

Religion

The Guptas were traditionally a Hindu dynasty. They were orthodox Hindus and allowed followers of Buddhism and Jainism to practice their religions. Sanchi remained an important center of Buddhism. Kumaragupta I (455 CE) is said to have founded Nalanda. Modern genetic studies indicate that it was during the Gupta period that Indian caste groups ceased to intermarry (started practicing/enforcing endogamy).

Some later rulers however seem to have especially promoted Buddhism. Narasimhagupta Baladitya (according to contemporary writer Paramartha, was brought up under the influence of the Mahayanist philosopher, Vasubandhu.

 He built a sangharama at Nalanda and also a 300 ft (91 m) high vihara with a Buddha statue within which, according to Xuanzang, resembled the "great Vihara built under the Bodhi tree". According to the Manjushrimulakalpa (c. 800 CE), king Narasimhsagupta became a Buddhist monk, and left the world through meditation (Dhyana).

The Chinese monk Xuanzang also noted that Narasimhagupta Baladitya's son, Vajra, who commissioned a sangharama as well, "possessed a heart firm in the faith"

Sources of information

Literary sources:

Various literary sources which provide information about the Guptas are as:

• Nisar by Kamandaka (belonging to the period of Chandragupta I)
•  Devichandraguptam by Vishakadutta
•  Mrichachakathika by Sudraka
•  Kathasagarsarita by Somdev
•  Sawpanwasavdatta by Bhasa

Archeological sources:

Various archeological sources that provide information about the Guptan age are as follows:

•  Allahabad pillar of Samudragupta
•  Paharpur copper plates of Buddhagupta
•  Poona copper plate of Prabhavatigupta
•  The coins belonging to the Gupta period

Political history

•  The founder of the dynasty was Sri Gupta. He used the simple title of Maharaja.
•   Gupta was succeeded by his son Ghatotkach, who is also styled, Maharaja. Chandragupta – I
•  He was the first Gupta ruler to assume the title of Maharajadhiraja. 
• He started the Gupta era i.e. 320 A.D. 
•  He strengthened his kingdom through a matrimonial alliance with the powerful family of
• Lichchhavis who were the rulers of Mithila. His marriage to Lichchhvi princess
• Kumaradevi, brought enormous power, resources, and prestige. He took advantage of the situation and occupied the whole of the fertile Gangetic Valley.
•  After marriage, he issued a special type of coin called “Chandragupta I-kumaradevi type”.
•  Chandragupta, I was able to establish his authority over Magadha, Prayaga & Saketa.

Samudragupta (335 – 380 A.D.)

• Samudragupta was the greatest king of the Gupta dynasty.
• He took the title Licchichividhutra as his mother was Licchichivi princess
• The most detailed and authentic record of his reign is preserved in the Prayaga Prasasti /Allahabad pillar inscription, composed by his court poet Harissa.
• He is also described as a monarch with a sharp intellect and polished poetry skills, for this, he is described as Kaviraj
• According to Prayaga Prasasti, he was a great conqueror.
• In the Gangetic Valley & Central India, Samudragupta annexed the territories of the defeated monarchs, but in South India, he remained content with victories alone- he did not annex the territories of the conquered rulers.
• Smudragupta’s military campaigns justify the description of him as the ‘Napoleon of India’ by V.A. Smith. Samudragupta was a Vaishnavite. 
• According to a Chinese writer, Meghavarna, the king of Sri Lanka, sent an embassy to
• Samudragupta for his permission to build a monastery for Buddhist pilgrims at Bodh Gaya, which was granted.
• Titles: Kaviraja i.e. king of poets (Prayaga Prasasti), Param Bhagavat (Nalanda copper plate), Ashvamedha-parikrama i.e. whose might was demonstrated by the horse-sacrifice (coin), Vikram i.e. prowess (coin), Sarva-raj-och heta i.e. up rooter of all kings (coin), etc.

Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya): (380-414 A.D.)

• According to ‘Devi Chandragupta’ (Vishakhadatta), Samudragupta was succeeded by Ramgupta. It seems Ramgupta ruled for a very short period. He was ‘the only Gupta ruler to issue copper coins.
• Chandragupta II extended the limits of their empire by matrimonial alliances (with the Nagas & Vakatakas) and conquests (Western India).
• He married Kubernaga of the Naga dynasty and married his own daughter Prabhavatigupta with Vakataka prince Rudrasena II. 
• As a result of the overthrow of Saka's rule in Western India, the Gupta Empire was extended up to the Arabian Sea.
• He issued the silver coins in memory of his victory over Sakas. He was the first Gupta ruler to issue silver coins and adopted the titles Sakari & Vikramaditya.
• Ujjain seems to have been made the second capital by Chandragupta II.
• Chinese pilgrim Fa-Hien visited India during his regime.
• Mehrauli (near Kutub Minar, Delhi) Iron Pillar inscription says that the king defeated the confederacy of Vangas and Vahikas (Bulk).

Navaratna (i.e. nine gems) of Chandragupta II were:

1. Kalidasa

2. Amarsinh (Amarsinhkosha)

3. Dhanavantri (Navanitakam-medicine text)

4. Varahmihira (Panch Sidhantaka, Vrihatsamhit, VrihatJataka, Laghu lataka)

5. Vararuchi (Vartika-a comment on Ashtadhyayi)

6. Ghatakarna

7. Kshapranak

8. Velabhatt

9. Shanku

Kumargupta I: 415-455 AD

•  Chandragupta II was succeeded by his son Kumaragupta I.
• He took the titles like Mahindraditya, Mahendra Sinh, & Ashvamedha Mahendra
•  Kumaragupta was the worshipper of the god Kartikeya.
• He founded the Nalanda Mahavihara which developed into a great center of learning.
• Towards the end of his reign, the Gupta Empire was threatened from the North by the
• Huns, which was temporarily checked by his son Skandagupta.
• Pusyamitra invaded Guptan region during the reign of Kumargupta I. Skandagupta: 455-467 AD
• Skandagupta was the last great ruler of the Gupta dynasty.
• During his reign, the Gupta Empire was invaded by the Huns. He succeeded in defeating the Huns. Success in repelling the Huns seems to have been celebrated by the assumption of the title ‘Vikramaditya’ (Bhitari Pillar Inscription).
• The continuous attacks of the Huns weakened the empire and adversely affected its economy. The gold coinage of Skandagupta bears testimony to this.
• The decline of the empire began soon after his death.
• Titles taken were Vikramaditya and Kramaditya (coins), Param Bhagavat (coins), Sharkropama (Kahaum Pillar Inscription), Devaraja (Arya Manjushri Mula Kalpa), etc.

Administration:

• The Gupta administration was akin to that of the Mauryas, however, it differ from the latter in the degree of centralization
• For the first time, the post of officer became hereditary
• Unlike the Mauryan period, the district and local officials were not appointed by the center but at the provincial level.
• Gupta administration was, thus, highly decentralized, and a patrimonial bureaucracy reached its logical conclusion in hereditary grants it reflected the quasi-feudal character of the economy.
• It comprised a network of self-governing tribes and tributary kingdoms and their chiefs often served as representatives of imperial powers.
• The Gupta king took exalted titles like the Mahadhiraja, Samrat, Ekadhiraja, and Chakravartin, befitting their large empire and imperial status.

Society:

• The Varna system begins to get modified owing to the proliferation of castes. This was chiefly due to three factors. 
• A large number of foreigners had been assimilated into Indian society primarily as Kshatriyas.
•  There was a large absorption of tribal people into Brahmanical society through land grants.
•  The assimilated tribes were absorbed into the Shudra Varna. 
•  Guilds of craftsmen were often transformed into castes as a result of the decline of trade and of urban centers and the localized character of the crafts.
• The gods were activated by their unions with the respective consorts. Thus, Laxmi get her association with Vishnu and Parvati got her association with Shiva.
• This was the period of the evolution of Vajraynism and Buddhist tantric cults.
• Idol worship became a common feature of Hinduism from the Gupta period onwards

Economy:

•  In the Gupta period, a land survey is evident from the Poona plates of Prabhavati Gupta and many other inscriptions.
•  An officer named Pustapala maintained records of all land transactions in the district.
• The Guptas issued the largest number of gold coins in ancient India but in gold content,
• Gupta coins are not as pure as Kushanas.
•  The Guptas also issued a good number of silver coins for local exchange.
• The Gupta copper coins are very few as compared to Kushanas, which shows that the use of money, was not the medium of exchange for the common people.
• The increase in land grants resulted in the oppression of peasants as along with the fiscal rights administrative rights were also given to the grantees.
•  The Gupta period witnessed a decline in long-distance Indo-Roman trade. 
• The trade with South-East Asia got an impetus. 
• The ports of the East coast were Tamralipti, Ghantashala, and Kandura.
• The ports on the western coast were located at Bharoach, Chaul, Kalyan, and Cambay.
• The institution of slavery tended to become weak during this period

Culture:

• During the Gupta period, idol worship came into vogue, as a result, the practice of free-standing temples started for the first time. Before this period, the shrines were made in rock-cut structures.
• The Nagara Style (Shikhar style) of architecture evolved during this period. The temples with Shikhar and garbha griha (shrine room) in which the image of the god was placed, begin during this period.
• The examples of temples during this period are Dasavatara temple of Deogarh (Jhansi district, UP), Siva temple of Bhumra (Nagod, MP), Vishnu and Kankali temple (Tagawa,
• MP), Parvati temple of Nanchang-Kuthwa (Panna district, MP), Shiva temple of Khoh
• (Satna, Panna, MP), Krishna brick temple of Bhittargaon (Kanpur, UP), Laxman temple
• of Sirpur (Raipur, MP), Vishnu temple, and Varah temple of Eran (MP).
• The art of paintings and rock-cut caves architecture also reached to the finest level.
• Examples of these are rock-cut caves at Ajanta, Ellora (in Maharashtra), and Bagh (MP)
• The frescoes of the Ajanta caves are the masterpieces of the paintings of this age.
• The centers of the Gandhar sculptures declined and their places were taken by Benaras, Patliputra and Mathura.
• For the first time, we get images of Vishnu, Shiva, and other Gods.
• Among the best specimen of the images of Buddha is a seated Buddha image of Sarnath, which depicts the Buddha preaching the Dhamma.
• Of the Brahmanical images, perhaps the most impressive is the Great Boar (Varah) carved in relief at the entrance of a cave at Udayagiri. Literature:
• Some of the old religious books viz. Vayu Purana, Vishnu Purana, Matsya Puran, Ramayan, Mahabharata, Manu Smriti were re-written.
• Narada Smriti, Parashara Smriti, Bhrihaspati Smriti, and Katyayana Smriti were written in this period.
• The six philosophies of Hinduism were compiled during this period. (By the end of the
• Later Vedic Age, six prominent schools of Hindu Philosophy had been established.)

With reference to the guilds (Shreni) of ancient India that played a very important role in the country’s economy, which of the following statements is /are correct?

1. Every guild was registered with the central authority of the State and the king was the chief administrative authority on them.
2. The wages, rules of work, standards, and prices were fixed by the guild.
3. The guild had judicial powers over its own members.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below :

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3