...........

1. THE GUPTA DYNASTY
(300- 600 A.D.)

2.  The Gupta Age has been described as the Golden Age
of ancient India.
 Several factors were responsible to make the Gupta Age
glorious.
 Among these factors, the following are noteworthy,
namely, a powerful imperial dynasty, political unity of
the country, internal peace and security, strong but
caring administration, economic prosperity, contact
with outside world, and the royal encouragement of
culture.

3. The Gupta Dynasty
 The Guptas gave to India a powerful imperial dynasty.
From Chandragupta I to Skandagupta, the dynasty
contained five emperors who ruled one after another,
covering a period of one century and a half.
 During this continuous rule of five generations of
monarchs, the Gupta Empire enjoyed a political
stability of higher order.
 After these great Guptas, the dynasty also continued for
a few more generations, enjoying considerable
influence. On the whole, the Gupta dynasty, for its
longer duration than many other dynasties in history,
served India better by giving her administrative
continuity and stability.

4.  The Family of Guptas was one of the wealthy landowners
who generally gained political control in the region of
Magadha.
 In the inscriptions, the Gutpas trace their descent from
Maharaja Sri Gupta.
 His successor was Ghatotkacha, about whom little is
known.
 Chandra Gupta-I, the son of Ghatotkacha was the first
independent ruler, for he used the title ‘Maharadhirya’.
 By virtue of his marriage with Kumaradevi of the
Lichchavi family, Chandra Gupta-I had gained prestige
and support.
 The Gupta era is taken as dating from his succession in
about A.D. 319.

5.  Chandra Gupta-I appointed his son Samudra Gupta to
succeed him in about A.D. 335.
 The Allahabad pillar inscription gives a detailed account of
the career and personality of Samudra Gupta.
 He was a versatile genius.
 He was not only proficient in war, but also in the sastras.
 He is called ‘Kaviraja’ i.e. ;King of poets’. The Allahabad
pillar inscription calls him a great musician.
 He patronized learned men in his court and appointed them
as his ministers.
 He performed Aswamedha sacrifice. He is called ‘Indian
Nepolean;.
 He died in A.D. 380 and was succeed by his son Chandra
Gupta-II

6.  The Gupta Empire reached its highest glory both in terms
of territorial expansion and cultural excellence, under
Chandra Gupta-II.
 He is reputed to have shown the most heroic qualities.
 He reigned the empire for about 40 years from A.D. 375
to 415.
 He was known popularly as Vikramaditya, Sakari and
Shakanka.
 His name is associated with the Navratanas or the nine
gems of the Sanskrit literature and Kalidas is said to be
one of them.
 Fa-Hien, the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim, visited India
during this period.

7.  Later Kumaragupta (415-455 A.D.),
 Skanda Gupta (455-467 A.D.),
 Puru Gupta
 Kuma Gupta,
 Buddhagupta , Ruled for short periods.
 After the death of Buddha Gupta, the Gupta dynasty was
divided and the name of successive kings that followed
are uncertain.
 The last known Gupta rulers are Narasimhagupta,
Kumara Gupta and Vishnugupta, whose authority was
nominal.

8. Polity or Administrative System
 The king was the sovereign ruler and the head of the state.
 The succession of the throne was hereditary.
 The titles assumed by the Kings were Maharajadhiraja,
Paramabhattarka etc.
 The Guptas did not possess a big army. The ruled according to
Rajadharma and with the advice of ministers.
 The king was assisted by council of ministers whose office
was mostly hereditary.
 They were mostly drawn from the cadre of Kumaramatyas
which denotes either the son of an amatya the minister or
prince.
 Among the highest officials of the central government were
the Maha-mantri. The Maha-baladhikrita, the Maha-
dandanayaka, the Maha-pratihara.

9.  Two new classes of officers
1. Sandhivigrahika- The minister of peace and war (modern
foreign minister)
2. Kumaramatyas- a body of top ranking officials attached not
only to the king but also to the crown-prince and sometimes
placed as in-charge of districts.
 The Maha-Baladhikrita- Commender-in-chief.
 Maha-asvapati- Commander of the Cavalry
 Maha-pilupati- Commander of elephant force.
 Maha- Dandanayaka –Chief Justice.
 The Gupta period provided a landmark in the history of the
administration of law and justice in early India.
 For the first time law givers of the period demarked between
Civil and Criminal Law.

10.  On the account of the growth of private property in land, which
could be sold for money, we find detailed laws about partition,
sale, mortgage and lease of land in law-books and in
inscriptions of the period.
 Proper attention was given to the dispension of justice. Crime
was rare.
 Mostly fines were imposed on law-breakers and capital
punishment was given only in extreme cases.
 Taxes were fixed according to the richness of the place.
 Officers and soldiers were paid regularly.
 All religions and faiths received liberal treatment.
 It was in this kind of liberal atmosphere that the cultures of
different areas and of peoples received proper incentive to
grow.

11. Economic Prosperity
 The Gupta Age was an age of general prosperity.
Internal trade and commerce developed greatly because
of internal peace and security.
 External trade and commerce also grew manifold when
the Guptas conquered the western territories and
extended their sway to the Arabian seacoast.
 Commerce with the Western countries brought immense
wealth to India.
 The numerous gold coins of the time prove the economic
prosperity of the state.
 It is known from the accounts of Fa-Hien that the
general richness of the people made them charitable in
their habits.

12.  There were large number of hospitals and charitable
institutions which the Chinese pilgrim saw to his
surprise.
 India of the Gupta Age abounded with many prosperous
cities. Among them were the centres of trade, holy
places, as well as political headquarters.
 These cities represented wealth and affluence. Though
the general economic condition of the country was
prosperous, yet the people were far from the vices
associated with wealth.
 As Fa-Hien says: “There were no wine-shops in their
market-places.”

13. Provincial Administration
 The empire was divided into divisions called Bhuktis, and each
bhukti was placed under the charge of an uparika, maharajas, or
goptris.
 The governor of provinces enjoyed wide powers. There were
subordinate officers to assist them in matters of administration.
 The provinces was divided into a number of districts (pradeshas
or vishayas).
 The officers in-charge of the districts (ayukta) and a yet higher
provincial officials (kumaramatyas) were the link between local
administration and the centre.
 Vishayapathi was the head of the Vishaya (district).
 Each Vishaya was sub-divided in to Gramas (villages).
 The important officers of village were Gramika and Bhojakas.

14.  The village panchayats enjoyed wide powers regarding
administrative and judicial functions.
 The gramadhyaksha was assisted by a council-
Panchamandla which consisted of the Grama Vridha, the
village elders.
 In Urban administration, each city had a council which
consisted of the president of the city Corporation, the
chief representative of the Guild of Merchants, a
representative of the artisans, and the Chief Scribe.
 The administration of the Guptas was efficiently
organized , keeping in view the welfare of the people.

15. Social Conditions
 Traditional caste system consisting of the Brahmin, Kshatriya,
Vaishya and Sudra existed during the Gupta Age.
 During the Gupta period, there was an increase in the number of
Sudra castes and untouchables (slaves).
 This is due to absorption of forest tribes and to the extension of
agriculture in the reclaimed areas.
Position of Women
 Women were given a subordinate position.
 The patriarchal society was strengthened by the law.
 The joint family system was a essential feature of the society.
 Sati system was also there during the Gupta Empire.
 Women of upper-class were entitled to receive education, to
enable them to converse intellectually, not to participate in public
life.