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H Whii 'Trensmit Genuine Historical Tradition Of THE AGE OF THE GUPTAS 155 empire In this respect, the Gupta age particularly stands as a ' n:'< great landmark. Taken altogether, the abundance and quality of cultural achievement under the Guptas justify the appeUation CHAPTER VI 'Golden age of Indian Siatonj' applied to V. I ■ •> .. Sources The task of the Gupta historian is not.difficult as he THE AGE OF THE GUPTAS is not confronted with the paucity of historical raw materials. He has abundant and hiabl.t reliable materials made available by the aeholarlv labour of indologists both Oriental and Occidental. The (300—600 A.D.) indigenous literary and archaeological materials are happily supplemented and corroborated by the aecounts lett by the foreign ers By a careful analysis of these materials it would be possible to The history of ancient India enters upon a new epoch air reconstruct the history of the Guptas in its true perspective. epoch of spectacular achievements in all spheres of life, with' the' "jiidi<'enous literature throws welcome light on the history of foundation fif the Gupta dynasty .in the early part of the 4th century A.D7> <;The Gupta_ period,", writes L. D. Barnett, **is in- theh fJiintas whii Among 'trensmit the literary genuine sources historical mention tradition may be madeOf theof the annals of classical India almost what the periclean age is in eio-hteeii major Purantis. BrahnmniUi, Tayu, Matsya suA Yishmt. the history of Greece.".; To this R. N. Salctore adds : "What the ar°c important for this period. They provide information regarding Elizabethan and Stuaft periods were in the pages of British history,; the extent of the Gupta empire and its provinces. The Puran^ what the era of Augustus was to the Roman empire, what th& were aware of the two kinds of Gupta provinces viz. the directly period of Taitsung was to the liistory of China, what the days of administered provinces through- representatives ot the king and the Louis XIV were to the annals of France, the age of the Guptas Qtatps The Purauic evidence is also important to locate some- may be said to have been to the heritage of India." minor dynasties and their status. Vishnudharmottara. an appendix The Guptas reestablished political unity in the country which to Vishnupurania contains detailed rules regarding image making had been lost to pieces after the decline of the Mauryan dynasty and painting which must have been made use of during this period. This was due to the rise of a strong sense of nationalism. It is true Next in importance is the evidence of the Dharmosasfras and that the Gupta empire was far less in estent when compared tc Arthasastra treatises. The Dharmasastras of Vyasa, Harita Pita- the Mauryas, but they influenced the culture of the country more maha and Pulastya provide peeps into the procedure of law and than the Mauryas. The sound system of administration which they law suits. Pitamaha for the fir.st time refers to eighteen prah-itis and established to maintain their empire ensued an era of peace. It gave gives additional information regarding social life of the period. The tremendous impetus to an outburst of literary and artistic activity only work in the field of Arthasastra is Kamandakiya Nitiswa, an The period witnessed the great development of Sanskrit literature abridgement of the Arthasastra of Kautilya. The Kamandakiya in all its brauohes. In the sphere of secular literature 'Kalidasa throws li^'ht on the Gupta administrative institutions and the charac stands out prominently. His works embody the ideals of patriotism ter of the Gupta government. national unity, goodwill towards all. and high aesthetic sense. In The Eavyas and dramas of the period contain valuable historical the field of scientific literature we have such shining figures as materials. Tlie works of Kalidasa like Meghaduta help us to Aryabhatta, Varahamihira, and Brahmagupta. Sanskrit became the understand the poUtieal geography of India while his R' aglnivamsa U-)igua franca of India. is said to allude to the military exploits of Samiidragupta. An This was an age of great intellectual expansion. This was internal analysis of his works provides positive data to estimate the typified in the University of Nalanda, a great seat of learning which cultural attainments of the Guptas. attracted students from all parts of the world. Hinduism with its sectarian creeds like Saivism, Vaisnavism and Tantricism had fully The two works of Visakhadatta, Mudraraksasa and Bevichandra- emertred and Mahayana was an elaborately developed creed. Tlie gupiam, are other source works of the Gupta epoch. The age lias become memorable 'for the development of temple architec Mudraraksasa deals with the theme that relates more to the iMauryas than to the Guptas. But the description in it of the political strategy ture and from now onwards Brahmanic art comes into its own adopted by Kautilya may have a direct bearing on the Gupta dynasty. soon to become prolific and dominant'. The Dcvichandragiiptam is a political drama which is known only The age was a great period of expansion of Indian culture in through quotations made here and there by certain writers. The the Far Bast which resulted in the establishment of a cultural hero of the play is Kumara Chandragupta, the later Chandragvipta II Yikramaditya. The King, as seen in the play, was Earaagupta, an 154 THE AGE OF THE GUPTAS 157 156 THE AGE OI- THE GUPTAS A writer in Indian Historical Quarterly, Vol. XIV argues on imbecile and weakling. He was defeated by the Saka ruler and the same lines. He says the Gupta inscriptions from the time of agreed to an humiliating treaty, according to which he agreed to Samudragupta and the 'marriage type of coins' suggest that surrender his queen, Dhruvadevi. Young Chandragupta, who came ^7 Chandragupta I succeeded to the dominions of the petty kings, to know of this agreement, disguised himself as Dhruvadevi, entered 7 Gupta and Ghatotkacha. and became an emperor when he received the camp of the Saka ruler with a small following of his and killed considerable addition to his territory through the marriage with the him. Later he killed his brother, married his widow and became Lichchhavi princess. Chandrasena's rule on the other hand, was only King. The drama introduces the episode of Ramagupta in the Gupta through the usurpation of Sundaravarman's throne. If the Lichchhavis history. luid kept on the throne of Magadha, Kalyanavarman would have Another drama that has given rise to much controversy in the had to cross swords with them when he conquered Chandi^asena and Gupta history is Kaumi<UmaJiotsa/va by Kisorika (Vijjika ?) K P the Kmimudhnahoisaua mu.st have mentioned this feat of the new Jayaswal thinks that it portrays the early history of Chandragupta I king. The facts recorded in the drama may thus be stated. One Sundara' varman, the king of Magadha, had no one to succeed him Since he Amoii"- the ffweign .sources, llie work of Fa-liien. entitled Fo- was ndYancing in years, he adopted one Chandasena of Uagadhakula Kuold (Re'cord of the Buddhist Kingdoms) is of great value to the and whose wife s relations were Lichchhavis as his son. Soon after hi.storv of the Guptas. This pilgrim visited India during the reign this a sou was born to him and he was named Kalyanavarnian The of Chandragupta II, whose name, however, he has not mentioned, and deep attachment of the old king to Kalyanavarman roused anger and staved for about 6 years. He visited sacred places of Buddhism and suspicion m Chandasena who rose in revolt, killed Simdaravarman sneiit nearly 3 veavs in Patalijmti-a. Fahien gives a vivid picture of and usurped the throne. The Prime iVIinister who did not approve of the country its good government, its cultural, social and economic the eonduct of Chandasena took away Kalyanavarman for safety and condition. 'Majmolu-UTawarmi, the Arabic version of the Devi- was bidding for an opportune time. Chandasena had to leave the chandragnptam, retains the outlines of the stor,\. capital to quell the revolt of the frontier chiefs and this opportunity Archaeological evidence provides welcome peep into the various was taken advantage of by the men of Kalyanavarman who deposed aspects of the'^Gupta history. The varieties of coins issued by tbe Chandasena and crowned him king. To strengthen his power an monarehs of this dynasty coupled with the monuments help us to a alliance was concluded between him and Kirtisena, King of Mathura considerable extent to reconstruct the history of the Gupta fine arts. JCirtisena also gave his daughter in marriage,to Kalyanavarman and A detailed and continuous political, administrative and cultural in the honour <-.<( niarriago .'cieoration the festival of Kaumudi- liistoi-y of the Guptas may be gleaned by the inscriptions of the mahoisava was instituted. The final act of the drama informn Gnpta rulers and their contemporaries. Chandasena was killed. Origin and Sisiory : The origin of the Guptas has been traced K. P. Jayaswal thinks that this Chandasena is the liistorical to a foreign source by Allen and K.P. Jayaswal, who assert the Jats Chandragupta I, because both of them had connections with the who were° Scythians may have founded the Gupta dyansty. In the Lichchhavis. He further takes the events in the drama as throwing Dharmasastras, Gupta is a surname of the Vaisya caste. But inscrip light on the rise of the Gupta dynasty. B.N. Dandekar terms tions do not support tliis statement. Ttsing mentions a Srigupta who Jayaswal "s eon<*iiisions as ingonions and unconvincing. Continuing built a monastery for tbe Chinese monks at Mrigasikavana in 175 he argues, the prakritised form of Chandra cannot properly be ehani A.D.
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