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Home , Devichandraguptam, Gupta era, Licchavi (clan), Malavas, Narasimhagupta, Purugupta

Gupta Empire Establishment of the Dynasty - Ancient Indian empire covering much of the subcontinent between mid to late 3rd century - mid sixth century - ‘Golden age of ’ - Founder - Sri Gupta, succeeded by with capital as Pataliputra - Post Mauryan polity - emergence of Kushanas in the north and Satavahanas in Deccan Political condition in India at the time of rise of Guptas - Decline of Satavahanas by 3rd century and Kushanas as subordinate state - Republican states in north - in Haryana, Malavas in , Nagas in - West - Vakatakas in ancient Vidharba region, Western Kshatrapas - Deccan - Satavahanas followed by Ikshvakus - Karnataka - Kadambas - Tamil Nadu - Pallavas from mid 3rd century “The rise of Guptas in the background of a fragmented polity”

Chandragupta I (319 – 335 A.D.) - ‘Maharajadhiraj’ - Mehrauli Iron Pillar inscription - extensive conquests. - Matrimonial alliance - Kumaradevi, princess. - Founder of the Gupta era which starts with his accession in A.D. 320. - Territorial expansion from Puranic evidences - Prayaga or modern Allahabad and Saketa or - Defeated the Magha kings of Kausambi and Kosala and annexed those territories to his kingdom - Succeeded by Samudragupta (335-380 A.D.)

- Samudragupta son of the succeed him in 335 CE. - ‘Napoleon of India’ - Allahabad Pillar inscription - Samudragupta’s personality and his military campaigns - Conquest of Aryavrata (): Annexation of kingdoms - Forest tribes reduced to servants - Conquest of Ganga - Yamuna valley upto Mathura and Padmavati in the West - Tribute - Kamarupa, Nepala, Samtata etc - Possibly a type of feudatory relationship Dakshinapatha campaign: Conquest and subordination - Reference of twelve rulers of south - upto North Arcot in Tamil Nadu

Rulers rendering service and matrimonial alliance - North- west - Kushanas, Sakas - Meghavarna of Sri Lanka - Emissary and permission for monastery and rest house in Sri Lanka

Samudragupta (335-380 A.D.) Other aspects of Samudragupta’s personality - ‘Anukampavan' - ‘Kaviraj’ - Upholder of Brahmanical religion - Asvamedha coins (goddess Lakshmi and Ganga) - Religiously tolerant - patronage to Buddhist scholar ‘’ - Coins - playing veena - Patronage to scholars - Harisena, Asanga Chandragupta II (376 - 415 A.D.) Military conquests

- War against the Saka satrap ‘Rudrasimha III’ - end of

Saka Kshatrapa

- Performed the horse-sacrifice and title Sakari -

‘destroyer of Sakas’

- , Kathiawad, and West - Udgaygiri cave inscription - Reference to ‘Digvijaya’

- Mehrauli Pillar inscription - campaign, Battle

against the confederacy of Bengal rulers - Kalidasa - Campaigns in the East and West, subjugated Kambojas, Hunas, crossed Himalayas and reduced “Kinnars’ Chandragupta II (376 - 415 A.D.) Matrimonial alliances - Vakatakas and Nagas - His daughter Prabhavatigupta married to Vakataka king Rudrasena II - First Gupta ruler to issue silver coins - Vaishnava in Mehrauli pillar inscription - Navaratna - Kalidasa, Dhanvantri, Vetalabhadra, Varruchi, Varahmira, Shanku, Shapanaka, Amarnatha and Ghatakpara The power and glory of the reached its peak under the rule of Chandragupta II Account of Chinese traveller Fa Hein: - Visited during the reign of Chandragupta II - Visited Peshawar, Mathura, Kannauj, Shravasti, Kapilavastu, Kushinagar, Pataliputra, Kasi and Bodh Gaya - Buddhism was in a flourishing condition in northwestern India but in the Gangetic valley, it was in a state of neglect

Pataliputra - Ashokan Palace built by spirits - Efficient Administration - the roads were kept safe for travellers, and there was no fear of thieves - Rich merchants - Free hospitals, medicine, shelter and food

Social condition - Vegetarianism by upper castes - Untouchability - Chandalas Account of Chinese traveller Fa Hein:

Economic condition - Overall prosperity - Land revenue - 1/6th of produce

Kumaragupta (412 - 454 CE) - The son and successor of Chandragupta II - peace and prosperity - Ashwamedha sacrifice - God Karttikeya on coins - Mandsor inscription - reign over whole earth - Damodar copper plate inscription - Appointed governor of Pundravardhana province - University - Ratnaranjak, Rana Sagar, Ratnanidhi - Different types of Coins - Archer type, Horseman type, Silver - At the end of his reign rise of ‘Pushyamitra’ and invasion by Huns of Central Asia posed a huge challenge to the empire (455 - 467 CE)

- Protector and stabiliser of Gupta empire - Bhitari inscription - Fought against Pushyamitras and faced Huna invasion - Frequent wars - strain on economy - inscription - repair of Sudarshana lake - The last Gupta emperor to issue silver coins Successors of Skandagupta - succeeded by , ,Buddhagupta, and Baladitya. - Reduction in territorial limit

The Gupta power totally disappeared due to the Hun invasions and by the rise of Yasodharman in Malwa The last recognised king of the Gupta line was Vishnu Gupta who reigned from 540 to 550 CE. Factors responsible for the decline

- Internal dynastic issues - Quick succession after Skandagupta - Administrative weakness - Policy of conquest but no annexation in far areas -opportunity for the local chiefs to rebel - Hunas invasion from Central Asia - Disruption of external trade, loss of territory in Western and Central India - Competition from Vakatakas in South west - Internal rebellion - Rise of Yasodharmana of Malwa who after defeating Hunas challenged the supremacy of the Guptas - Rise of Maukharis in and Bengal - Maitrakas in Valabhi - Thanesar prince in Haryana Administration: Monarchy - titles like Paramabhattaraka, Maharajadhiraja, Parameswara, Samrat, and Chakravartin

- King - De jure owner of all lands - Council of ministers - a chief minister, a Senapati, or commander in- chief of the army and other important officials - Bureaucracy less elaborate - Elements of feudalisation - professional bodies in admin - Proto - feudal polity - King’s army + Vassal’s army Provincial administration Provinces (Bhuktis) - Uparikas I Vishaya (Districts) - Vishayapati I Vithi I Village - Gramika + Grama Vridhha

District administration – Nagara Sresh this Representatives of local bodies Pratham Kulika Administration Taxation not as elaborate as Mauryas - Pustapala - record of land sale

Judicial administration - Codified laws - Legal texts - Inequitable laws Society

- Varna hierarchy - differential treatment - Land grants - ‘ Kayasthas’ - Countryside, rise of class of village elders ‘Jyestha’

Women - Prevalence of Sati, Pre - puberty marriages, Widow celibacy - Stridhana - Devadasi system in temples

Fa Hein - prevalence of untouchability - Chandala Religion - Decline of old Brahmanical cult - crystallisation of

- ‘Avtarvaad’ - Incarnations of lord Vishnu

- Temple - Thrust to devotional Bhakti

- Prevalence of Sun Worship - Temple at Daspura

- Later stages - Emergence of Tantricism

- Jainism - Valabhi Jaina council in 453 CE - compilation of Jaina texts

- Christianity - Syrian Christians in Kerala Literature developments:

- Classical age in the development of literature - - royal patronage - Court life as theme in plays - Prakrit - common language Kalidasa most famous poet - Sanskrit drama Shakuntala - Malavikagnimitra - Vikramorvasiyam - Raghuvamsa - Kumarasambhava - Ritusamhara - Meghaduta Another poet Vishakhadatta contributed Sanskrit dramas like Mudrarakshasa and Devichandraguptam. The Panchatantra stories were composed by Vishnu Sharma during the Gupta period. The Buddhist author Amarasimha compiled a lexicon called Amarakosa. The Puranas in their present form were composed during this period.