EARLY GUPTA DYNASTYRulers of dynasty

Administrations

Military system

Social conditions

Technologies

Art & architecture

Religious conditions

INDEX

• Decline • Religious

• Art and architecture

• technology

Rulers of dynasty

Administration

Social conditionsMilitary

RULERS OF GUPTA DYNASTY

Sri gupta was the first king of the guptas

Sri gupta was succeeded by his son ghatotkacha

Both of them were styled by the name “Maharaja”

Successor of ghatotkacha was Chandragupta 1

He was titled as “Maharajadhiraja”

Chandragupta 1 was married to the lichchavi princess

Successor of Chandragupta 1 was samudragupta

Samudragupta’s successor was Chandragupta 2

GUPTA ADMINISTRATION

Gupta empire was divided into sub units & units

The largest unit was known as desa

Provinces were divded into subunits called bhuktis

Smaller units of bhuktis were known as vishyas

Each districts were divided into number of villages

called grams

They were assisted by village council

MILITARY SYSTEMS

During the Gupta kingdom rule, the chariots had been substituted by mounted

cavalry. They continued using mounted cavalry despite the fact that their opponents

were using horse archers. The Gupta rulers maintained a standing army and the use

of cavalry and horse archery was given importance.

During the Gupta period, the territories on the border of the empire were kept

under watchful eyes. The bow was one of the primary weapons in the Gupta army.

The longbow used by the Gupta army. The longbow was considered to be a potent

weapon. The longbow also provided a long range to counter the enemy.

The use of fire arrows during that period is also known. The Gupta army used iron

shafts against armored elephants. steel bow was considered to be capable of long

range and cutting through the thick armor.

SOCIAL CONDITIONS

The Puranas, Sastras, the Niti Sastras of Narada, the

Dramas of Kalidasa etc supply us with a good deal of

information regarding the social life of the Gupta period.

Many interesting features, about the social life are also

found referred to in the contemporary inscriptions. Fahien,

the famous Chinese Pilgrim has also made some

observations about the society as it existed in India

towards the opening of the 5th century A.D.

TECHNOLOGY

The technologies of the Gupta Empire (320-467),

such as the development of a more accurate value

for pi and the perfection of the modern numeral

and decimal system; surgery, inoculation and the

formulation of medical guides and a better

calendar and and lunar astronomy were found in

detail the period

ART AND ARCHITECTURE

The Gupta period is generally regarded as a classic peak of north Indian art

for all the major religious groups. Although painting was evidently widespread,

the surviving works are almost all religious sculpture. The period saw the

emergence of the iconic carved stone deity in Hindu art, as well as the Buddha

figure and Jain tirthankara figures, these last often on a very large scale. The

two great centres of sculpture were Mathura and Gandhara, the latter the

centre of Greco-Buddhist art. Both exported sculpture to other parts of

northern India. Unlike the preceding Kushan Empire there was no artistic

depiction of the monarchs, even in the very fine Guptan coinage,[43] with the

exception of some coins of the Western Satraps, or influenced by them.

RELIGIOUS CONDITIONS

Both Buddhism and Hinduism were widely prevalent. The

characteristic features of Hinduism enabled it to survive till today;

whereas the new features of Buddhism led to its final decline.

Although Buddhism still appealed in matters of ritual making it to

be regarded as a sect of the latter. Jainism escaped from this fate.

It remained unchanged; and there fore it continued to be

supported by the merchant communities of western India. Added

to this in some areas of the Deccan royalty patronized Jainism

although it ceased in the 7th century A.D.

DECLINE OF GUPTAS

Skandagupta was followed by weak rulers Purugupta ‘Kumaragupta II Budhagupta ,

Narasimhagupta, Kumaragupta III, Vishnugupta, Vainyagupta and Bhanugupta. In the 480's

the Hephthalites broke through the Gupta defenses in the northwest, and much of the empire

in northwest was overrun by the Hun by 500. The empire disintegrated under the attacks of

Toramana and his successor Mihirakula. It appears from inscriptions that the Guptas,

although their power was much diminished, continued to resist the Huns. The Hun invader

Toramana was defeated by Bhanugupta in 510 CEThe Huns were defeated and driven out of

India in 528 AD by a coalition consisting of Gupta emperor Narasimhagupta and the king

Yashodharman from Malwa.[37] The succession of the sixth-century Guptas is not entirely

clear, but the tail end recognized ruler of the dynasty's main line was king Vishnugupta,

reigning from 540 to 550. In addition to the Hun invasion, the factors, which contribute to the

decline of the empire include competition from the Vakatakas and the rise of Yashodharman

in Malwa.

SOME IMPORTANT FACTS

Shashanka gupta was the last king

Aryabhata the greates mathematician lived in

Kalidasa also lived in this age

Ajanta painting was created in this page