1. EARLY GUPTA DYNASTY
Rulers of dynasty
Administrations
Military system
Social conditions
Technologies
Art & architecture
Religious conditions
2. INDEX
• Art and
architecture
• technology
Rulers of
dynasty
Administration
Social
conditions
Military
• Religious • Decline
3. RULERS OF GUPTA
DYNASTY
Sri gupta was the first king of the guptas
Sri gupta was succeeded by his son ghatotkacha
Both of them were styled by the name “Maharaja”
Successor of ghatotkacha was Chandragupta 1
He was titled as “Maharajadhiraja”
Chandragupta 1 was married to the lichchavi princess
Successor of Chandragupta 1 was samudragupta
Samudragupta’s successor was Chandragupta 2
4. GUPTA
ADMINISTRATION
Gupta empire was divided into sub units & units
The largest unit was known as desa
Provinces were divded into subunits called bhuktis
Smaller units of bhuktis were known as vishyas
Each districts were divided into number of villages called
grams
They were assisted by village council
5. MILITARY SYSTEMS
During the Gupta kingdom rule, the chariots had been substituted by mounted cavalry. They
continued using mounted cavalry despite the fact that their opponents were using horse archers.
The Gupta rulers maintained a standing army and the use of cavalry and horse archery was given
importance.
During the Gupta period, the territories on the border of the empire were kept under watchful
eyes. The bow was one of the primary weapons in the Gupta army.
The longbow used by the Gupta army. The longbow was considered to be a potent weapon. The
longbow also provided a long range to counter the enemy.
The use of fire arrows during that period is also known. The Gupta army used iron shafts
against armored elephants. steel bow was considered to be capable of long range and cutting
through the thick armor.
6. SOCIAL CONDITIONS
The Puranas, Sastras, the Niti Sastras of Narada, the Dramas
of Kalidasa etc supply us with a good deal of information
regarding the social life of the Gupta period. Many interesting
features, about the social life are also found referred to in the
contemporary inscriptions. Fahien, the famous Chinese Pilgrim
has also made some observations about the society as it existed in
India towards the opening of the 5th century A.D.
7. TECHNOLOGY
The technologies of the Gupta Empire (320-467),
such as the development of a more accurate value for pi
and the perfection of the modern numeral and decimal
system; surgery, inoculation and the formulation of
medical guides and a better calendar and and lunar
astronomy were found in detail the period
8. ART AND
ARCHITECTURE
The Gupta period is generally regarded as a classic peak of north Indian art for all the
major religious groups. Although painting was evidently widespread, the surviving works
are almost all religious sculpture. The period saw the emergence of the iconic carved
stone deity in Hindu art, as well as the Buddha figure and Jain tirthankara figures, these
last often on a very large scale. The two great centres of sculpture were Mathura and
Gandhara, the latter the centre of Greco-Buddhist art. Both exported sculpture to other
parts of northern India. Unlike the preceding Kushan Empire there was no artistic
depiction of the monarchs, even in the very fine Guptan coinage,[43] with the exception
of some coins of the Western Satraps, or influenced by them.
9. RELIGIOUS
CONDITIONS
Both Buddhism and Hinduism were widely prevalent. The characteristic
features of Hinduism enabled it to survive till today; whereas the new
features of Buddhism led to its final decline. Although Buddhism still
appealed in matters of ritual making it to be regarded as a sect of the
latter. Jainism escaped from this fate. It remained unchanged; and there
fore it continued to be supported by the merchant communities of
western India. Added to this in some areas of the Deccan royalty
patronized Jainism although it ceased in the 7th century A.D.
10. DECLINE OF GUPTAS
Skandagupta was followed by weak rulers Purugupta ‘Kumaragupta II Budhagupta , Narasimhagupta,
Kumaragupta III, Vishnugupta, Vainyagupta and Bhanugupta. In the 480's the Hephthalites broke through the
Gupta defenses in the northwest, and much of the empire in northwest was overrun by the Hun by 500. The
empire disintegrated under the attacks of Toramana and his successor Mihirakula. It appears from inscriptions that
the Guptas, although their power was much diminished, continued to resist the Huns. The Hun invader Toramana
was defeated by Bhanugupta in 510 CEThe Huns were defeated and driven out of India in 528 AD by a coalition
consisting of Gupta emperor Narasimhagupta and the king Yashodharman from Malwa.[37] The succession of the
sixth-century Guptas is not entirely clear, but the tail end recognized ruler of the dynasty's main line was king
Vishnugupta, reigning from 540 to 550. In addition to the Hun invasion, the factors, which contribute to the
decline of the empire include competition from the Vakatakas and the rise of Yashodharman in Malwa.
11. SOME IMPORTANT FACTS
Shashanka gupta was the last king
Aryabhata the greates mathematician lived in
Kalidasa also lived in this age
Ajanta painting was created in this page
