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 conditions

Military

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