GK SERIES FOR SSC, IAS, PCS, HAS, HCS
AND OTHER COMPETITIVE EXAMS
(HISTORY-5)
THE GUPTA DYNASTY
GOLDEN AGE OF INDIA
On the ruins of the
Kushan empire arose a new empire, which established its way over a good part of
the former dominions of both Kushans and Satavahanas. The first two kings of
the dynasty were Srigupta and Ghatotkacha.
CHANDRAGUPTA I (AD 319 – 335):
- First important king of Gupta
Dynasty.
- Started the Gupta era in
319-320 AD.
- He enhanced his power &
prestige by marrying Kumara Devi, princes of the Lichchavi clan of Nepal.
- He acquired the title of MahaRajaAdhi
Raja.
- Struck coins in the joint names
of himself, his queen and the Lachchavi nation, thereby acknowledging his
marriage alliance.
- First Gupta ruler to introduce silver coinage.
- Also started a new era calendar famously known as ‘Gupta
Samvat’(started in 320 AD).
SAMUDRAGUPTA (AD 335 – 375):
- The Gupta kingdom was enlarged enormously by
Chandragupta’s son & successor Samudragupta.
- His court poet Harisena wrote a glowing account of the
military exploits of his patron. In a long inscription at the Prayag
Prashasti pillar (at Allahabad), the poet enumerated the people &
countries that were conquered by Samudragupta.
- Samudragupta believed in the policy of war and conquest
and because of his bravery and generalship he is called the ‘Napoleon’ of
India (by the historian V.A. Smith).
- In the region called
AryaVrata he defeated nine rulers and Nagasena was one of them.
- Samudragupta is said to have composed numerous poems of
high merit. Some of his coins represent him playing vina. He also
performed Asvamedha sacrifice.
- He assumed the titles of Kaviraj.
- SamudraGupta
patronized Buddhist monk Vasubandhu and has been titled as DharamPrachar
Bandhu in the Allahabad inscription.
- Though a follower of the brahmanical religion, he was
tolerant of other faiths.
- Received a missionary from Meghavarman, the ruler of
SriLanka, seeking his permission to build a Buddhist temple at Gaya, which
he granted.
CHANDRAGUPTA – II (AD 380 – 413):
- Samudragupta was succeeded by Ramgupta but Chandragupta
II killed him and married his queen Dhruvadevi.
- He entered into matrimonial alliance with the Nagas (of
upper and the Central Provinces) by marrying princess Kubernaga whose
daughter Prabhavati was married to Rudrasena-II of the Vakataka family.
- Took the title of Vikramaditya by defeating Rudrasimha
III, a Kshatrap king of Ujjain. He also took the title of Simhavikrama.
- He issued copper coins.
- The iron pillar inscription, fixed near Qutabminar in
Delhi mentions a king Chandra (considered by many as Chandragupta II
only).
- During his period
Ujjain and Pataliputra became important learning centers.
- His court was adorned by celebrated nine gems
(navratnas) - Ghatakarpara,
Vraharuchi, Shanku, Amarsimha, VetalBhatta (equivalent to Birbal),
Varahmira, Kshpanaka, Dhanvantri, Kalidasa
- Chinese pilgrim Fahien visited India at this time.
KUMARAGUPTA – I (AD 413 – 455):
- He adopted the title of Mahendraditya.
- Founded Nalanda University (a renowned university of
ancient India).
- He was the worshipper of Lord Kartikeya (son of Lord
Shiva).
- Kumaragupta is famous
for maximum number of inscriptions during Gupta period. Best source of
information about his rule is Bhilsada Inscription.
- In the last years of his reign, the peace and
prosperity of the empire was disturbed due to the invasion of Turko-Mongol
tribe, Hunas. During the war with the Hunas, Kumaragupta died.
SKANDAGUPTA (AD 455 – 467):
- Kumaragupta-I was followed by Skandagupta. He faced
Hunas effectively.
- Restored Sudarshana Lake in Girnar region of Gujarat.
- He shifted his capital
to Ayodhya.
- After his death, the great days of the Guptas were
over. The empire continued but central control weakened, and local
governors became feudatory kings with hereditary rights.
FEATURES OF GUPTA EMPIRE:
ADMINISTRATION:
- Kings were called Parameshwara /Maharajadhiraja
/Paramabhattaraka.
- The most important officers were Kumaramatyas.
- Their military organization was feudal in character
(though the emperor had the standing army).
- They issued the largest number of gold coins in Ancient
India, which were called Dinars. Silver coins were called rupyakas.
- Important officers were:
o
MahaDandnayika(Chief
Justice)
o
Sandivigrahika
(defence Minister or war minister)
o
MahaBaladhikrita
(chief of army)
o
Dandaposika(
head of police department)
o
Bhandagaradhikrita
(Treasurer)
o
Mahapakshpatalika
(Auditor)
SOCIety:
·
‘BrihatSamhita’ of Varahmira
tells us about the presence of caste based society during Gupta period.
- Vishti (forced labour) was there. ManuSmriti and
NaradSmriti talks about various types of slavery.
- Position of women declined further. First instance of
Sati took place at Eran, MP.
- The position of shudras improved substantially.
- The practice of untouchability intensed. (Especially
hatred for Chandalas). Fa-hien mentions that the Chandalas lived outside
the village and were distanced by the upper class.
- Nalanda (a university) was established as a Buddhist
monastery during the reign of Kumara Gupta.
RELIGION:
- Bhagavad-Gita was written during this time only.
Buddhism declined.
- Bhagavatism centered around worshipping Vishnu or
Bhagvat.
- Idol worship became a common feature.
- Dashavatara temple at
Deogarh near Jhansi.
- Vishnu temple at
Tigava near Jabalpur.
- Vishnu temple at Udaigiri
(along with Ajanta & Ellora).
- Brick temple of
Bhitargaon near Kanpur.
- Brick temple which is
a stupa at Sarnath.
- Buddhist monastery
(Bodh Vihara) at Nalanda.
- In Southern India, the
rock cut temples were also at the peak of magnificence.
ART:
- Samudragupta is represented on his coins playing the
lute (vina).
- 2 mt high bronze image of Buddha belonging to the
Mathura school (The Gandhara Buddha represents mask-like coldness, while
the Buddha from the Mathura school imparts a feeling of warmth and vitality).
- The Buddha sitting in his Dharma Chakra mudra belongs
to Sarnath.
- Buddha images of Bamiyan belonged to Gupta period.
- Ajanta Paintings and paintings at Bagh, near Gwalior in
MP, are of this time. They belong to the Buddhist art.
LITERATURE:
- Kalidas, the great Sanskrit dramatist, belonged to this
period. His books are: Abhigyanashakuntalam, (considered as one of the
best literary works in the world & one of the earliest Indian work to
be translated into European language, the other work being the
Bhagavadgita), Ritusamhara, Meghadutam, Kumarasambhavam,
Malavikagnimitram, Raghuvansha, Vikramurvashi etc. Out of these,
Ritusamhara, Meghadutam, Raghuvansha were epics and the rest were plays.
- Apart from Kalidas, others were Sudraka (author of
Mrichchakatikam), Bharavi (Kiratarjuniya), Dandin (Kavyadarshana and
Dasakumaracharita).
- To this period belong 13 plays written by Bhasa. Most
famous of these was Charudatta.
- Vishakhadatta wrote Mudrarakshasa and
Devichandraguptam.
- Vishnu Sharma wrote Panchtantra and Hitopdesh.
·
Aryabhatta
wrote Aryabhattiya, SuryaSiddhan, BrahmSiddhanta
·
The Gupta period also saw the
development of Sanskrit grammar based on Panini and Patanjali. This period is
particularly memorable for the compilation of Amarakosha by Amarasimha.
- Ramayana & Mahabharata were almost completed by the
4th century AD.
SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY:
- Aryabhatta, the great mathematician wrote Aryabhatiya
and Suryasiddhanta.
- In Aryabhatiya, he described the place value of the
first nine nos. & the use of zero. He also calculated the value of pie
and invented Algebra.
- In Suryasiddhanta, he proved that the earth revolves
round the sun and rotates on its axis. In this way he discovered the cause
of the solar and lunar eclipses and the methods for calculating the timings
of their occurrence. He also said that the heavenly bodies, like the moon,
were spherical and they shone by reflecting the light.
- Varahamihira wrote Panchasi- dhantika and
Brihatsamhita. He said that the moon moves round the earth and the earth,
together with the moon, move round the sun.
- In the field of astronomy, Romakasidhanta was compiled.
- Vagbhatta was the most distinguished physician of the
Ayurvedic system of medicine.
