Gupta Dynasty
Chapters for Module VI
• R. S. Sharma
24. Rise and Growth of the Gupta Empire
25. Life in the Gupta Age
NCERT VI-
CHAPTER 10- NEW EMPIRES AND KINGDOMS
Gupta Dynasty
Sources
Author Name of the Book Information
Kamandaka Nitisara Gupta administration
Vajjika Kaumudi Mahotsava Coronation of Chandragupta I
Sudraka Mrichchakatika Brahmin Charudatta falling in love
with Vasantasena
Visakhadatta Devi Chandraguptam Marriage of Chandragupta II with
Dhruvadevi
Somadeva Kathasaritsagara Spread of Indian Culture to SE
Asian countries
Inscription’s of Samudragupta Information
Allahabad Prashasti (UP) Written on an Ashokan pillar found in
Allahabad by Harisena
(Mahadandanayaka, Sandhivigrahaka in
the court of Samudragupta); gives details of
kingdoms conquered by Samudragupta.
Eran Prashasti (MP) Samudragupta’s conquests
Nalanda Copper Plate Inscription (Bihar) It is a land charter, speaks about a village
endowed by Samudragupta to a brahmin
(the term Agrahara appears for the first time
in the Nalanda copper plate inscription of
Samudragupta).
Gaya Copper plate inscription (Bihar) Tells us that Samudragupta granted a village
to a Buddhist Vihara at Gaya and that the
vihara was built by King Mahameghavarma
of Sri Lanka.
Mehrauli (Delhi) Iron Pillar Inscription of Describes the victories of Chandragupta II.
Chandragupta II The iron pillar on which the inscription was
written, weighs about 6 tons and is 23 feet
tall.
Junagarh Inscription (Gujarat) Prashasti of Skandagupta; says he got the
Sudarsana lake repaired. (Earlier, the Saka
king Rudradaman I also gave the same
information in his Junagarh inscription).
Pune Copper Plate Inscription This danashasana was issued by
(Maharashtra) Prabhavatigupta (Daughter Chandragupta
II). It provides some information about the
land survey system.
Mandasore Inscription of Yasovarman (MP) Issued by Yasovarman, who ruled over
Central India with Mandasore as his capital.
This inscription tells us that Yasovarman
defeated the Guptas.
Polity
• After the break-up of the Maurya empire,
the Satavahanas and Kushans emerged as
the two large powers.
• The Satavahanas acted as a stabilizing
factor in the Deccan and the south to which
they provided political unity and economic
prosperity on the strength of their trade with
the Roman empire.
• The Kushans performed the same role in the
north. Both these empires came to an end in
the mid-third century.
Srigupta Chandragupta I Samudragupta
Skandagupta Kumaragupta Chandragupta II
Narasimhagupt
Vishnugupta
a Baladitya
Srigupta (CE 275- 300)
• Founder of the dynasty and took the title ‘Maharaja’
• According to the Chinese traveller Itsing, Srigupta built a Buddhist vihara at
Mrugasikhavana.
Chandragupta-I (CE 320- 335)
• The first important king of the Gupta dynasty was Chandragupta I. He married a
Lichchhavi princess, in all probability from Nepal, which strengthened his position.
• Chandragupta I seems to have been a ruler of considerable importance because
he started the Gupta era in AD 319–20, which marked the date of his accession.
• Later many inscriptions of the Gupta era came to be dated in this era.
Samudragupta (CE 335- 375)
• The Gupta kingdom was enlarged enormously by Chandragupta’s son and
successor Samudragupta (AD 335–80). He was the opposite of Ashoka.
• Ashoka believed in a policy of peace and non-aggression, but Samudragupta
delighted in violence and conquest.
• His court poet Harishena wrote a glowing account of the military exploits of his
patron.
• The places and the countries conquered by Samudragupta can be divided into five
groups.
• Group one includes the princes of the Ganga– Yamuna doab who were defeated and whose
kingdoms were incorporated into the Gupta empire.
• Group two includes the rulers of the eastern Himalayan states and of some frontier states such
as Nepal, Assam, and Bengal. It also covers some republics of Punjab.
• Group three includes the forest kingdoms situated in the Vindhya region and known as Atavika
rajyas which Samudragupta brought under his control.
• Group four includes twelve rulers of the eastern Deccan and south India who were conquered
and liberated. Samudragupta’s arms reached as far as Kanchi in Tamil Nadu, where the
Pallavas were compelled to recognize his suzerainty.
• Group five includes the names of the Shakas and Kushans, some of them ruling in Afghanistan.
• According to a Chinese source, Meghavarman, the ruler of Sri Lanka, sent a
missionary to Samudragupta for permission to build a Buddhist temple at Gaya.
This was granted, and the temple was developed into a huge monastic
establishment.
• In some coins he is portrayed playing the veena, in some he is shown as an
archer.
Chandragupta-II (CE 375- 412)
• The reign of Chandragupta II saw the high watermark of the Gupta empire.
He extended the limits of the empire by marriage alliance and conquest.
• He occupied western Malwa and Gujarat, which had for about four
centuries been under the rule of the Shaka Kshatrapas. The conquest gave
Chandragupta control over the western sea coast, famous for trade and
commerce.
• It was during Chandragupta’s reign that the Chinese pilgrim Fa-hsien (CE
399–414) visited India and wrote an elaborate account of the life of its
people.
• The exploits of a king called Chandra are glorified in an iron pillar inscription
fixed near Qutb Minar in Delhi.
• Had direct contacts with Europe and Egypt.
• First Gupta ruler to have issued silver coins.
• Famous poets-Kalidas, Amarsimha, Vishakhadutta and physician Dhanvantari.
Kumaragupta
• During his reign, Huns invaded India for the first time.
• Introduced worship of god Kartikeya in North India.
• Performed an Ashwamedha and assumed the title of Mahendraditya.
• He founded Nalanda University, the most famous Mahayana institution. According
to Hiuen Tsang, 8300 students and 1500 instructors were present at Nalanda
University.
Skandagupta (455-467 AD)
• He and his successors had to fight against the Huns who came from Central Asia.
• He defeated the Huns and erected a victory pillar at Bhitari near Allahabad.
• The Junargarh rock inscription informs us that his Governor Chakrapalita also
repaired the Sudarshana lake.
Narasimhagupta Baladitya
• He was one of the last rulers of the Gupta dynasty.
• According to Hiuen Tsang, he embraced Buddhism and built a Mahavihara at
Ratnagiri.
• He defeated Mihirakula (Huna king) and pardoned him.
Vishnugupta
• He was the last ruler of the Gupta dynasty.
• By 550 AD, the Guptas had lost all their territories.
• The rise of feudatories and decline of foreign trade undermined the Guptas.
Literary Works
Author Literature type Name
Kalidasa Drama Abhijnana Shakuntalam- Story of marriage of Shakuntala (D/o
sage Vishwamitra & Menaka) with king Dushyanta.
Drama iMalavikagnimitram- love story and marriage of Agnimitra (Sunga
king) with Malavika.
Drama Vikramorvasiyam- Marriage of a warrior Vikramaditya with
Urvasi.
Poem Kumarasambhava- Birth of Kumaraswami to Shiva & Parvati.
Poem Meghadoota- A Yaksha living in Vindhya mountains sends a
message of passionate love to his wife in the Himalayas through a
passing cloud.
Poem Ritusamhara- Describes different seasons in India.
Poem Raghuvamsa- Story of Rama, is an incomplete poem.
Author Literature type Name Uniqueness
Vishnu Sharma Short story Panchatantra Was later translated into Arabic
by Ibn al Muqaffa under the
name Calila-e-Dimna
Amarasimha Sanskrit lexicon Amarakosa
Vararuchi Grammar Prakrita Prakasa Only Prakrit poet among the
Navaratnas
Dhanwantari Dictionary on
Ayurveda
Susrutha Susruta Samhita A book on surgery
Aryabhatta Astronomy Surya Siddhanta Talks about Heliocentric theory,
revolution of earth, causes of
solar & lunar eclipses etc.
Mathematics Aryabhattiyam Decimal system and ‘0’
Administration
Empire
Provinces (Bhuktas)- Uparika
Districts (Vishayas)- Vishayapatis
Village- Grama
• Cities- adminstered by Nigamasabhas (merchants)
• The Gupta empire was divided into provinces known as deshas or bhuktis,
administered by governors who were usually designated as uparikas.
• The provinces of the Gupta empire were divided into districts known as
vishayas, under officers known as vishayapatis. The vishayapati seems to have
been generally appointed by the provincial governor.
• Administrative units below district level included clusters of settlements known
variously as vithi, patta, bhumi, pathaka, and petha. There are references to
officials known as ayuktakas and vithi-mahattaras.
• Gupta kings assumed imperial titles such as maharajadhiraja, parama-bhattaraka, and
parameshvara.
• Seals and inscriptions mention official ranks and designations.
• The term kumaramatya occurs on six Vaishali seals, which suggests that this title represented a high-
ranking officer associated with an office (adhikarana) of his own.
• The designation ‘amatya’ occurs on several Bhita seals, and the kumaramatya seems to have been
pre-eminent among amatyas and equivalent in status to princes of royal blood.
• Kumaramatyas were variously attached to the king, crown prince, revenue department, or a
province.
• Individuals of the rank of kumaramatya sometimes had additional designations as well, and such
ranks could be hereditary.
Officials
Sandhivigrahaka In charge of Foreign Affairs
Kumaramatya Higher officials employed in different
departments
Mahabaladhikrita Commander of military forces
Bhataswapati Commander of cavalry
Katuka / Pilupati Commander of the elephantry
Dandapasadhikarana Head of Police Department
Shaulkika Customs Officer
Hiranika & Audrangika Tax collectors
Mahadandanayaka Chief Justice
Social Milieu and Land Grants
• Large-scale land grants to the brahmanas suggest that the brahmana supremacy increased in
Gupta times.
• The Guptas, who probably were originally vaishyas, came to be looked upon as kshatriyas by
the brahmanas. The brahmanas presented the Gupta kings as possessing god-like attributes.
• The brahmanas accumulated wealth on account of the numerous land grants made to them
• The castes proliferated into numerous sub-castes as a result of two factors. A large number of
foreigners had been assimilated into Indian society, and each group of foreigners was
considered a kind of caste.
• As the foreigners largely came as conquerors they were given the status of kshatriya in society.
• The other reason for the increase in the number of castes was the
absorption of many tribal people into brahmanical society through the
process of land grants.
• The position of shudras improved during this period. They were now
permitted to listen to recitations of the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and
the Puranas.
• From the seventh century onwards, they were mainly represented as
agriculturists; in the earlier period, they generally figured as servants,
slaves, and agricultural labourers working for the three higher varnas.
• However, during this period, the number of untouchables increased, especially
the chandalas.
• In the Gupta period, like the shudras, women were also allowed to listen to the
Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the Puranas, and were advised to worship
Krishna. However, women of the higher orders did not have access to
independent sources of livelihood in pre-Gupta and Gupta times.
• The principal reason for the subordination of women of the upper varnas was
their complete dependence on men for their livelihood, and lack of proprietary
rights.
Economy
• Various types of land are mentioned in the inscriptions; land under cultivation was usually
called Kshetra.
• Lands not under cultivation were variously called as Khila, Aprahata, etc., and
inscriptions give the impression that uncultivated land was being regularly brought under
cultivation.
• Crafts production covered a very wide range of items. There were items of ordinary
domestic use like earthen pots, items of furniture, baskets, metal tools for domestic use.
• Simultaneously a wide variety of luxury items including jewellery made of gold, silver
and precious stones; objects made of ivory; fine clothes of cotton and silk and other
costly items had to be made available to the affluent sections of people.
• Bhaga’ was a term used for the king’s grain share, which the Narada Smriti
describes as 1/6th of the agricultural produce.
• Inscriptions of the Guptas and other contemporary dynasties often mention the
bhoga and kara along with bhaga.
• Bhoga may have referred to the periodical supplies of fruit, firewood, flowers, etc.
that villagers were obliged to give to the king.
• Kara was a generic term for taxes.
• Bali is known from earlier times. It has been interpreted as a generic term for
taxes, the king’s grain share (i.e., the same as bhaga), a tax on the area of land,
or a religious cess.
• The uparikara may have been a tax imposed on farmers without any proprietory rights in
the soil, a tax on termporary tenants, or an additional cess.
• Urban sources of revenue included shulka or tolls. The Bihar stone pillar inscription of
Skandagupta refers to an official called the shaulkika— collector of shulka.
• There were organizations which facilitated the functioning of both craftsmen and traders.
The ancient term which was generally used for these organizations was Sreni, and the
State was expected to provide the guilds protection and to respect their customs and
norms.
• Many important sites like Taxila, Ahichchhatra, Mathura, Rajghat, Kausambi and
Pataliputra in the Ganges Valley and other sites in other geographical regions have
yielded many craft products like earthen wares, terracottas, beads made of different
stones, objects of glass, items made of metals
Summary
Summary
Summary
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