Gupta Empire

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Guptas

  • After Mauryas, India was controlled by regional kingdoms
  • The Gupta state rose to power in Magadha
  • Chandra Gupta founded the new dynasty
  • Gupta dynasty was relatively decentralized
  • Officially supported revival of Hinduism as state faith
  • Era seen as the Golden Age of Hinduism.
  • Gupta Period:
Table Supporting: Guptas
Sri Gupta(240 – 280 CE)
Ghatotkacha(280 – 319 CE)
Chandragupta I(320 – 335 CE)
Samudragupta(335 – 375 CE)
Ramagupta
Chandragupta II(380 – 413⟋415 CE)
Kumaragupta I(415 – 455 CE)
Skandagupta(455 – 467 CE)

Sri Gupta (240 – 280 CE)

  • Sri Gupta was a pre-imperial Gupta king in northern India and the founder of the Gupta dynasty.
  • A portion of northern or central Bengal might have been the home of Guptas at that time; however, little evidence is available.
  • Who ruled North Bengal and South Bihar founded the Gupta Empire Ghatotkacha succeeded.

Ghatotkacha (280 – 319 CE)

  • Ghatotkacha was a pre-imperial Gupta king in northern India, the son of Maharaja Sri Gupta, who started the Gupta dynasty.
  • His reign is considered insignificant and he is best known as the father of Chandragupta I, the first Gupta emperor.

Chandragupta I (319 - 334 AD)

  • Assumed the title Maha-raja-dhiraja.
  • Son of Ghatotkacha
  • Kaumudi-Mahotsava gives information about him.
  • Issued Gold coins
  • Started Gupta Era on 26th February 320 AD
  • He married a Lichchhavi princess named Kumardevi and her portrait engraved on his coins; according to Manu Samhita, Lichchhavis were degraded Kshatriyas or Vratya-Kshatriya.
  • In fact, Guptas was Vaisyas: matrimonial alliance with Kshatriyas en­hanced their position.

Samundragupta: 335 - 380 AD

  1. Allahabad inscription originally erected by Asoka gives us invaluable informa­tion about his campaigns
  2. Harisena՚s Prasasthi
  3. Also mentioned by Japanese work
  4. Arya-Manju-Sri Mula Kalpa
  5. Tantrikamandaka
  6. Contemporary epigraph found at Eran
  7. Malvas, Yaudheyas, Arju-nayanas, Madras, Abhiras were subjugated descendants of Kusanas (so of He-aven)
Illustration: Samundragupta: 335 - 380 AD

Major Wars

(1) Southern Expedition

  • Mahendra of Kosala (Durg, Raipur, Bilaspur, Sambalpur District)
  • Vyaghraraja of Maha-kantara (probably forest re­gions, Jeysore State, Orissa)
  • Mahendragiri of Pishta-pura (Pithapuram in Goda-vari District)
  • Hastivarman of Vengi (Ellore)
  • Ugrasena of Palakka (Nellore District)
  • Vishnugopa of Kanchi
  • Kings Damana of Eranda-palla
  • Kuvera of Devarashtra (Vizagapatnam)
  • Mantaraja of Kurala,
  • Swamidatta of Kottura
  • Nilaraja of Avamukta
  • Dhananjaya of Kusfhalapura

(2) Northern Expedition

  • Uprooted Achyuta of Abhichchhatra
  • Nagasena of Padmavati
  • Gangapatinga of Mathura
  • Chandravarman of West­ern Bengal (Bankura Dis­trict)
  • Tribute payers: Davaka, Kartripura (Kartarpur) , Katuria Raj of Kumaon,
  • Garhwal and Rohilkhand. Daivaputra Shahanushahi, the Sakas, the ruler of
  • Ceylon;

(3) Feudatories

  • Malavas (Eastern Raj-putana, Mewar)
  • Arjunayanas (Jaipur)
  • Yaudheyas (Johiyabar)
  • Madrakas (Punjab)
  • Sanakanikas (Bhilsa)
  • Abhiras (Ahirawara)
  • Prarjunas
  • Kakas
  • Kharaparikas

(4) Political Relations with Ceylon

  • According to Chinese text Meghavarna of Ceylon (A. D 352 - 379) sent two monks to
  • Bodhgaya to visit the sacred spots; Samundragupta gave permission to build a mon­astery to the north of the Bodhi tree.

(5) Nature of Dominion

  • paid homage
  • enjoyed internal autonomy

(7) Direct Administration

  • Extending roughly from the Brahmaputra to the Chambal;
  • Saka and Kusanas: Punjab and Gujarat though independent but became submissive.

(8) Suzerainty over 12 States

  • Beyond Vmdhyas in the Deccan and the South In­dia.
  • Meghavarman, ac­cording to Wang Huien Tse (Chinese) , the ruler of Sri Lanka sent a missionary to Samundra Gupta for per­mission to build a Buddhist temple at Gaya;

(9) Personality of Samudragupta

  • According to Allahabad Prasashtri Samundra Gupta was the ‘hero of 100 baffles’ and V A. Smith called him ‘Napoleon of India’ . Some of his coins represent him as playing on lyre;
  • He performed asvamedha sacrifice.
  • He appointed great Bud­dhist scholar Vasubandhu as minister.
  • He assumed title Vikrama-ditya.

Ramagupta: 380 - 380

  • Ramagupta succeeded in 380was the elder son and immediate successor of Samudragupta and succeeded by his younger brother Chandragupta II.Initially, he was known from the traditional narratives only.
  • But later, three inscriptions on Jaina tirthankara images were discovered from Durjanpur near Vidisha, which mention him as the Maharajadhiraja.
  • He married his brother՚s fiancĂŠe by force and was going to hand her over to Rudrasimha 4 after suffering a defeat by his hands.
  • Chandragupta II went in Dhruvaswamini՚s place and killed Rudrasimha 4 and later killed Ramagupta
  • A large number of his copper coins also have been discovered from Eran-Vidisha region.

Chandragupta II: 380 - 413

  • Titles: Parambhagvata, he was a vaishnava.
  • Son of Samundragupta and his wife Daftadevi.
  • Defeated Saka Rudrasimha III
  • Expedition to Bengal
  • Shifted capital to Ujjain
  • Married Kubernaga of Naga family
  • Kakutsthavarman, ruler of Kuntala region gave his daughters.
  • Married his daughter Prabhavati to Rudrasena II of Vakataka and made indirect control and controlled be­yond the Vakatakas
  • Three important source: Virasena, his minister of peace and war, at Udayagiri; Sanakanika Maharaja, and Amarakadeva, the general, at Sanchi.
  • His predecessors issued only Gold coins. Chandra Gupta II issued silver and copper coins; the gold coins were called Dinara. The usual Chaitya was replaced by Garuda, Rupakriti type of coins.
  • Adopted title Vikram-aditya; Simhavikrama
  • Fa Hsien visited (399 - 414)
  • 9 Gems (Ratna) in his darbar:
    1. Mallinatha,
    2. Dignagacarya
    3. Kalidasa,
    4. Amarasimha
    5. Devichandra Guptam of Vishakdatta
    6. Virasena Saba - Minister
    7. Amarkarddava - General
    8. Lord of city of Ujjain and
    9. Pataliputra

Kumaragupta I: 415 - 454 AD

  • Performed asvamedha sacrifices
  • Son of Dhruvadevi.
  • Assumed title Mahendr-aditya.
  • He gave great importance to God Karttikeya.
  • Converted to Buddhism.
  • Founded Nalanda Uni­versity!
  • Pusyamitra of Makela, a powerful noble reduced the sovereignty.
  • He saved from the Huns in­vasion
  • He issued maximum number of inscriptions.

Skandagupta: 454 - 467 AD

  • Faced internal dissension.
  • Kathasaritsagara narrates about him.
  • Defeated Huns, known as Ephthalites, attack assumed the title Vikramaditya.
  • An inscription, incised on the Girnar Hill near Junagarh in Kathiawar, refers to the great achievement of the Governor Parnadatta and his son Chakrapalita; built and repaired Sudarsana Lake.

Administration

  • Kingship hereditary; but absence of primogeniture;
  • Invariably projected as Vishnu;
  • Council of Ministers Sandhivigrahika: Foreign affairs
  • Akshapataladhikrit: In charge of records Amatyas: Called the Kumaramatyas one special class has this designation Sachiv was often hereditary Mahadandriayaka - military

Provincial Administration

  • Bhuktis - Uparika (officer)
  • Vishayas - Vishayapati

Urban Administration

  • Guild corporate body
  • Also separate guild, e. g. at Mandasor in Malwa.
  • Silk weaves at Indore.
  • Bulandshahar - oil pres­sures;

Social Development

  1. Law book Narada informs us: the supremacy of Brahmanas.
  2. Proliferation of castes
    1. Foreigners had been as­similated into Indian society, e. g. , as one of the 36 clans of the Rajputs;
    2. Absorption of many tribal peoples into brahmanical so­ciety by the way of land grant;
  3. Naigama: a group of in­habitants of the same town; Puga: agroup of merchants;
  4. Condition of women:
    1. me­liorated a women could lis­ten Puranas and epics
    2. Became agriculturalist ear­lier and appeared as servants, slaves
    3. Pre-puberty marriage.
    4. Celibacy was to be strictly observed by widows
    5. Sati gained approval. First mentioned in a memorial of Sati in Eran (MP) 510 AD.
Illustration: Social Development