The Gupta Period (319 AD - 540 AD)

The Gupta Period (319 AD - 540 AD)

Rise of the Guptas

Emergence of a New Dynasty

• In the 4th Century AD, the Guptas, a new dynasty, arose in Magadha and established a large kingdom over the greater part of Northern India (though their empire was not as large as that of the Mauryas).

• Their rule lasted for more than 200 years.

The Golden Age of Ancient India

Classical Age of Prosperity

• This period is referred to as the 'Classical Age' or 'Golden Age' of ancient India and was perhaps the most prosperous era in Indian history.

Founding of the Gupta Dynasty

The First Gupta Rulers

• According to epigraphic evidence, the founder of the dynasty was a person named Gupta. He used the simple title of Maharaja.

Succession

• Gupta was succeeded by his son Ghatotkach, who also inherited the title of Maharaja.

Chandragupta I: 319–334 AD

Title and Authority

• He was the first Gupta ruler to assume the title Maharajadhiraja.

Matrimonial Alliance

• He strengthened his kingdom by a matrimonial alliance with the powerful family of Lichchhavis, who were the rulers of Mithila.

• His marriage to Lichchhvi princess Kumaradevi brought him enormous power, resources, and prestige.

Expansion of Territory

• He took advantage of the situation and occupied the whole of the fertile Gangetic Valley.

Gupta Era

• He started the Gupta Era in 319–20 AD.

Regions Under Control

• Chandragupta I was able to establish his authority over Magadha, Prayaga, and Saketa.

Coinage

• Original type of Gold Coins (Dinaras): Chandragupta I–Kumaradevi type.

Samudragupta: 335–380 AD

Greatest King of the Dynasty

• Samudragupta was the greatest king of the Gupta dynasty.

Source of History

• The most detailed and authentic record of his reign is preserved in the Prayaga Prasasti/Allahabad pillar inscription, composed by his court poet Harisena.

Military Achievements

• According to Prayaga Prasasti, he was a great conqueror.

• In the Gangetic Valley and Central India, Samudragupta annexed the territories of the defeated monarchs, but in South India, he remained content with victories alone and did not annex the territories of the vanquished rulers.

Historical Recognition

• Samudragupta's military campaigns justify the description of him as the 'Indian Napoleon' by V.A. Smith.

Naval Strength

• The reference to his dominion over Java, Sumatra, and the Malaya islands in the sea shows that he had a navy.

Empire Borders

• When he died, his mighty empire bordered that of the Kushan of Western province (modern Afghanistan and Pakistan) and the Vakatakas in Deccan (modern Southern Maharashtra).

Political Achievement

• His greatest achievement was the political unification of most of India, or Aryavarta, into a formidable power.

Titles

• Kaviraj, a I.,e. King of poets (Prayaga Prasasti)

• Param Bhagavat (Nalanda copperplate)

• Ashvamedha-parakrama, i.e., whose might was demonstrated by the horse-sacrifice (coin)

• Vikrama, i.e,. prowess (coin)

• Sarva-raj-occhet, ta I,.,. uprooter of all kings (coin)

Note: Only the Gupta ruler was to bear the title of Sarva-raj-ochetta.

Coinage

Original types of Gold Coins (Dinars):

• Garud type

• Dhanurdhari, i.e., Archer type

• Axe type

• Ashvamedha type

• Vyaghrahanan, i.e,. Tiger killing type

• Veenavada, ni I,.,. Lute playing type

Religious Beliefs

• Samudragupta was a Vaishnavite.

Relations with Sri Lanka

• According to the Chinese writer Wang-Hiuen-Tse, Meghavarna, king of Sri Lanka, sent an embassy to Samudragupta for his permission to build a monastery for Buddhist pilgrims at Bodh Gaya.

Chandragupta II "Vikramaditya": 380–414 AD

Succession and Early Events

• According to Devi Chandragupta (Vishakhadatta), Samudragupta was succeeded by Ramgupta.

• It seems Ramgupta ruled for a very short period.

• He was the only Gupta ruler to issue copper coins.

Heroic Deed and Ascension to Throne

• Ramagupta, a coward and impotent king, agreed to surrender his queen, Dhruvadevi, to the Saka invader.

• But the prince Chandragupta II, the younger brother of the king, resolved to go to the enemy's camp in the guise of the queen to kill the hated enemy.

• Chandragupta II succeeded in killing the Saka ruler.

• Chandragupta II also succeeded in killing Ramgupta, and not only seized his kingdom but also married his widow, Dhruvadevi.

Expansion of Empire

• Chandragupta II extended the limits of his empire through matrimonial alliances (with the Nagas and Vakatakas) and conquests (Western India).

• He married Kubemaga of the Naga dynasty and married his daughter Prabhavatigupta to Vakataka prince Rudrasena II.

• As a result of the overthrow of the Saka rule in Western India, the Gupta empire extended up to the Arabian Sea.

• He issued silver coins in memory of the victory over the Sakas.

Coinage and Titles

• He was the first Gupta ruler to issue silver coins and adopted the titles Sakari and Vikramaditya.

• Ujjain seems to have been made the second capital by Chandragupta II.

Mehrauli Iron Pillar Inscription

• Mehrauli (near Kutub Minar, Delhi) Iron Pillar inscription says that the king defeated the confederacy of Vangas and Vahilkas (Bulkh).

Navaratna (Nine Gems of His Court)

• Kalidasa (Poetry: Ritusamhar, Meghadutam, Kumarsambhavam, Raghuvamshama; Dramas: Malvikagnimitra, Vikramorvashiyam, Abhijnan Shakuntalam)

• Amarsinh (Amarsinhkosha)

• Dhanavantri (Navanitakam – medicine text)

• Varahmihira (Panch Sidhantaka, Vrihatsamhita, Vrihat Jataka, Laghu Jataka)

• Araruchi (Vartika – a comment on Ashtadhyayi)

• Ghatakama Kshapranak

• Velabhat

• Shanku

Foreign Visitor

• Fahien, a Chinese pilgrim, visited India during Chandragupta's reign and described what he saw in his travelogue 'Fo-gu-oji'.

Titles

• Devagupta / Devaraja / Devashri

• Parama Bhagavata

• Narendra Chandra

• Sinh Vikram

Original Types of Gold Coins (Dinaras)

• Ashvarohi type

• Chhatradhari type

• Chakra-Vikram type

Kumaragupta I: 415–455 AD

Succession

• Chandragupta II was succeeded by his son Kumaragupta I.

Threat from Huns

• Towards the end of his reign, the Gupta empire was threatened from the North by the Huns, who were temporarily checked by his son Skandagupta.

Religion and Institutions

• Kumaragupta was the worshipper of the god Kartikeya.

• He founded the Nalanda Mahavihara, which developed into a great centre of learning.

Titles

• Mahendraditya

• Mahendra Singh

• Ashvamedha Mahendrah (coins)

Original Types of Gold Coins (Dinars)

• Khadgadhari type

• Gajarohi type

• Gajarohi Sinh-nihanta type

• Khang-nihanta, i.e,. rhinoceros-slayer type

• Kartikeya type

• Apratigh-mudra type

Skandagupta: 455–467 AD

Last Great Ruler of the Gupta Dynasty

• Skandagupta, the last great ruler of the Gupta dynasty.

Conflict with the Huns

• During his reign, the Gupta Empire was invaded by the Huns.

• He succeeded in defeating the Huns. Success in repelling the Huns seems to have been celebrated by the assumption of the title 'Vikramaditya' (Bhitari Pillar Inscription).

Aftermath and Economic Decline

• The continuous attacks of the Huns weakened the empire and adversely affected its economy.

• The gold coinage of Skandagupta bears testimony to this.

• The decline of the empire began soon after his death.

Titles

• Vikramaditya and Kramaditya (coins)

• Parart / Bhagavat (coins)

• Sharkropama (Kahaum Pillar Inscription)

• Devaraja (Arya Manjushri Mula Kalpa)

The Huns (500–530 AD)

Background

• The Huns were primitive pastoralists, owning herds of cattle and horses but knowing nothing of agriculture.

• They roamed the Steppe in search of pasture and water.

Entry into India

• The White Huns came into Afghanistan, destroyed the local power, and, after establishing themselves there, began to pour into India in 458 AD.

Skandagupta's Resistance

• However, Skandagupta, who was at the time ruling Northern India, checkmated them effectively.

• Whenever the Gupta Empire's resistance collapsed, the Huns occupied the areas up to Central India and Malwa about 500 AD.

Hun Rulers

• There were two powerful Hun rulers — Toramana and his son Mihirkula.

• They ruled from 500–530 AD. Mihirkula, a Shaivite, was a persecutor of Buddhism.

End of the Hun Rule

• In 530 AD, the Huns were uprooted by Yashodarmana of Mandsaur.

Vakatakas (3rd Century–5th Century AD)

Rise After Satavahanas

• The Vakatakas were the most important power that held sway over parts of Deccan and Central India after the fall of the Satavahanas and before the rise of the Chalukyas.

Founder

• The founder of the Vakataka dynasty was Vindhyasakti (255–75 AD).

Expansion Under Pravarasena I

• Vindhyasakti was succeeded by his son Pravarasena I (275–335 AD), who was the real founder of the Vakataka empire.

• He performed 4 Ashvamedha Yajnas.

Division of the Empire

• After his death, the empire was divided. Rudrasena I took over the reins of the main branch, i.e,. Northern branch.

• He was the contemporary of Samudragupta.

Relations with the Guptas

• Rudrasena I was succeeded by Prithvisena I.

• He was a contemporary of Chandragupta II.

• Chandragupta married his daughter Prabhavatigupta to the prince Rudrasena II.

Regency and Later Rule

• Prithvisena was succeeded by his son Rudrasena II.

• Rudrasena II died after a short reign of five years, leaving behind two minor sons, Divakarasena and Damodarsena.

• Prabhavatigupta ruled as regent over her son.

• Later, Damodarsena became ruler with the name Pravarasena II.

Literary Contribution

Pravarasena II composed Setubandh / Ravanaho (Poetry) in Marathi Script.

Final Thoughts

The Gupta period marks a defining chapter in ancient Indian history, often hailed as the Golden Age due to its remarkable achievements in governance, literature, art, science, and religion.

Emerging in the 4th century AD, the Gupta dynasty unified large parts of Northern India and fostered unprecedented cultural and intellectual growth. Visionary rulers like Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, and Chandragupta II Vikramaditya laid the foundation of a strong political empire, while also promoting education, art, and religion.

Despite external threats, notably from the Huns, the Guptas—particularly Skandagupta—mounted fierce resistance, preserving their legacy a little longer. Eventually, continuous invasions and internal decline led to the fragmentation of the empire.

Yet, the legacy of the Gupta period endured for centuries, influencing future Indian dynasties and leaving behind rich inscriptions, literature, and monuments that continue to speak of its glory.