Gupta Empire

From the fourth through the middle of the sixth century CE the Gupta empire extended over all of northern India and much of the south. Under the patronage of the Gupta dynasty Indian culture flourished, and the era has rightly been termed the Classical or Golden Age of India.

At the end of the third century, before the rise of the Guptas, the Indian subcontinent was an aggregation of small kingdoms and autonomous states. Around this time a king named Srigupta and his son Ghatotkacha Gupta established an independent kingdom on the eastern Gangetic plain.

The family became preeminent under Chandra Gupta I (flourished c. 320), the son of Ghatotkacha Gupta. Chandra Gupta's son Samudra Gupta greatly expanded the empire and is considered by some to be the real founder. Samudra Gupta (reigned c. 340–380), a formidable warrior, established relations with (and probably some degree of suzerainty over) kingdoms adjoining his frontiers. Samudra Gupta was a patron of learning, a poet, and a musician.

Samudra Gupta's son Rama Gupta probably succeeded him for a short period, followed by another son (or grandson) Chandra Gupta II (reigned 380– c. 415). Under this ruler's long reign the empire flowered. Gupta territory extended in the west beyond the Hindu Kush range into today's Afghanistan and in the east to the western borders of today's Assam and Myanmar (Burma).

Chandra Gupta's son Kumara Gupta (reigned 415–455) had an uneventful and generally prosperous reign. His son Skanda Gupta fought the invading Hunas on the western border on at least three occasions and completely crushed them. Following the death of Kumara Gupta the Gupta empire gradually declined. By the seventh century it was fragmented and reduced in size by the Hunas in the west and by Indian kings on the other three borders.

Nevertheless the Guptas left an indelible mark on subsequent Indian history and culture. They established an efficient administrative system, and under their patronage intellectual and cultural activity flourished as never before. In literature, Sanskrit reached its peak with Kalidasa (drama and poetry), Dandin (poetry and prose), and Subandhu and Banabhatta (prose). Eminent writers from across the country made their ideas universally available through the universal language, Sanskrit. Amara (flourished late fourth and early fifth century) composed the critical Sanskrit lexicon Amarakosha, and important explicatory texts in Brahmanic and Buddhist philosophy were created. Brahmanical Hinduism, both Saivism (worship of Siva) and Vaishnavism (worship of Vishnu), was established, while Buddhism and Jainism went into a decline. Much of the Puranic literature (literature reflecting ancient history, laws, and codes of behavior) and the Dharmasastra—the basis of Brahmanical Hinduism and Hindu law—took shape. Aryabhata (476–c. 550), one of many astronomers and mathematicians, wrote about quadratic equations and other algebraic rules as well as trigonometry; he also wrote that the earth rotated on its axis and explained solar and lunar eclipses. A great university was established at Nalanda.

The Gupta empire's excellence in metallurgy is evidenced by the outdoor iron pillar near Delhi. This architectural piece, which was erected to glorify the conquests of one of the Gupta kings, remains untarnished to this day.

The Gupta period is also known for the large, beautifully carved figures of Buddha, often with clinging drapery. Sculpture in the form of reliefs on walls of sanctuaries cut from rock was another achievement of this period, as evidenced by the caves at Ajanta; Gupta temple architecture and sculptural decoration are exemplified by the temple of Saranatha. Pillar engravings left intimate details of the empire and emperors. Relations were established with foreign cultures and rulers. Indian kingdoms were established on the subcontinent and across the seas in today's Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, the Malayan Peninsula, Java, Bali, and Borneo. The Guptas dominated Indian history and culture for two hundred years after their empire disappeared, and even today they are considered exceptional figures of Hindu India.

Majumdar, R. C., ed. (1970) The Classical Age. Vol. 3 of The History and Culture of the Indian People. Bombay (Mumbai), India: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

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