The Gupta Empire ruled northern India between 320-600 CE. It was a time of political stability and economic prosperity, considered a golden age of Hindu culture. The empire expanded under rulers like Samudragupta and Chandragupta II to control most of the subcontinent. Architecture flourished with the construction of ornate Hindu temples in brick and stone. Sculpture and paintings at sites like Ajanta depicted scenes from Hindu epics and myths. Scholars like Aryabhata and Kalidasa also thrived during this period of learning and cultural achievements.

1. Gupta Empire
Golden Age
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2. Abdul Azim Akhtar

3. Abdul Azim Akhtar

4. Gupta Empire 320-600 CE
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5. Gupta Empire
• Sources?
• Coins; discovered in UP, Bihar & Bengal
• Architecture
• Pillars
• Foreign Accounts
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6. Chandragupta-1
• Mystery about the origin
• Chandragupta 1 is widely regarded as founder
• Name mentioned in Allahabad inscription
• Also ‘Chandra’ name is mentioned in Iron
Pillar of Delhi
• Five Theories about origin- Bengal, Magadh,
Sarnatha, Punjab, Prayag
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7. Chandragupta 1
• Father –Ghatotkacha , who was the son of Sri Gupta (
Not to be confused with the Ghatotkacha character of
epic Mahabharta, son of Bhima & Rakshasi)
• Sri Gupta sometime between 240 and 280 CE.
Ghatotkacha, 280 to 319 CE. Chandragupta,
Ghatokacha’s son, 319-335 CE.
• Gupta Empire expansion(conquest & political
marriages)
• Assumed Maharajadhiraj title
• Married to Kumaradevi of Lichchavi clan & it is
commemorated in the coin
• Their coins are the earliest of Gupta period
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8. Samudragupta 350-375
• Son & Successor of Chandragputa 1
• Allahabad pillar inscription is the best source for
him; Line 19 & 20 of Allahabad inscription
showed that Samudragupta released & captured
several kings
• Assumed title of Vikramaditya & regarded as
equal to Kubera (Wealth), Seas (Varuna), Indra
(Celestial), Yama
• Dakshinapatha Aryawarta;
• Some Historians call him ‘Napoleon of India’
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9. • Samudragupta- 335-380 CE and ruled for 45
years. incorporated over 20 kingdoms into his
realm and extended the Gupta Empire-Himalayas
to the Narmada River in central India;
Brahmaputra River to the Yamuna.
• Chandragupta II – adopted the title of
Vikramaditya – Navratna- (Kalidas)
• Gupta Empire, 320-600 CE. Expanded through
conquest & political alliances until 395 CE, when
it extended across the entire Indian subcontinent.
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10. • Some scholars golden age of India. Performed
‘Ashvamedha’ sacrifice & dominance of Brahminical
religion under him
• Allowed to build monastery at Bodh Gaya
• scholars flourished- Kalidasa, poet, dramatist Sanskrit.
• Aryabhata, the first of the Indian mathematician-
astronomers
• Vishnu Sharma- is thought to be the author of the
Panchatantra fables,
• Pataliputra, capital; centralized government there. He
used tribute money from allies to fund government
projects and salaries.
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11. Architecture
• Temple architecture
• Gupta Architecture (by Mark Cartwright )
• published on 22 May 2015
• Dashavatara Temple, Deogarh (Byron Aihara)
• The Gupta Dynasty, founded by Chandragupta I (accession
c. 320 CE), ruled in North Central India between the 4th
and 6th centuries CE and the period is considered a
• golden age of artistic accomplishment.
• The Guptas were the first architects of purpose-built Hindu
(but sometimes also Buddhist) temples which evolved from
the earlier tradition of rock-cut shrines. Adorned with
towers and elaborate carvings, these temples were often
dedicated to all the Hindu gods. Few survived.
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12. • Diverse in style, design and features. This very
diversity illustrates that Hindu temple
architecture was in its formative stage
• GUPTA CAVE SHRINES
• cave-temples- Exteriors decorated with relief
sculpture and a single carved doorway; Inside the
shrine, ritual sculptures were placed such as a
Shiva linga (phallus); and the walls were richly
decorated with carvings from mythology.
Udayagiri Cave, Madhya Pradesh is dated 401 CE.
Examples of Gupta art
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13. • The panel measures 7 x 4 metres and the central figure, carved
almost in the round, is emerging from the cosmic waters, having
defeated a snake-like monster and rescued the goddess Bhudevi
(Earth). The scene refers to peace.
• Ajanta caves- A row of 29 rock-cut caves following the Waghora
river bed ravine in north-west Deccan. (200-700 CE);
• Earliest and finest examples of Indian wall-painting. The subject
matter is largely scenes from the life of Buddha.
• Details- Cave 1 contains a columned shrine in typical Gupta style
with flat cushion-topped column capitals. Cave 19 was built in the
5th century CE and has a Gupta-style chaitya (shrine) facade with
columned porch and large, almost semi-circular aperture above.
The whole facade is covered in rich carvings and relief panels
showing scenes from Buddhist lore.
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14. GUPTA TEMPLES: MATERIALS &
FEATURES
• Guptas were not satisfied with caves and were the first
dynasty to build permanent free-standing Hindu temples.
Indian temple architecture begins. Temples not designed
for congregations but rather as the dwelling place
(devalaya) of a deity. The decorated palace (prasada)
allowed priests to give offerings to the gods and individuals
could also offer prayers, flowers, and food (puja), usually to
a sacred relic or statue representing a particular god which
was housed in a relatively small and windowless
architectural space (the garbhagriha). Believers would also
walk around the temple in a ritual act of worship.
• IN GUPTA ARCHITECTURE THE SQUARE WAS CONSIDERED
THE MOST PERFECT FORM AND TEMPLES WERE DESIGNED
TO BE APPRECIATED FROM ALL SIDES.
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15. influence
• influenced by Kusana, Mathura, and Gandhara and borrowed the
common features of T-shaped doorways, decorated door jambs,
sculpted panels with high-relief figures, and laurel-wreath and
acanthus motifs. Constructed using sandstone, granite, and brick,
• Gupta-era temples added to this architectural heritage with
horseshoe gavakshas arches and distinctive curved shikhara towers
which are frequently topped with a ribbed disk ornamentation
known as an amalaka. These elaborate buildings are further
decorated with a mass of ornate mouldings and sculptures set in
niches.
• In Gupta architecture, the square was considered the most perfect
form and temples were designed to be appreciated from all sides so
that each carries decorative architectural features.
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16. • Most temples also adopt a square plan with the single
cubicle garbhagriha in the centre. Entrance by a short
columned porch set over a single, highly decorated
doorway with a projecting lintel. Columns can support a
pot-and-foliage capital, and roofs were generally flat, as in
surviving examples at Tigawa and Sanchi in Madhya
Pradesh. Other typical Gupta decorative features include
triangle motifs inside doorways and lion's heads at the ends
of stone beams.
• second floor? is difficult to determine, due to their often
ruinous condition.
• The late 5th century CE Parvati temple at Nachna Kuthara is
notable for its surviving second-story shrine room.
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17. • Gupta temples were dedicated to a large number of Hindu
gods rather than a single deity. Accordingly, architectural
sculpture represents a wide range of gods in scenes from
Hindu mythology.
• Dashavatara temple is a fine example and carries sculpture
of Vishnu, Brahma, Indra, Ganga, and Yamuna, as well as
attendants and mithuna couples. The temple also carries
one of the most famous sculptural panels from ancient
India, the Vishnu Anantasayana panel. The scene contains
many gods but is dominated by a sleeping Vishnu who rests
on the multi-headed serpent Ananta and floats on the
waters of oblivion whilst from his navel sprouts a lotus leaf
on which sits Brahma, the god of creation.
• BHITARGAON
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18. • From the 6th century CE, Gupta temples were
built on a platform (jagati) and a good
example is the Dashavatara temple at Deogarh
in Madhya Pradesh. At Deogarh the platform
had reliefs running around it depicting scenes
from the Ramayana epic poem. In the centre
of the jagati stood the principal shrine, which
was without windows and accessed by a flight
of steps on all four sides. Four lesser shrines
stand at each corner of the complex.
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19. • The temple at Bhitargaon in Uttar Pradesh is one of the most
complete surviving Gupta temples.
• Example of a Hindu temple constructed entirely of brick, dating to
the late 5th century CE. Although damaged in its upper portion, the
four-sided and curved shikhara tower of the temple maintains its
gavaksha niches and shallow pilasters which diminish in size as the
tower rises to a pinnacle. These and the decorated capitals create
frames in which were once set terracotta panels.
• Few panels survive intact but examples from other sites
demonstrate that they would have once shown lively scenes from
mythology, in particular figures of river goddesses. Panels still in
their original position in the upper tiers of the tower display
grotesque faces which remind of the gargoyles of European Gothic
cathedrals (Harle, 115).
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