Gupta Age: Golden Age of India – Administration, Art, Literature & Legacy (Part-1)

Gupta Age (275 CE – 550 CE)

The early history of the Guptas is not clearly available. The first rulers of this dynasty used the title Maharaja, which indicates that they were ruling as feudatories. However, it is not clear to whom they were subordinates. Some historians opine that the Guptas were vassals of the Kushans, ruling from Prayag, and later became independent, shifting their capital to Pataliputra.

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Sources of Gupta History

Literary Sources

The following Sanskrit works provide information about the Guptas:

In addition, the account of Fa-Hien (Faxian), a Chinese Buddhist monk, is very valuable. He visited India during the reign of Chandragupta II (CE 399–414). He was the first foreign traveler to describe untouchability in India, giving details about the social, religious, economic, and educational discrimination faced by lower castes.

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Epigraphical Sources

42 inscriptions of the Guptas have been found, including prashastis (eulogies) and donative inscriptions. Important ones are:

Inscriptions of Samudragupta

1. Eran Prashasti (Madhya Pradesh): Records his victories.

2. Allahabad Prashasti: Written by Harisena, Samudragupta’s court poet and minister. It describes the kingdoms conquered by him. It was inscribed on Ashoka’s pillar at Allahabad.

3. Nalanda Copper Plate Inscription (Bihar): A land grant to a Brahmana. Although land grants to Brahmanas began in Satavahana times, they were called agraharas only in the Gupta period. The word agrahara first appears in this inscription.

4. Gaya Copper Plate Inscription (Bihar): Records Samudragupta’s grant of a village to a Buddhist monastery at Gaya, which had been built by Sri Lankan king Mahameghavarman.

Chandragupta II

• Mehrauli Iron Pillar Inscription (Delhi): Records his military achievements. The iron pillar weighs about 6 tons, stands 23 feet high, and has not rusted for over 1,500 years despite exposure to sun and rain.

Skandagupta

1. Junagadh Inscription: Mentions repairs to the ancient Sudarshana Lake. (Earlier mentioned in Rudradaman’s inscription).

2. Bhitari Inscription (Madhya Pradesh): Records his wars against the Huns. The Huns, nomadic tribes from Central Asia, repeatedly invaded India and eventually weakened the Gupta empire. Leaders included Toramana and his son Mihirkula.

Other Important Inscriptions

• Poona Copper Plate (Maharashtra): Issued by Prabhavatigupta (daughter of Chandragupta II), mentions land survey methods.

• Eran Inscription of Bhanugupta (510 CE): The earliest inscription mentioning sati (widow self-immolation).

• Mandsaur Inscription of Yashovarman (532 CE): Mentions that Yashovarman defeated the Guptas.

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Numismatic Sources

Coins play a key role in reconstructing Gupta history. The emperors issued gold coins (Dinars) and silver coins (Rupya). Fa-Hien notes that common people used cowrie shells as currency.

• Chandragupta I: His coins depict his queen Kumaradevi, which was an unusual practice.

• Samudragupta: Issued many gold coins, including:

  1. Veena-playing type, with the title Kaviraja (poet-king).

  2. Ashvamedha type, with the title Ashvamedha Parakramah.

  3. Tiger-slayer type, with the title Vyaghra Parakramah.

• Chandragupta II: After defeating the Shakas, he issued silver coins influenced by Shaka designs, bearing titles like Simhachandra, Narendrasimha, and Simhavikrama.

• Kumaragupta: 1,395 silver coins were discovered at Samand (Maharashtra). These depict the Ashvamedha sacrifice and bear the title Ashvamedha Mahendra.

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Political History

Srigupta (275–300 CE)

Founder of the Gupta dynasty, bore the title Maharaja. Chinese pilgrim I-tsing mentions that Srigupta built a Buddhist monastery at Mrigashikhavana.

Chandragupta I (320–335 CE)

First to assume the title Maharajadhiraja, indicating sovereignty. His marriage with the Licchavi princess Kumaradevi strengthened his power and helped him establish independence.

Samudragupta (335–380 CE)

The greatest Gupta ruler. His achievements are described in the Allahabad Prashasti.

• Conquered 8 Aryavarta kingdoms (North India), including Padmavati (Gwalior).

• Defeated 5 frontier kingdoms – Kamarupa (Assam), Davaka (Assam), Kartipura (Kashmir), Samatata (Bengal), and Nepal.

• Subdued 18 forest tribes in the Vindhyas.

• Defeated 9 republic states (ganarajyas) including Malavas, Abhiras, Yaudheyas, and Arjunayanas.

• Conquered 12 southern kingdoms (Dakshinapatha) between Mahanadi and Kaveri, including Mahendra of Kosala (Odisha), Hastivarman of Vengi (Andhra), and Vishnugopa of Kanchi (Tamil Nadu).

Instead of annexing southern states, he followed the policy of “Grahana–Moksha–Anugraha” (capture–release–favour), turning them into feudatories.

British historian V.A. Smith called him the “Indian Napoleon.”

Chandragupta II (380–412 CE)

• Defeated the Shakas in 388 CE, captured Ujjain, and assumed the titles Shakari (destroyer of Shakas) and Vikramaditya. Ujjain became the second capital.

• Strengthened empire through matrimonial alliances: married Kuberanaga (daughter of Ganapati Naga of Padmavati) and gave his daughter Prabhavatigupta in marriage to Vakataka ruler Rudrasena II.

• Tradition mentions the Navaratnas (Nine Gems) at his court:

Notable Scholars in his court:

1. Kalidasa – playwright and poet. Works: Abhijnanasakuntalam, Malavikagnimitram, Vikramorvashiyam, Kumarasambhavam, Meghaduta, Rtusamhara, Raghuvamsam.

2. Vishnusharma – author of Panchatantra.

3. Amarasimha – wrote Amarakosha (Sanskrit lexicon).

4. Vararuchi/Vajraruchi – Prakrit grammarian, author of Prakritaprakasha.

5. Dhanvantari – wrote an Ayurvedic Nighantu.

6. Sushruta – author of Sushruta Samhita on surgery.

7. Aryabhata – wrote Aryabhatiya (mathematics, decimal system, zero) and Surya Siddhanta (heliocentric theory, rotation, revolution, eclipse explanations).

8. Varahamihira – wrote Brihatsamhita (encyclopedia of sciences) and Panchasiddhantika (five astronomical systems).

9. Brahmagupta – author of Khandakhadyaka, discussed gravity, called the “Indian Newton.”

Kumaragupta (412–455 CE)

• Faced the first Hun invasion.

• Founded the famous Nalanda University (Mahayana Buddhist learning center). According to Hiuen-Tsang, it had 8,500 students and 1,500 teachers, with three libraries: Ratnasagara, Ratnadadhi, and Ratnaranjaka. Great Buddhist scholars like Dharmapala, Silabhadra, and Dharmakirti were associated with it. The university was destroyed by the Turks in the 12th century.

Narasimhagupta Baladitya

One of the later Gupta rulers. Hiuen-Tsang mentions that he converted to Buddhism and built a great monastery at Ratnagiri (Odisha). Defeated and released Hun ruler Mihirkula.

Vishnugupta

The last Gupta emperor. With his death, the Gupta Empire came to an end around the mid-6th century CE.