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Book No. – 11 (History)
Book Name – India: The Ancient Past (Burjor Avari)
What’s Inside the Chapter? (After Subscription)
1. The Empire and the Emperors
1.1. Two great Guptas (CE 335-415)
1.2. Decentralisation and devolution of power
1.3. Imperial organisation
1.4. Gupta power maintained intact (415-67)
1.5. Guptas in decline (467-c. 550)
2. Gupta society: a world in transition
2.1. Land grants and the early beginnings of feudalism
2.2. Varying fortunes of faiths and sects
2.3. Caste Mobility
3. Indian achievements in the Gupta period
3.1. Mathematics and technology
3.2. Sanskrit literature
3.3. Dissemination of knowledge: the Nalanda monastic college
3.4. The Vakataka achievement at Ajanta
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LANGUAGE
The era of the Imperial Guptas
Chapter – 8
Table of Contents
Timeline/Key Dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| CE 320 | Chandragupta I founds the Gupta Empire |
| CE 335–75 | The reign of Samudragupta |
| CE 375–415 | ‘Nine Gems’ at the court of Chandragupta II; Kalidasa writes his Shakuntala and other plays |
| CE 405–11 | Fa-Hsien travels through India |
| CE 425 | Nalanda monastic college founded |
| CE 460 | First attacks by Huns |
| CE 499 | The great mathematician and astronomer Aryabhata writes his Aryabhatiya |
| CE 500 | Second Hun attack under Toramana |
| CE 528 | The defeat of Mihirkula, the Hun leader |
- Gupta dynasty ruled most of north India in the fourth and fifth centuries CE, originally from a minor principality in the western Ganges plains.
- Chandragupta I, the third Gupta king, expanded the realm into Magadha in CE 320.
- Chandragupta’s marriage into the Lichchhavi family of Bihar and Nepal secured his position in the eastern Ganges basin.
- Gupta dynasty expanded under Chandragupta’s son and grandson, becoming a significant power in north India.
- Despite smaller territorial extent than the Mauryan or Mughal empires, the Gupta empire had great majesty and influence.
- A marriage alliance with the Vakatakas dynasty in the Deccan further extended Gupta influence, with the Gupta–Vakataka Age in the fifth century.
- By the early sixth century, Gupta and Vakataka glory faded, though minor Gupta kings continued until the eighth century.
- Early Gupta emperors brought two centuries of stability with internal peace despite external threats in the late fifth century.
- The Gupta rule created a framework for progress in political, military, economic, social, and cultural areas.
- Gupta era is often considered a ‘golden age’, but critics argue against historical nostalgia.
- Gupta India was more desirable than other contemporary civilizations (European, Chinese, Persian), but it was not an age of well-being for all.
- The majority of ordinary people faced short life spans, economic instability, and social, cultural, and gender inequalities.
- The Gupta era is often misunderstood due to assumptions about the post-Gupta period and the inability of Hindu rulers to repel Muslim forces in the eleventh century.
- The last centuries of the first millennium CE are seen as a period of retrogression, rather than a time of study and appreciation in their own context.
The Empire and the Emperors
Two great Guptas (CE 335–415)
- Chandragupta I was the first Imperial Gupta, honored with the title of Maharajadhiraja (King over Kings), unlike his predecessors who held the title Maharaja.
- Chandragupta I expanded the Gupta domain, continuing under his four successors from CE 335–467.
- The peak of Gupta prestige lasted 132 years, followed by a decline due to internal dissension and foreign invasions.
- The Gupta decline was marked by encroachment from minor tributaries and rulers on traditional Gupta lands.
- Notable monarchs in South Asia’s history include Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka, Kanishka, and two key Guptas: Samudragupta and Chandragupta II.
- Samudragupta (CE 335–75) made the Gupta dynasty truly imperial through military victories and strategic alliances.
- Samudragupta’s Allahabad Pillar inscription details kings subdued, some annexed, others spared for tribute, military help, and marriages.
- Gupta domain extended to the Himalayas, eastern Deccan, and the eastern coastline.
- Samudragupta’s military prowess led to his being called the Napoleon of ancient India, but he wisely avoided overextension.
- Samudragupta was also a poet, musician, and intellectual, fostering high culture at his court.
- As a Vaishnavite, Samudragupta was liberal, employing Buddhist advisers like Vasubandhu and supporting the building of a Buddhist monastery at Bodh Gaya.
- Under Chandragupta II (375–415), the Gupta state grew more powerful and prosperous through conquests and marriage alliances.
- Chandragupta II conquered the Shakas in western India, gaining control of key ports like Broach, Cambay, and Sopara, boosting trade revenues.
- The conquest of the Shakas led to Gupta control over Ujjain, a key city in internal trade routes.
- Chandragupta II earned the title Vikramaditya (Sun of Valour) after his Shaka conquest.
- He strategically married Kuvera-Naga, a Naga princess, and his daughter Prabhavatigupta married Rudrasena II of the Vakataka dynasty, bringing them under Gupta influence.
- Prabhavatigupta ruled as regent for her sons after Rudrasena II’s death, further solidifying Gupta influence.
- Chandragupta II’s reign is reflected in the fine gold and silver coins issued, symbolizing unity with his subjects.
- Chandragupta II was a patron of arts and culture, hosting courts in Pataliputra, Ayodhya, and Ujjain, with the latter being the center of the ‘Nine Gems’, a group of poets and intellectuals.