Gupta Empire 320-550 AD

• Sungas : 185-73AD• Kanvas: 73 BC-26 AD• Kushans: 30 AD-375 AD• Satavahana : 230 BC-220 AD

• Kamanduka: Nitisara: administration• Koumudimhostavam: Vajjika: political • Sudraka: Mruchchakatika: social and political

• Kavya-nataka: History • Visakhadatta: Devichandraguptam: political • Kalidas: political, social and religion :Abhignana sakuntalam

:Meghadhutam :Raghuvasam :Kumarasambhavam :Ritisamhara :Malavikagnimitram

Religious sources:Dharma sutras: Narada Smriti and Brihaspati

smriti, Vayu and mastya puranas etcInscriptions: 23 Private : 19 official Allahabad Iron Pillar InscriptionThe Econ stone inscription of Samudragupta Foreign sources:Fahien: fu-kuo-ki or record of Buddhists

kingdoms, Hiuen Tsang and I-sting

• Founder of the dynasty: Sri Gupta• Ghatotkacha : Second ruler

• Chandra Gupta :319-335 AD• Samudra Gupta :335-380 AD• Chandra Gupta II: 380-412 AD• Kumara Gupta I : 412-454 AD• Skanda Gupta : 454-467 AD

Early kings they were feudatories of the kushanas in U.P

King ship• King had titles like parameswara, maharajadhiraja,

paramabhattraka etc.

• Samudra Gupta declared him self a god dwelling on the earth.

• Kingship was hereditary, but royal power were limited.

• Guptas continued the traditional machinery of bureaucratic administration but it was not as elaborate as that of the Mauryas.

• The Guptas did not possess a big army. The feudatories supplied the troops.

• The kings were not despots. They ruled according to Rajadharma and with the advises of ministers.

Empire King

Bhukti Uparika

Vishyas Ayuktas or vishapati

Town Vithis Vithi (purapala)

Grama Gramapati

Central Administration

Maha Mantri (Chief minister): stood at the head of civil administration.

Among other imperial officers were included the Maha-baladhikrta : commander-in-chiefSandhivgrahika: the foreign ministerMaha-dandanayaka : Chief justiceMaha-asvapati : Commander of the CavalryMaha-pilupati: commander of elephantMaha-ranabhandagarika: Master general of military

stores

Provincial administration

Uparikas were the heads of provincial administration.

Uparikas were the high officers and the personal staff of the emperor and were appointed by the king.

District administrationDistrict or Vishya was under the control of Ayukta or

vishayapati or Kumaramatyas

Their appointment was made by the provincial governors

Ayuktas also acted as officials at central level.

District level Ayukta assisted by two officials Ngara Srethin (Chief merchant)Prathama Kulika ( chief artisan)

Social conditionsCaste system: the traditional caste system continued in

the period.

The foreign elements in Indian society were absorbed in the traditional social order.

The sakas, Yavanas etc. were regarded as Kshtriyas.

The Hunas and Gurjaras later became the Rajputs and were considered as part the society.

The connection between the caste and occupation was not rigid.

Position of womenWomen were given a subordinate position

Early marriages were encouraged and practiced.

Sati system was also encouraged as per the inscription of Eran.

No widow marriages

Only upper-class women entitled to receive education

Devadasi system was prevailed in the society (devadasi  is a girl “married” to a deity and dedicated to worship

and service of the deity or a temple for the rest of her life)

Economic ConditionsThe Gupta age was an age of economic prosperity.

agricultural handicrafts trade and commerce.Agriculture:The state encouraged agriculture. State was the

exclusive owner of the land. Two harvests were found in the method of irrigation

The Persian water-wheel was use for irrigation

Water wheels were used to draw water from the tanks, wells and channels.

• Rice, wheat and barley were produced.

• Sugar-cane, fruits, vegetables and other crops were grown.

• Scientific methods were followed for better and more agriculture production.

Land grants• There was a tradition of giving land grants to the

priests and temples, free of taxes, and villages were granted to officials with administration rights.

• Increase in land grants was responsible for bringing large areas under cultivation.

• Agrahara grants: Religious Devagrahara: secular

• The landed gentry and officials exploited village resources to a great extent.

land grants paved the way for feudalism development in India.

Trade and trade (guilds)There were several native professions such as

garlanders, washer men, carpenters, blacksmiths, jewelers, goldsmiths, potters, weavers, architects etc.

Indian craftsmen produced fine quality cotton, silk and woolen clothes.

Trade was carried on by land and sea.

Important cities and ports were connected by roads.

Foreign trade took place with South East Asian countries through Tamralipti, the sea-port in Bengal.

Guilds

• Guilds were organized for traders, bankers and manual workers like weavers and stone cutter.

• Mining and metallurgy occupied the top position • Ship building was another big industry which was well

developed in the period that facilitated trade and communication activities.

Science and technology

Aryabhata:

• Calculated ∏ to 3.1416 • Length of the solar year to 358. 6805 days• Aryahbattiyam : deals with algebra, arithmetics and

geometryVarahamihira: Astronomy and horoscopy Hastayurveda: veterinary scienceNavaneitakam: medical science Amarakosam: study of metallurgy and plants

Decline of empire• Huna invasions from Chandra Gupta II • Decentralized administration• Land grants