Gupta Empire
Doorsteptutor material for competitive exams is prepared by world's top subject experts: get questions, notes, tests, video lectures and more- for all subjects of your exam.
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:
Sri Gupta | (240 â 280 CE) |
---|---|
Ghatotkacha | (280 â 319 CE) |
Chandragupta I | (320 â 335 CE) |
Samudragupta | (335 â 375 CE) |
Ramagupta | |
Chandragupta II | (380 â 413â415 CE) |
Kumaragupta I | (415 â 455 CE) |
Skandagupta | (455 â 467 CE) |
Sri Gupta (240 â 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 â 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 enÂhanced their position.
Samundragupta: 335 - 380 AD
- Allahabad inscription originally erected by Asoka gives us invaluable informaÂtion about his campaigns
- HarisenaŐs Prasasthi
- Also mentioned by Japanese work
- Arya-Manju-Sri Mula Kalpa
- Tantrikamandaka
- Contemporary epigraph found at Eran
- Malvas, Yaudheyas, Arju-nayanas, Madras, Abhiras were subjugated descendants of Kusanas (so of He-aven)
Major Wars
(1) Southern Expedition
- Mahendra of Kosala (Durg, Raipur, Bilaspur, Sambalpur District)
- Vyaghraraja of Maha-kantara (probably forest reÂgions, 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 WestÂern Bengal (Bankura DisÂtrict)
- 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 monÂastery 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 InÂdia.
- Meghavarman, acÂcording to Wang Huien Tse (Chinese) , the ruler of Sri Lanka sent a missionary to Samundra Gupta for perÂmission to build a Buddhist temple at Gaya;
(9) Personality of Samudragupta
- According to Allahabad Prasashtri Samundra Gupta was the âhero of 100 bafflesâ and V A. Smith called him âNapoleon of Indiaâ . Some of his coins represent him as playing on lyre;
- He performed asvamedha sacrifice.
- He appointed great BudÂdhist 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 brotherŐs fiancĂŠe by force and was going to hand her over to Rudrasimha 4 after suffering a defeat by his hands.
- Chandragupta II went in DhruvaswaminiŐs 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 beÂyond 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:
- Mallinatha,
- Dignagacarya
- Kalidasa,
- Amarasimha
- Devichandra Guptam of Vishakdatta
- Virasena Saba - Minister
- Amarkarddava - General
- Lord of city of Ujjain and
- 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 UniÂversity!
- Pusyamitra of Makela, a powerful noble reduced the sovereignty.
- He saved from the Huns inÂvasion
- 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 presÂsures;
Social Development
- Law book Narada informs us: the supremacy of Brahmanas.
- Proliferation of castes
- Foreigners had been asÂsimilated into Indian society, e. g. , as one of the 36 clans of the Rajputs;
- Absorption of many tribal peoples into brahmanical soÂciety by the way of land grant;
- Naigama: a group of inÂhabitants of the same town; Puga: agroup of merchants;
- Condition of women:
- meÂliorated a women could lisÂten Puranas and epics
- Became agriculturalist earÂlier and appeared as servants, slaves
- Pre-puberty marriage.
- Celibacy was to be strictly observed by widows
- Sati gained approval. First mentioned in a memorial of Sati in Eran (MP) 510 AD.