The Gupta Empire

320-550 AD

Key Players (members of the Vaishya

caste)

Ghatokacha

Chandra Gupta I

Samudra Gupta the Great

Chandra Gupta II the Great

Skandagupta

The marriage that started it all…

Chandragupta (I) married to a princess– the marriage gave him possession of her kingdom, (Lichchhavi). Once he had that he was able to conquer other areas, thus expanding his domain.

319-335(reigned)

Samudragupta= Warrior335-380 (reigned)

Samudragupta –Chandragupta’s son

Increased empire by 20 kingdoms

“King of Kings” “World Monarch”

fun fact: liked to let his horses roam (more on that in a moment)

Samudragupta

Patron of the arts

Hindu, but considerate of others

Spreads the empire down Indian Peninsula

Chandragupta II 380-413 (reigned)

Hindu art

Literature

Culture

Science

Supportive of religion

Look To This DayLook to this day:

For it is life, the very life of life.

In its brief course

Lie all the verities and realities of your existence.

The bliss of growth,

The glory of action,

The splendour of achievement

Are but experiences of time

For yesterday is but a dream

And tomorrow is only a vision;

And today well-lived, makes

Yesterday a dream of happiness

And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well therefore to this day;

Such is the salutation to the ever-new dawn!

Kalidasa

“Golden Age of India”

Peace & Prosperity

Allowed people to really focus on learning and inventing

Math

Numerals

Base ten

Decimals

Zero

Chess

Formula for area of a triangle (changed architecture)

Science

Earth revolves around sun

Medicine and surgery

Round earth– with and axis

Sunlight causes planetary shine

Calculated the solar year

Architecture

Hindu temples

Buddhist stupas

Politics

Loose centralized

Mild punishments

Taxes

Art

Frescoes

Cave shrines

Sculptures

Literature

Dance

Music

War

Use of archers

Elephants

Chariots

Navy

Skandagupta 455-

Grandson of Chandragupta II

Holds off the Huns

Empire declines (money drained by wars)

Dies and is succeeded by weak rulers

Internal Problems

Disputes about succession

Smaller lords gained control and were declaring independence (taxes stopped coming in)

External Problems

Invasion of the Huns 500 AD

Lack of money to fight effectively

Gupta Empire separates into kingdoms

Remains that way for the next 400-500 yrs.

Further reading

http://apworldhistory101.com/history-of-india/gupta/

http://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/History/prelims/gupta-age5.html