The Golden Age – the Gupta Empire)
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Configurations of the Indic States System
Comparative Civilizations Review Volume 34 Number 34 Spring 1996 Article 6 4-1-1996 Configurations of the Indic States System David Wilkinson University of California, Los Angeles Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/ccr Recommended Citation Wilkinson, David (1996) "Configurations of the Indic States System," Comparative Civilizations Review: Vol. 34 : No. 34 , Article 6. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/ccr/vol34/iss34/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Comparative Civilizations Review by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Wilkinson: Configurations of the Indic States System 63 CONFIGURATIONS OF THE INDIC STATES SYSTEM David Wilkinson In his essay "De systematibus civitatum," Martin Wight sought to clari- fy Pufendorfs concept of states-systems, and in doing so "to formulate some of the questions or propositions which a comparative study of states-systems would examine." (1977:22) "States system" is variously defined, with variation especially as to the degrees of common purpose, unity of action, and mutually recognized legitima- cy thought to be properly entailed by that concept. As cited by Wight (1977:21-23), Heeren's concept is federal, Pufendorfs confederal, Wight's own one rather of mutuality of recognized legitimate independence. Montague Bernard's minimal definition—"a group of states having relations more or less permanent with one another"—begs no questions, and is adopted in this article. Wight's essay poses a rich menu of questions for the comparative study of states systems. -
The Succession After Kumaragupta I
Copyright Notice This paper has been accepted for publication by the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, which is published by Cambridge University Press. A final version of the article will be appearing in the JRAS in 2014. 1 The Succession after Kumāragupta I Pankaj Tandon1 Most dynastic lists of the Gupta kings state that Kumāragupta I was succeeded by Skandagupta. However, it is widely accepted that Skandagupta did not accede to the throne peacefully. Nor is it certain that the succession was immediate, since there is a gap between the known dates of Kumāragupta’s and Skandagupta’s reigns. This paper is concerned with the events following the death of Kumāragupta, using numismatic evidence as the primary source, and inscriptional and other epigraphic evidence as further support. Some of the numismatic evidence is new, and even the evidence that is not new has so far received little attention in the literature on the succession after Kumāragupta. Questions are raised about one particular theory that is presently enjoying some currency, that Skandagupta was challenged primarily by his uncle Ghaṭotkacagupta. Some other possible scenarios for the political events in the period after the death of Kumāragupta I will then be proposed and analyzed. Most authors agree that Skandagupta was not the rightful heir to the throne. While he does announce himself on his inscriptions as the son of Kumāragupta I, his mother is not identified by name in any known text or inscription,2 suggesting that he was, at best, the son of a minor queen of Kumāragupta, or more probably the son of a woman who was not a queen at all. -
Chapter-11 India During the Ages (4Th Century to 7Th Century)
History Class VI Chapter-11 India During The Ages (4th Century to 7th Century) I. Chandragupta I (320-335 AD):- Chandragupta I founded the Gupta Empire around 320 AD. He was the first ruler of the Gupta Dynasty. II. Samudragupta (335-375 AD):- After Chandragupta I, the great Gupta Ruler who ruled India was his son Samudragupta. The Allahabad Inscription, which is engraved on a pillar at Allahabad, is the main source of information about the reign of Samudragupta. III. Chandragupta II (375-415AD) : Chandragupta II, the son of Samudragupta, was also called Vikramaditya or Chandragupta Vikramaditya. IV. The Later Guptas : After Chandragupta II, Kumargupta and Skandagupta were powerful gupta rulers. V. The Post Gupta Period In north, the kingdom of Harshvardhana was the most powerful and in south it was the Pallavas. Deccan was dominated by the Chalukyas. VI. Harshavardhana(606-647 AD): As we know more about Harshavardhana from two literary works, the first being his biography Harshacharita, written by his court poet Banabhatta. Military Campaigns: Harsha ascended the throne at the age of 16. The capital of his empire was Kanauj. 1 |Page History Class VI The Pallavas And The Chalukyas : Pallava Dynasty: Between the early third century and late ninth century AD, the Pallava Dynasty ruled the northern part of Tamil nadu and the southern parts of Andhra Pradesh. Chalukya Dynasty: The kingdom of the Chalukyas centered around the Raichur Doab, between the River Krishna and River Tungabhadra. Their Capital was Vatapi (or Badami). Revenue: The main occupation of the people was agriculture. Most of the revenue came from the land. -
Shiva's Waterfront Temples
Shiva’s Waterfront Temples: Reimagining the Sacred Architecture of India’s Deccan Region Subhashini Kaligotla Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2015 © 2015 Subhashini Kaligotla All rights reserved ABSTRACT Shiva’s Waterfront Temples: Reimagining the Sacred Architecture of India’s Deccan Region Subhashini Kaligotla This dissertation examines Deccan India’s earliest surviving stone constructions, which were founded during the 6th through the 8th centuries and are known for their unparalleled formal eclecticism. Whereas past scholarship explains their heterogeneous formal character as an organic outcome of the Deccan’s “borderland” location between north India and south India, my study challenges the very conceptualization of the Deccan temple within a binary taxonomy that recognizes only northern and southern temple types. Rejecting the passivity implied by the borderland metaphor, I emphasize the role of human agents—particularly architects and makers—in establishing a dialectic between the north Indian and the south Indian architectural systems in the Deccan’s built worlds and built spaces. Secondly, by adopting the Deccan temple cluster as an analytical category in its own right, the present work contributes to the still developing field of landscape studies of the premodern Deccan. I read traditional art-historical evidence—the built environment, sculpture, and stone and copperplate inscriptions—alongside discursive treatments of landscape cultures and phenomenological and experiential perspectives. As a result, I am able to present hitherto unexamined aspects of the cluster’s spatial arrangement: the interrelationships between structures and the ways those relationships influence ritual and processional movements, as well as the symbolic, locative, and organizing role played by water bodies. -
TALES of KING VIKRAM and BETAAL the VAMPIRE Baital
TALES OF KING VIKRAM AND BETAAL THE VAMPIRE The stories of TALES OF KING VIKRAM AND BETAAL THE VAMPIRE is an icon of Indian storey telling, a brain teaser. Although there are 32 stories 25 are covered in Betal Panchisi. I will be sharing with you shortly, some of the stories that are available with me. I am sure, after some time my colleague will definitely let me know the stories which I could not lay hand and help me in endeavoring my efforts. Baital Pancsihi: A very famous account of human and vetal interaction is chronicled in the Baital Pancsihi ('Twenty Five Tales Of The Vampire) which consist of twenty five tales chronicling the adventures of King Vikramaditya and how his wits were pitted against a vetal a sorcerer had asked him to capture for him. Vetals have great wisdom and insight into the human soul in addition to being able to see into the past and future and are thus very valuable acquisitions to wise men. This particular vetal inhabited a tree in a crematorium/graveyard and the only way it could be captured was by standing still and completely silent in the middle of the graveyard/crematorium. However, every single time the king tried this vetal would tempt him with a story that ended in a question the answering of which King Vikramaditya could not resist. As a result the vetal would re-inhabit the tree and the king was left to try again. Only after relating twenty five tales does the vetal allow the king to bear him back to the sorcerer, hence the name Baital Pancsihi. -
Gupta Empire and Their Rulers – History Notes
Gupta Empire and Their Rulers – History Notes Posted On April 28, 2020 By Cgpsc.Info Home » CGPSC Notes » History Notes » Gupta Empire and Their Rulers Gupta Empire and Their Rulers – The Gupta period marks the important phase in the history of ancient India. The long and e¸cient rule of the Guptas made a huge impact on the political, social and cultural sphere. Though the Gupta dynasty was not widespread as the Maurya Empire, but it was successful in creating an empire that is signiÛcant in the history of India. The Gupta period is also known as the “classical age” or “golden age” because of progress in literature and culture. After the downfall of Kushans, Guptas emerged and kept North India politically united for more than a century. Early Rulers of Gupta dynasty (Gupta Empire) :- Srigupta – I (270 – 300 C.E.): He was the Ûrst ruler of Magadha (modern Bihar) who established Gupta dynasty (Gupta Empire) with Pataliputra as its capital. Ghatotkacha Gupta (300 – 319 C.E): Both were not sovereign, they were subordinates of Kushana Rulers Chandragupta I (319 C.E. to 335 C.E.): Laid the foundation of Gupta rule in India. He assumed the title “Maharajadhiraja”. He issued gold coins for the Ûrst time. One of the important events in his period was his marriage with a Lichchavi (Kshatriyas) Princess. The marriage alliance with Kshatriyas gave social prestige to the Guptas who were Vaishyas. He started the Gupta Era in 319-320C.E. Chandragupta I was able to establish his authority over Magadha, Prayaga,and Saketa. Calendars in India 58 B.C. -
Art. I.—The Iron Pillar of Delhi
JOURNAL THE ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. ART. I.— The Iron Pillar of Delhi (Mihrauli) and the Emperor Candra {Chandra). By VINCENT A. SMITH, M.R.A.S., Indian Civil Service. PREFATORY NOTE. THE project of writing the "Ancient History of Northern India from the Monuments" has long occupied my thoughts, but the duties of my office do not permit me, so long as I remain in active service, to devote the time and attention necessary for the execution and completion of so arduous an undertaking. There is, indeed, little prospect that my project will ever be fully carried into effect by me. Be that as it may, I have made some small progress in the collection of materials, and have been compelled from time to time to make detailed preparatory studies of special subjects. I propose to publish these studies occasionally under the general title of " Prolegomena to Ancient Indian History." The essay now presented as No. I of the series is that which happens to be the first ready. It grew out of a footnote to the draft of a chapter on the history of Candra Gupta II. V. A. SMITH, Gorakhpur, India. July, 1896. , J.K.A.S. 1897. x 1 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. INSEAD, on 14 Sep 2018 at 15:56:13, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0035869X00024205 2 THE IRON PILLAR OF DELHI. The great mosque built by Qutb-ud-din 'Ibak in 1191 A.D., and subsequently enlarged by his successors, as well as its minaret, the celebrated Qutb Mlnar, stand on the site of Hindu temples, and within the limits of the fortifications known as the Fort of Rai Pithaura, which were erected in the middle or latter part of the twelfth century to protect the Hindu city of Delhi from the attacks of the Musalmans, who finally captured it in A.D. -
The Gupta Empire: an Indian Golden Age the Gupta Empire, Which Ruled
The Gupta Empire: An Indian Golden Age The Gupta Empire, which ruled the Indian subcontinent from 320 to 550 AD, ushered in a golden age of Indian civilization. It will forever be remembered as the period during which literature, science, and the arts flourished in India as never before. Beginnings of the Guptas Since the fall of the Mauryan Empire in the second century BC, India had remained divided. For 500 years, India was a patchwork of independent kingdoms. During the late third century, the powerful Gupta family gained control of the local kingship of Magadha (modern-day eastern India and Bengal). The Gupta Empire is generally held to have begun in 320 AD, when Chandragupta I (not to be confused with Chandragupta Maurya, who founded the Mauryan Empire), the third king of the dynasty, ascended the throne. He soon began conquering neighboring regions. His son, Samudragupta (often called Samudragupta the Great) founded a new capital city, Pataliputra, and began a conquest of the entire subcontinent. Samudragupta conquered most of India, though in the more distant regions he reinstalled local kings in exchange for their loyalty. Samudragupta was also a great patron of the arts. He was a poet and a musician, and he brought great writers, philosophers, and artists to his court. Unlike the Mauryan kings after Ashoka, who were Buddhists, Samudragupta was a devoted worshipper of the Hindu gods. Nonetheless, he did not reject Buddhism, but invited Buddhists to be part of his court and allowed the religion to spread in his realm. Chandragupta II and the Flourishing of Culture Samudragupta was briefly succeeded by his eldest son Ramagupta, whose reign was short. -
Teacher Overview: What Led to the Gupta Golden Age? How Did The
Please Read: We encourage all teachers to modify the materials to meet the needs of their students. To create a version of this document that you can edit: 1. Make sure you are signed into a Google account when you are on the resource. 2. Go to the "File" pull down menu in the upper left hand corner and select "Make a Copy." This will give you a version of the document that you own and can modify. Teacher Overview: What led to the Gupta Golden Age? How did the Gupta Golden Age impact India, other regions, and later periods in history? Unit Essential Question(s): How did classical civilizations gain, consolidate, maintain and lose their power? | Link to Unit Supporting Question(s): ● What led to the Gupta Golden Age? How did the Gupta Golden Age impact India, other regions, and later periods in history? Objective(s): ● Contextualize the Gupta Golden Age. ● Explain the impact of the Gupta Golden Age on India, other regions, and later periods in history. Go directly to student-facing materials! Alignment to State Standards 1. NYS Social Studies Framework: Key Idea Conceptual Understandings Content Specifications 9.3 CLASSICAL CIVILIZATIONS: 9.3c A period of peace, prosperity, and Students will examine the achievements EXPANSION, ACHIEVEMENT, DECLINE: cultural achievements can be designated of Greece, Gupta, Han Dynasty, Maya, Classical civilizations in Eurasia and as a Golden Age. and Rome to determine if the civilizations Mesoamerica employed a variety of experienced a Golden Age. methods to expand and maintain control over vast territories. They developed lasting cultural achievements. -
Problems of Chronology in Gandhāran Art
Rienjang and Stewart (eds) Problems of Chronology in Gandhāran Art Edited by Wannaporn Rienjang Peter Stewart Problems of Chronology in Gandhāran Art Since the beginning of Gandhāran studies in the nineteenth century, chronology has been one of the most significant challenges to the understanding of Gandhāran art. Many other ancient societies, including those of Greece and Rome, have left a wealth of textual sources which have put their fundamental chronological frameworks beyond doubt. In the absence of such sources on a similar scale, even the historical eras cited on inscribed Gandhāran works of art have been hard to place. Few sculptures have such inscriptions and the majority lack any record of find-spot or even general provenance. Those known to have been found at particular sites were sometimes moved and reused in antiquity. Consequently, the provisional dates assigned to extant Gandhāran sculptures have sometimes differed by centuries, while the narrative of artistic development remains doubtful and inconsistent. Building upon the most recent, cross-disciplinary research, debate and excavation, this volume reinforces a new consensus about the chronology of Gandhāra, bringing the history of Gandhāran art into sharper focus than ever. By considering this tradition in its wider context, alongside contemporary Indian art and subsequent developments in Central Asia, the authors also open up fresh questions and problems which a new phase of research will need to address. Problems of Chronology in Gandhāran Art is the first publication of the Gandhāra Connections project at the University of Oxford’s Classical Art Research Centre, which has been supported by the Bagri Foundation and the Neil Kreitman Foundation. -
History of India
HISTORY OF INDIA VOLUME - 2 History of India Edited by A. V. Williams Jackson, Ph.D., LL.D., Professor of Indo-Iranian Languages in Columbia University Volume 2 – From the Sixth Century B.C. to the Mohammedan Conquest, Including the Invasion of Alexander the Great By: Vincent A. Smith, M.A., M.R.A.S., F.R.N.S. Late of the Indian Civil Service, Author of “Asoka, the Buddhist Emperor of India” 1906 Reproduced by Sani H. Panhwar (2018) Preface by the Editor This volume covers the interesting period from the century in which Buddha appeared down to the first centuries after the Mohammedans entered India, or, roughly speaking, from 600 B.C. to 1200 A.D. During this long era India, now Aryanized, was brought into closer contact with the outer world. The invasion of Alexander the Great gave her at least a touch of the West; the spread of Buddhism and the growth of trade created new relations with China and Central Asia; and, toward the close of the period, the great movements which had their origin in Arabia brought her under the influences which affected the East historically after the rise of Islam. In no previous work will the reader find so thorough and so comprehensive a description as Mr. Vincent Smith has given of Alexander’s inroad into India and of his exploits which stirred, even if they did not deeply move, the soul of India; nor has there existed hitherto so full an account of the great rulers, Chandragupta, Asoka, and Harsha, each of whom made famous the age in which he lived. -
Unit 3 the Age of Empires: Guptas and Vardhanas
SPLIT BY - SIS ACADEMY www.tntextbooks.inhttps://t.me/SISACADEMYENGLISHMEDIUM Unit 3 The Age of Empires: Guptas and Vardhanas Learning Objectives • To know the establishment of Gupta dynasty and the empire-building efforts of Gupta rulers • To understand the polity, economy and society under Guptas • To get familiar with the contributions of the Guptas to art, architecture, literature, education, science and technology • To explore the signification of the reign of HarshaVardhana Introduction Sources By the end of the 3rd century, the powerful Archaeological Sources empires established by the Kushanas in the Gold, silver and copper coins issued north and Satavahanas in the south had by Gupta rulers. lost their greatness and strength. After the Allahabad Pillar Inscription of decline of Kushanas and Satavahanas, Samudragupta. Chandragupta carved out a kingdom and The Mehrauli Iron Pillar Inscription. establish his dynastic rule, which lasted Udayagiri Cave Inscription, Mathura for about two hundred years. After the Stone Inscription and Sanchi Stone downfall of the Guptas and thereafter and Inscription of Chandragupta II. interregnum of nearly 50 years, Harsha of Bhitari Pillar Inscription of Vardhana dynasty ruled North India from Skandagupta. 606 to 647 A.D (CE). The Gadhwa Stone Inscription. 112 VI History 3rd Term_English version CHAPTER 03.indd 112 22-11-2018 15:34:06 SPLIT BY - SIS ACADEMY www.tntextbooks.inhttps://t.me/SISACADEMYENGLISHMEDIUM Madubhan Copper Plate Inscription Lichchhavi was an old gana–sanga and Sonpat Copper Plate its territory lay between the Ganges and Nalanda Inscription on clay seal the Nepal Terai. Literary Sources Vishnu, Matsya, Vayu and Bhagavata Samudragupta (c.