Guptas
Guptas
Political History
Sri Gupta founded the Gupta dynasty however the third ruler Chandragupta I , the son of and successor of Ghatotkacha was considered as the first important ruler of Guptas. His marriage alliances with Lichchhavis princes Kumaradevi enhanced the prestige of Guptas. He was the founder of Gupta Era which commenced on 26 Feb 230 AD to commemorate his accession or coronation. Chandragupta I was succeeded by his son, Samudragupta who was praised in the Allahabad Pillar inscription , written by Harisena , gives a detailed account of the conquest.
Chandra Gupta and Successors
Samudra Gupta was succeeded by his son Chandra Gupta II popularly known as Vikramditya.
He reigned for about forty years from A.D. 375 to 415. drama Devivhandraguptam written byVisakhadatta gives a graphical account of the accession of Chandra Gupta II. Rama Gupta, the elder brother of Chadra Gupta, was agreed to surrender his wife Druvadevi to saka chief (Basana). To save the honour of the queen chandragupta II attacked and killed the saka chief and usurped the throne and married druvadevi. Chandragupta II killed the last saka ruler Rudrasimha III who ruled Gujarat and Kathiawar peninsula.
The accusation of Broach, Sopara , Cambay and other ports on the western coast increased commercial activities which in turn brought economic prosperity to the Guptan empire. The important entrepot at that time was Ujjain. An inscription engraved on theiron pillar near Qutb Minar states that a king named Chandra defeated a confederacy of states. King Chandra is usually identified with King Chandra Gupta II. He secured the friendship of Vakatakas of Berar by cementing a matrimonial alliance when he gave his daughter Prabavati Gupta to Vakataka King Rudrasena II. During the regin of Chandra Gupta II , the famous Buddhist monk Fahien visited India to secure Buddist Manuscript.
Chandragupta II was succeeded by his son Kumaragupta. He performed an asvamedha sacrifice and had a long reign of 40 years. He founded the famous monastery of Nalanda. Towards end of reign the empire was menanced by hordes of Pushyamitras, probably a tribe allied to Hunas. However the military genius of crown price Skanda Gupta saved the empire. Skanda Gupta succeeded his father to throne. Skanda Gupta reign witnessed the attack of white Hunas known as Ephthalties.He crushed the Hunas attack and assuned the tilte vikramaditya in imitation of his grandfather. An inscription in the Girnar hill near junagarh refers to the restoration of the ancient embankment of Sudarsana lake by Parnadattan and his son Chakrapalita during the first year of Skandaguptas reign.
The history of the imperial Guptas after the death of Skandagupta was obscure. The important successors after skanda gupta were Purugupta, Buddhagupta, Narasimhagupta, Vainyagupta, Bhanu Gupta and Vishnu Gupta. An inscription of Bhanugupta from Eran gives the first inscriptional evidence of Sati.
He reigned for about forty years from A.D. 375 to 415. drama Devivhandraguptam written byVisakhadatta gives a graphical account of the accession of Chandra Gupta II. Rama Gupta, the elder brother of Chadra Gupta, was agreed to surrender his wife Druvadevi to saka chief (Basana). To save the honour of the queen chandragupta II attacked and killed the saka chief and usurped the throne and married druvadevi. Chandragupta II killed the last saka ruler Rudrasimha III who ruled Gujarat and Kathiawar peninsula.
The accusation of Broach, Sopara , Cambay and other ports on the western coast increased commercial activities which in turn brought economic prosperity to the Guptan empire. The important entrepot at that time was Ujjain. An inscription engraved on theiron pillar near Qutb Minar states that a king named Chandra defeated a confederacy of states. King Chandra is usually identified with King Chandra Gupta II. He secured the friendship of Vakatakas of Berar by cementing a matrimonial alliance when he gave his daughter Prabavati Gupta to Vakataka King Rudrasena II. During the regin of Chandra Gupta II , the famous Buddhist monk Fahien visited India to secure Buddist Manuscript.
Chandragupta II was succeeded by his son Kumaragupta. He performed an asvamedha sacrifice and had a long reign of 40 years. He founded the famous monastery of Nalanda. Towards end of reign the empire was menanced by hordes of Pushyamitras, probably a tribe allied to Hunas. However the military genius of crown price Skanda Gupta saved the empire. Skanda Gupta succeeded his father to throne. Skanda Gupta reign witnessed the attack of white Hunas known as Ephthalties.He crushed the Hunas attack and assuned the tilte vikramaditya in imitation of his grandfather. An inscription in the Girnar hill near junagarh refers to the restoration of the ancient embankment of Sudarsana lake by Parnadattan and his son Chakrapalita during the first year of Skandaguptas reign.
The history of the imperial Guptas after the death of Skandagupta was obscure. The important successors after skanda gupta were Purugupta, Buddhagupta, Narasimhagupta, Vainyagupta, Bhanu Gupta and Vishnu Gupta. An inscription of Bhanugupta from Eran gives the first inscriptional evidence of Sati.
Economic conditions under Guptas
The land was belonged to the peasants for all practical purposes, the king claimed its theoretical ownership. This is corroborated by the paharpur copper plate inscriptions (Buddhagupta). Land survey was taken during guptan period as it is evident from Poona plates of Prabhavati Gupta. An officer called Pustapalamaintained records of all land transactions in the district and the village accountant preserved records of land in the village. In addition to the sale of land, there were various types of land grants were prevalent. The Nalanda and Gaya grants of Samudragupta are the earliest records that throw light on the agrahara grants. These types of grants were given only to Brahmins. Devagrahara Grants were issued to various classes of people for the purpose of repair and worship of temples. The practice of secular grants were also made during this period. Thus the beginning of subinfeudation started in Guptan period.This practice was first seen in the Indore grant of Skanda Gupta,which authorizes the grantee to enjoy the land and , cultivate it and get it cultivated so long as he observes the conditions of the grant. The donees brought the waste land under cultivation when these were donated to them as religious endowments.
Agriculture
The agricultural holding were small and the owner with the help of family members cultivate their land. The owner could also borrow hired labour for cultivation or let out the land to share croppers. The prominent law givers of the period Naradha and Brihaspathilaid down rules to govern the relationships between the owner and the hired labour, punishments for damaging crops, stealing food grains etc. Varahamihira and Amarasimha frequently mention various crops cultivated during this period.
Industry
The Amarakosa of Amarasimha mentions a list of metals used in this period. Iron was the most useful metal. The most important example of the development of metallurgy can be found in theMehrauli iron pillar of King Chandra. This monolith lasted for centuries without rusting is a monuments to the genius of the iron workers of ancient India.
The Guptans were different from the mauryas in one aspect. The Mauryan administration was highly centralized but Guptans were less centralized than Mauryans. Unlike Mauryans , Guptans did not try to fix the prices and thus the prices fluctuated according to demand and supply. The units of measure varied from one place to another. The trade with Rome declined but trade with Byzantine empire revived. India maintained good trade relationship with Ceylon and South East Asia.
The Guptans issued large number of coins. The chandraguptas Kumaradevi type of gold coin were the earliest gold coins of Gupta dynasty. Samudraguptas coins usually show him playing the vina (lute). The gold coins(Dinaras) may be used for big transactions such as the sale and purchase of land. The Minting of of silver coins was first started in the reign of Chandragupta II. The Gupta emperors did not issue as many copper coins as their predecessors. Kushanas issued large number of copper coins. Fahien stated that cowries (small shells) used as common medium of exchange.
The emergence of self sufficient local units of production is also indicated by the gradual decay of urban centres in the Gupta period. Arachaeology shows that Kushana layers belonging to first and third centuries were very flourishing where as the Guptan layers were in the state of decline.
The Guptans were different from the mauryas in one aspect. The Mauryan administration was highly centralized but Guptans were less centralized than Mauryans. Unlike Mauryans , Guptans did not try to fix the prices and thus the prices fluctuated according to demand and supply. The units of measure varied from one place to another. The trade with Rome declined but trade with Byzantine empire revived. India maintained good trade relationship with Ceylon and South East Asia.
The Guptans issued large number of coins. The chandraguptas Kumaradevi type of gold coin were the earliest gold coins of Gupta dynasty. Samudraguptas coins usually show him playing the vina (lute). The gold coins(Dinaras) may be used for big transactions such as the sale and purchase of land. The Minting of of silver coins was first started in the reign of Chandragupta II. The Gupta emperors did not issue as many copper coins as their predecessors. Kushanas issued large number of copper coins. Fahien stated that cowries (small shells) used as common medium of exchange.
The emergence of self sufficient local units of production is also indicated by the gradual decay of urban centres in the Gupta period. Arachaeology shows that Kushana layers belonging to first and third centuries were very flourishing where as the Guptan layers were in the state of decline.
Significance of Guptan Rule
The Guptan rule from 320 A.D. to 480 A.D. is known as theGolden Age of Indian culture. This period has also been called the Hindu Renaissance or the revival of Brahmanism in India. During this period, India had peace, progress and prosperity. There was an all-round progress in art, architecture, literature and science. In this period Bhagwad Gita became the source of inspiration. The Bhakti cult or the devotion to ones personal god with love and surrender, assumed great importance. The cult became very popular in the 11th and 12th centuries.
The Sanskrit language was patronised during the Gupta period. Even Buddhist scholars, especially the followers of the Mahayana cult, began writing their scriptures in Sanskrit. The Jain writers too, who had been writing in Pali and Prakrit, switched over to Sanskrit, which gradually became the literary language of northern India.
Great poets, dramatists, grammarians and playwrights lived in the period. Some of the well-known scholars who flourished during this period are mentioned below:
The Sanskrit language was patronised during the Gupta period. Even Buddhist scholars, especially the followers of the Mahayana cult, began writing their scriptures in Sanskrit. The Jain writers too, who had been writing in Pali and Prakrit, switched over to Sanskrit, which gradually became the literary language of northern India.
Great poets, dramatists, grammarians and playwrights lived in the period. Some of the well-known scholars who flourished during this period are mentioned below:
- Kalidasa. was the greatest Sanskrit poet and playwright of this age. Meghadutta and Ritu Samhara are his lyrical poems, Kumara Sambhava and Raghuvamsa are great epic poems. Abhijyanam Shakuntalam , Vikramorvashi and Malvikagnimitram are plays
- Vishakhadutta was a great poet and playwright of the Gupta period. His two great historical plays are Mudra-Rakshasa and Devi Chandra Gupta. Mudra-Rakshasa (seal of Rakshasa) was the story of how Chandragupta Maurya managed to get the throne of Magadha. Devi Chandra Gupta is a historical play dealing with the early life of Chandragupta II.
- Shudraka wrote play Mrichchakatika which throws light on the socio-cultural conditions of the Gupta period.
- Harisena was court poet of Samudragupta. He wrote a famous poem praising the valour of Samudraguta. The poem is inscribed on the Allahabad Pillar.
- Bharavi wrote the great epic Kiratarjuniya. Dandin wrote Dash Kumara Charita (Tales of the Ten Princes).Subandhu wrote Vasavadatta
Vakatakas
The Vakatakas rose to power in the latter half of the third century A.D., basing themselves on what remained of the Satavahana kingdom. Pravarasena I, ruling in the early fourth century A.D. conquered large parts of the western Deccan and central India.
The Vakataka kingdom was divided into four parts under the successor of Pravarasena I. This weakened the state, but at the same time prevented the Vakatakas from being humiliated by Samudra Gupta, since he was content to obtain the homage of the Vakataka feudatories in central India and did not harass the main line of the Vakataka kings.
Their survival after the Gupta campaigns gave them the opportunity to rearrange their territory to good advantage in dominating the Deccan. In the circumstances the Guptas found a marriage alliance advantageous.
As it happened, Rudrasena II died five years after coming to the throne and, his sons being minors, his widow (the daughter of Chandra Gupta II) acted as regent from c. 390-410. Thus the Vakataka kingdom became virtually a part of the Gupta empire.
The Vakataka kingdom was divided into four parts under the successor of Pravarasena I. This weakened the state, but at the same time prevented the Vakatakas from being humiliated by Samudra Gupta, since he was content to obtain the homage of the Vakataka feudatories in central India and did not harass the main line of the Vakataka kings.
Their survival after the Gupta campaigns gave them the opportunity to rearrange their territory to good advantage in dominating the Deccan. In the circumstances the Guptas found a marriage alliance advantageous.
As it happened, Rudrasena II died five years after coming to the throne and, his sons being minors, his widow (the daughter of Chandra Gupta II) acted as regent from c. 390-410. Thus the Vakataka kingdom became virtually a part of the Gupta empire.
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