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Gupta empire and military warfare
- 1. Gupta empire and military warfare Presentation title 1
- 3. History Gupta Empire Military: The Gupta Empire was established around 320 CE and lasted until 550 CE. The Gupta period is known as the Golden Age as it was during their rule that there were political unity and harmony, there were peace and prosperity in the kingdom. Presentation title 3
- 4. The Gupta “Golden Era” Presentation title 4
- 5. Downfall of Mauryan Presentation title 5 The rise of Kushanas and the Satavahanas in the north and south. Around 230 CE, the Kushan rule in north India declined, and the Murundas. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar made formed the Guptas' initial empire, which had Prayag as its capital (U.P). The rich plains of Madhyadesha, also known as Anuganga (the middle Gangetic basin), Saketa (U.P. Ayodhya), Prayag (U.P.), and Magadha, were where the Guptas established their power (mostly Bihar).
- 7. Timeline of the Gupta Empire Presentation title 7 240-280 CE SRI GUPTA 280-319CE GHATOTKACHA 319-334 CE CHANDRA GUPTA 335-380 AD SAMUDRA GUPTA 380-380 AD RAMA GUPTA CHANDRA GUPTA II KUMAR GUPTA I 415-454 AD SKAND GUPTA 457-467 AD 380-413 AD VISHNU GUPTA 540-550 AD
- 8. SAMUDRA GUPTA (Conquest and War Strategy) GROUP I consist of the vanquished Ganga- Yamuna doab kings. GROUP V Samudragupta performed the asvamedha to commemorate capturing the lands (horse sacrifice). "Restorer of the Asvamedha" is the legend of the coins he produced GROUP II Who submitted to his power in addition to the rulers of the eastern Himalayan republics GROUP III the Batavia rajas, a forest empire that subjugated its kings and was in central India's Vindhya area GROUP IV He followed a policy of political accommodation in the south and put the overthrown kings back in power. These nations recognised his suzerainty and gave him gifts and sacrifices. Presentation title 8
- 9. Territorial Expansion Presentation title 9 Gupta Empire, 320-600 CE. The Gupta Empire expanded through conquest and political alliances until 395 CE, when it extended across the entire Indian subcontinent.
- 11. THE NAVRATANS OF CHANDRA GUPTA II Presentation title 11
- 13. The Gupta Empire maintained a sizable army under Chandragupta II •500,000 infantry • 50,000 cavalries •20,000 charioteers •10,000 elephants •potent navy with more than 1200 ships. Presentation title 13
- 14. Downfall of Gupta Empire Presentation title 14 • Invasion of the Hun dynasty during the reign of Skand Gupta. • Rise of Feudatories • Economic downturn
- 15. Conclusion Historians consider the Gupta era to be the height of ancient Indian culture. Great literary, artistic, and scientific advancements were made during this time. As Indian civilisation steadily transitioned from its more ancient to its more contemporary state, it was also a moment of change. The Gupta Empire collapsed into local kingdoms around 550 CE after a string of ineffective kings and invasions from the east, west, and north. Presentation title 15
- 16. Thank you
Editor's Notes
- In Ancient India, the Gupta Dynasty ruled from the mid-to-late third century (approximately) to 543 AD. Founded by Sri Gupta. the Gupta ruled in Magadha, Bihar presently day India Nepal and Bangladesh . Their rule Play lasted for more than 200 years and Is referred to as the classical or the golden age of pinching India and was perhaps the most prosperous era of Hindi Indian history. Gupta developed the religion Hinduism through the different belief systems that citizens believed in. When these beliefs combined Hinduism was formed. Gupta had developed advancements in Science, Engineering, art, dialectics, Literature, logic, mathematics, astronomy, religion, and philosophy According to the epiglottis evidence the founder of the dynasty was the main person Gupta he was simple title Maharaja Gupta was succeeded by his son ghatothkach who also inherit the title of Maharaja First Capital patliputra Bihar and second capital Ujjain MP.
- The empire was marked by peace and public safety, and scholars flourished in this environment. Kalidasa, a poet of the time, is considered the greatest poet and dramatist of the Sanskrit language. Aryabhata, who lived during Gupta empire, was the first of the Indian mathematician-astronomers who worked on the approximation for Pi. Vishnu Sharma is thought to be the author of the Panchatantra fables, one of the most widely-translated non-religious books in history.
- Dissolution of Maurya and rise of the Gupta Empire The Maurya Empire began to dissolve with Ashoka’s death. Costly salaries for soldiers and government officials ended up bankrupting the central treasury. In place of an expansive empire, local rulers began to take charge of smaller regions, placing themselves strategically along trade routes. The future leaders of the Gupta dynasty arose out of these small kingdoms a few centuries later. They conquered many regions of the former Maurya Empire and forged alliances with kingdoms that chose not to fight against them The Kushanas and the Satavahanas in the north and south, respectively, rose to prominence as a result of the collapse of the Mauryan empire. In their respective regions, these two empires contributed to political harmony and economic progress. Around 230 CE, the Kushan rule in north India declined, and the Murundas subsequently took control of much of central India (a possible relative of the Kushanas). Only 25 to 30 years were under Murunda's dominion. The Gupta dynasty rose to prominence in the latter decade of the[1] third century CE (about 275 CE). The erstwhile lands ruled by the Satavahanas and Kushanas were mostly under the jurisdiction of the Gupta empire. For more than a century, the Guptas (Vaishyas) maintained northern India politically unified (335 CE- 455 CE). The Guptas are thought to have been Kushana feudatories
- Uttar Pradesh and Bihar made formed the Guptas' initial empire, which had Prayag as its capital (U.P). The rich plains of Madhyadesha, also known as Anuganga (the middle Gangetic basin), Saketa (U.P. Ayodhya), Prayag (U.P.), and Magadha, were where the Guptas established their power (mostly Bihar). The Guptas took advantage of their closeness to regions in north India that engaged in silk commerce with the Byzantine empire as well as the iron ore riches in central India and south Bihar (eastern Roman empire). Gupta period also contributed to the subcontinent's political union.
- Chandragupta Ⅰ is considered to be the founder of the Gupta Era which started with his accession in 319 – 320 CE. He strengthened his position by a matrimonial alliance with the Lichchhavis (Nepal). He married Kumaradevi, a princess of the Lichchhavi clan and this added to the power and prestige of the Gupta family (Vaishyas). He extended his kingdom through conquests. His territory extended from the Ganges River to Prayaga by 321 AD. He issued coins in the joint names of his queen and himself and assumed the title of Maharajadhiraja (great king of kings). He was successful in building a small principality into a great kingdom and empire consisted of Uttar Pradesh, Bengal and parts of modern Bihar, with Pataliputra as its capital. He is considered the first great king of the Gupta Empire SAMUDRAGUPTA The Gupta kingdom was enlarged enormously by Chandragupta Ⅰ’s son and successor Samudragupta. The Allahabad Pillar Inscription (Prayaga – Prashasti) gives a detailed account of his achievements. He followed the policy of war and conquest. This long inscription was composed by his court poet, Harisena, in chaste Sanskrit. The inscription is engraved on the same pillar that carries the inscription of peace-loving Ashoka. Much of the Indian subcontinent was directly or indirectly under his control – from kingdoms in Nepal and Punjab in the north to the Pallava kingdom at Kanchipuram in the southeast. The last vestiges of the Kushana rule, like the Shakas, the Murundas and even the independent territory of Simhala (Sri Lanka) acknowledged his suzerainty. The places and the territories conquered by Samudragupta can be divided into five groups: Samudragupta exercised direct administrative control mainly over the Indo-Gangetic basin. According to Chinese sources, Meghavarman, the ruler of Sri Lanka, sent a missionary to Samudragupta for permission to build a Buddhist temple at Bodh Gaya. After conquering the territories, Samudragupta celebrated by performing the asvamedha (horse sacrifice). He issued coins with the legend “restorer of the asvamedha”. It is because of his military achievements that Samudragupta was hailed as the ‘Indian Napoleon’. He is known by the title Kaviraja (king among poets) because of his ability in composing verses. His image depicting him with veena (lyre) is found in the coins issued by him. He was an ardent follower of Vaishnavism but was tolerant of other religions. He showed a keen interest in Buddhism and was the patron of the great Buddhist scholar Vasubandhu. Legends on his coins include epithets such as Apratirathah (invincible), Vyaghra-Parakramah (brave as a tiger), Parakramah (brave). CHANDRA GUPTA II During Chandragupta Ⅱ’s reign, the Gupta dynasty reached its peak by expanding territories through conquests as well as by marriage alliances. He married Kuberananga, a Naga princess and had a daughter, Prabhavati with her. He married Prabhavati to a Vakataka prince, Rudrasena Ⅱ (Deccan). After the death of her husband, Prabhavati ruled the territory as regent to her minor sons with the help of her father. Thus Chandragupta Ⅱ indirectly controlled the Vakataka kingdom. Chandragupta Ⅱ’s control over the Vakataka kingdom in central India proved quite advantageous for him. It helped him to conquer Gujarat and western Malwa, which was under the rule of Shakas for about four centuries by that time. The Guptas reached the western sea coast which was famous for trade and commerce. This contributed to the prosperity of Malwa and its main city Ujjain, which was also Chandragupta Ⅱ’s second capital. An Iron Pillar inscription at Mehrauli in Delhi indicates that his empire included even north-western India and Bengal. He adopted the title ‘Vikramaditya’ (powerful as the sun) and Simhavikrama. He issued gold coins (Dinara), silver coins and copper coins. On his coins, he is mentioned as Chandra. During his reign, a Chinese traveller, Fa-Hien visited India and wrote a detailed account about the life of its people. The Udaigiri cave inscriptions refer to his digvijaya, that is, his conquest of the whole world. KUMARGUPTA I He dopted the titles of ‘Shakraditya’ and ‘Mahendraditya’. Most importantly, he laid the foundation of Nalanda University which emerged as an institution of international reputation. At the end of his reign, peace did not prevail on the north-west frontier due to the invasion of the Huns of Central Asia. After occupying Bactria, the Huns crossed the Hindukush mountains, occupied Gandhara and entered India. Their first attack, during Kumaragupta Ⅰ’s reign, was made unsuccessful by prince Skandagupta. The inscriptions of Kumaragupta Ⅰ’s reign are – Karandanda, Mandsor, Bilsad inscription (oldest record of his reign) and Damodar Copper Plate inscription SKANDGUPTA Adopted the title ‘Vikramaditya’. Junagarh/Girnar inscription of his reign reveals that his governor Parnadatta repaired the Sudarshan lake. After Skandagupta’s death, many of his successors like Purugupta, Kumaragupta Ⅱ, Buddhagupta, Narasimhagupta, Kumaragupta Ⅲ and Vishnugupta could not save the Gupta empire from the Huns. Ultimately, the Gupta power totally disappeared due to a variety of reasons. VISHNUGUPTA Last known ruler of the Gupta Dynasty (540 AD – 550 AD)
- Group, I consist of the vanquished Ganga-Yamuna doab kings. Nine Naga kings were expelled, and their domains were seized. Group II consists of the princes of Nepal, Assam, Bengal, and other frontier nations who submitted to his power in addition to the rulers of the eastern Himalayan republics. Punjab is part of it as well. Group III consists of the Batavia rajas, a forest empire that subjugated its kings and was in central India's Vindhya area. He was able to go south because of his capture of this territory. Twelve kings of eastern Deccan and southern India are included in Group IV. His influence extended as far as Kanchi (Tamil Nadu), where the Pallavas were compelled to acknowledge his suzerainty. It is significant to note that Samudragupta's southern expedition was led by Virasena as his commander. He followed a policy of political accommodation in the south and put the overthrown kings back in power. These nations recognised his suzerainty and gave him gifts and sacrifices. Group V consists of the Kushana kings of northwest India and Afghanistan and the Shakas of western India. Samudragupta overthrew them. Samudragupta held direct administrative authority mostly over the Indo-Gangetic region but had a wide-ranging influence and even received tributes from numerous south-east Asian kingdoms. Meghavarman, the king of Sri Lanka, reportedly dispatched a missionary to Samudragupta to ask for permission to erect a Buddhist temple in Bodh Gaya, according to Chinese records. Samudragupta performed the asvamedha to commemorate capturing the lands (horse sacrifice). "Restorer of the Asvamedha" is the legend of the coins he produced. Samudragupta earned the nickname "Indian Napoleon" due to his military prowess.
- Samudragupta succeeded his father, Chandragupta I, in 335 CE and ruled for about 45 years. By his death in 380 CE, Samudragupta had incorporated over 20 kingdoms into his realm and extended the Gupta Empire from the Himalayas to the Narmada River in central India and from the Brahmaputra River to the Yamuna—the longest tributary of the Ganges River in northern India.
- Kalidasa – He wrote Abhijnashakuntalam, one of the best hundred literary works in the world and also the earliest Indian work to be translated to European languages. Amarasimha – His work Amarakosha is a vocabulary of Sanskrit roots, homonyms and synonyms. It has three parts containing around ten thousand words and is also known as Trikanda. Varahamihira – He wrote three important books- He composed Pancha Siddhantika, the five astronomical systems. His work Brihadsamhita is a great work in the Sanskrit language. It deals with a variety of subjects like astronomy, astrology, geography, architecture, weather, animals, marriage and omens. His Brihat Jataka is considered to be a standard work on astrology. Dhanvantri – He is considered to be the father of Ayurveda. Ghatakarapara – An expert in sculpture and architecture. Shanku – An architect who wrote the Shilpa Shastra. Kahapanaka – An astrologer who wrote Jyotishya Shastra. Vararuchi – Author of Prakrit Prakasha, the first grammar of the Prakrit language. Vetala Bhatta – Author of Mantrashastra and was a magician.
- The greatest historical descriptions of this come from Chinese and Western witnesses rather than from the Hindus themselves. The Siva-Dhanur-Veda, a contemporaneous Indian text that was considered a military classic of the day, does, however, provide some insight into the Guptas' military structure. The Guptas would have used war elephants, just like earlier and later Indian monarchs have. These creatures with thick hides would have been an effective offensive and psychological weapon against an unsuspecting adversary, especially when combined with extra armour and the warriors they carried. Another benefit was that, as the Macedonians found, they could make opposing cavalry horses flee from them due to their aroma. The elephants ran the terrible risk of panicking and stampeding, which more cunning adversaries took advantage of. By the time of the Guptas, the employment of chariots had drastically decreased because they had previously shown themselves to be ineffectual against the Macedonians, Scythians, and other invaders. The bow was one of the primary weapons used by the Guptas, who appear to have placed a significant emphasis on infantry archers. The Hindu longbow shot a long bamboo cane arrow with a metal head and was often made of bamboo or metal. Bows of this construction would be less prone to warping in the wet and moist circumstances that are frequently found in the region, in contrast to the composite bows of Western and Central Asian adversaries. The bowmen's armoury also included fire arrows, which were employed to fight armoured elephants. Infantry armed with shields, javelins, and longswords typically provided cover for archers. Conquest was the name of the game throughout the Gupta Empire's reign in India. The kings wished to extend their control throughout India. Achieve this, they launched attacks against the Kingdoms in their neighbourhood. King Samudragupta, the son of Chandragupta, was a conqueror. He wanted to unify all of India under his authority, and he promptly set out to do so by launching battles over a substantial portion of the Indian subcontinent. The Gupta Empire maintained a sizable army under Chandragupta II, consisting of 500,000 infantry, 50,000 cavalries, 20,000 charioteers, and 10,000 elephants, as well as a potent navy with more than 1200 ships. The Gupta Empire was the most powerful in the world during Chandragupta II's reign, and he ruled over the entire Indian subcontinent.
- Conquest was the name of the game throughout the Gupta Empire's reign in India. King Samudragupta, the son of Chandragupta, was a conqueror. He wanted to unify all of India under his authority, and he promptly set out to do so by launching battles over a substantial portion of the Indian subcontinent. The Gupta Empire maintained a sizable army under Chandragupta II, consisting of 500,000 infantry, 50,000 cavalries, 20,000 charioteers, and 10,000 elephants, as well as a potent navy with more than 1200 ships. The Gupta Empire was the most powerful in the world during Chandragupta II's reign, and he ruled over the entire Indian subcontinent. The Guptas were also knowledgeable with complex weapons like catapults and siegecraft. Even though horse archers made up a significant portion of the armies of their rivals the Scythian, Parthian, and Hepthalite (Huna), the Guptas did not appear to favour their use. The Gupta forces, however, were undoubtedly more well-organized. Samudragupta and Chandragupta II, two capable commanders, would have undoubtedly appreciated the necessity for combined military tactics and good logistical planning. The coordinated deployment of elephants, armoured cavalry, and foot archers in opposition to both Hindu kingdoms and foreign forces invading from the Northwest is likely what contributed to Gupta military victory. The Guptas also had a fleet, which gave them authority over the seas in the region
- The Huns were successful not only in Iran but also in India thanks to their skill with a horse and their proficiency with a bow. The Hun leader Toramana conquered most of western India in the latter half of the fifth century, all the way up to Eran in central India, close to Bhopal. By 485 CE, the Huns had taken over a sizable portion of central India, including Punjab, Rajasthan, Kashmir, and eastern Malwa. Toramana's son Mihirkula succeeded him (in 515 CE), and Hieun-Tsang describes him as a persecutor of Buddhists. Mihirkula was a tyrannical monarch who is recorded in the Rajatarangini by Kalhana. Yashodharman of Malwa, Narasimha Gupta Baladitya of the Gupta empire, and the Maukharis battled Mihirkula and overthrew the Huna dominion. The Gupta kingdom was unable to recover from this Hun victory. After conquering Mihirkula, Yashodharman of Malwa (who belonged to the Aulikara feudatory line) successfully contested the Guptas' rule and erected, in 532 CE, pillars of triumph honouring his conquest of nearly all of northern India. Even though Yashodharman's reign was brief, it undoubtedly dealt the Gupta empire a fatal blow. The other feudatories, such as those in Bihar, Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Valabhi, Gujarat, Malwa, and other places, also rose in rebellion against the Guptas and eventually achieved independence. The Guptas had lost control of western India by the end of the fifth century, which must have left them without access to the lucrative trade and commerce profits that would have otherwise devastated their economy. The gold coins of later Gupta monarchs, which contain a lower percentage of a gold metal, appear as of the Guptas' economic downfall. Economic instability was engendered by the habit of giving off the land for religious and other uses, which decreased tax collections.
- The fall of the Gupta empire led to the emergence of numerous ruling dynasties in different parts of northern India e.g, Pushyabhutis of Thanesar, Maukharies of Kannauj and the Maitrakas of Valabhi. In peninsular India, the Chalukyas and the Pallavas emerged as the strong powers in Deccan and northern Tamil Nadu respectively.