Gupta Empire - Facts about Gupta Dynasty (NCERT Ancient History for UPSC)

Gupta Empire – Chandragupta I (320 – 335 AD)

Son of Gatotkacha. Chandragupta I is considered the founder of the Gupta period, beginning with his accession to the throne in 319-320 AD. He strengthened his position through a conjugal alliance with Richavis (Nepal). He married Kumaradevi, a princess of the Rich Havi clan, and this contributed to the power and prestige of the Gupta family (Vaishya). He expanded his empire by conquest. Its territory stretched from the Ganges to Prayaga in 321 AD. He issued coins under the monikers of Queen and himself. He assumed his title of Maharajadhiraja (Great King of Kings). He succeeded in transforming a small principality into a great kingdom. His empire was Uttar He consisted of Pradesh, Bengal and parts of present-day Bihar, with its capital at Pataliputra. Regarded as the first great king of the Gupta Empire.

Kingdom of Gupta - Samudragupta (c. 335/336-375 AD)

The Kingdom of Gupta was greatly expanded by Chandragupta his first son and successor Samudragupta. Allahabad's Pillar Inscription (Prayaga - Prashasti) details his deeds. he pursued a policy of war and conquest This long inscription was written in chaste Sanskrit by his Poet Laureate Harisena. The inscription is carved on the same pillar as that of the peace-loving King Ashoka. Much of the Indian subcontinent was under his direct or indirect rule, from the kingdoms of Nepal and Punjab in the north to the Palava kingdom of Kanchipuram in the southeast. The last remnants of Kushana rule, including Shaka, Murunda and even the independent territory of Simhara (Sri Lanka), recognized his suzerainty. The places and territories conquered by Samudragupta can be divided into five groups. He exterminated nine Naga rulers and annexed their territories. Group II – Includes rulers of eastern Himalayan states that surrendered to his power and some border states such as Nepal, Assam and Bengal. Part of Punjab is also included. Group III – Consisting of the forest kingdoms of the Vindhya region (Central India) known as Atavika Rajyas, who forced their rulers into slavery. Conquest of the region helped him move south. Group IV – Including his 12 rulers of the defeated Deccan East and South India, his power extends to Kanchi (Tamil his Nadu state), where the Palabhas are forced to recognize his suzerainty. I no longer get it. It is important to mention that Vilasena was Samudragupta's commander during his southern expedition. In the South, he pursued a policy of political reconciliation and restored defeated kings to the throne. These states recognized his suzerainty and paid him tributes and gifts Group V - includes the Shakas of West India and the Kushana rulers of Northwest India and Afghanistan. Samudragupta swept them out of power. Although Samudra Gupta spread his influence over a vast area and received tribute from many Southeast Asian kings, he exercised direct administrative control mainly in the Indo-Gangetic Basin. According to Chinese sources, the Sri Lankan ruler Meghavarman sent missionaries to Samudragupta to obtain permission to build a Buddhist temple in Bodhgaya. After conquering territories, Samudragupta celebrated Asvamedha (horse sacrifice). He issued the legendary coin "Restorer of Asvamedha". For his military exploits, Samudra Gupta was hailed as the "Napoleon of India". He was equally admirable in his personal accomplishments. The inscriptions on the Allahabad Pillars speak of his generosity toward his enemies, his refined intellect, his poetic abilities, and his musical prowess. Due to his ability to compose his poems, he is known by the title Kaviraja (King of Poets). His image depicting him with a veena (lyre) can be found on the coins he issued. He is also known for promoting Sanskrit literature and learning the traits of his dynasty. He was a devout follower of Vaishnaism, but was tolerant of other religions. He showed great interest in Buddhism and was a patron of the great Buddhist scholar Vasubandhu. His coin legend contains adjectives such as Apratirathah (invincible), Vyaghra-Parakramah (brave like a tiger) and Parakramah (brave).

Gupta Empire - Chandragupta II (c. 376 - 413/415 AD)

Samudragupta was succeeded by his son Chandragupta II. However, according to some scholars, his direct successor was Chandragupta II's older brother, Ramagupta. However, there is little historical evidence for this. During the reign of Chandragupta II, the Gupta dynasty reached its zenith, expanding its territory through conquests and marriage alliances. He married Kuberananga, a Naga princess, and had a daughter, Prabhavati. He married Prabhavati to Rudrasena II (Dekan), prince of Bakataka. After her husband's death, Prabhavati, with the help of her father, ruled the area as regent to her younger sons. Thus, Chandragupta II indirectly ruled the Bakataka kingdom. His Chandragupta II's rule over the Vakataka kingdom in central India proved very beneficial to him. It helped conquer Gujarat and western Marwa, which had been under Shaka's rule for about four centuries at the time. The Gupta clan reached the west coast, famous for trade and commerce. This contributed to the prosperity of Malwa and its capital, Ujjain, which was also the second capital of Chandragupta II. An inscription on an iron pillar at Melauri, Delhi indicates that his empire extended into northwestern India and Bengal. He was given the titles Vikramaditya (mighty as the sun) and Simha Vikrama. He issued gold (dinara), silver and copper coins. In his coin he is mentioned as Chandra. During his reign, the Chinese traveler Fa Hien visited India and wrote a detailed account of the life of the Indian people. An inscription in a cave in Udaigiri mentions his Digvijaya, the conquest of the whole world. His court at Ujjain was adorned by his nine eminent scholars known as Navratna (Nine Jewels). Kalidasa – He wrote Abhijnashakuntalam, one of the top 100 literary works in the world and the first Indian work translated into a European language. Amarasimha - His work Amarakosha is a vocabulary of Sanskrit roots, homonyms and synonyms. Consisting of his three parts of about 10,000 words, it is also known as Trikanda. Varahamihira - He wrote his three important books - He composed his Pancha Siddhantika, the Five Astronomical Systems. His work Brihadsamhita is a great work in Sanskrit. It covers a wide range of subjects including astronomy, astrology, geography, architecture, weather, animals, marriage, auspiciousness and more. His His Brihat Jataka is considered the standard work of astrology. Dhanvantri – He is considered the father of Ayurveda. Ghatakarapara – Specialist in sculpture and architecture. Shank – architect who wrote the Shilpa Shastra Kahapanaka - Astrologer who wrote the Jyotisha Shastra. Vararuchi – Author of Prakrit His Prakash, the first grammar of the Prakrit language. Vetala Bhatta - Author of Mantrashastra and was a magician.

Kumaragupta I (c. 415 – 455 AD)

Kumaragupta I was the son and successor of Chandragupta II. took the titles 'Shakraditya' and 'Mahendraditya'. performed her Asvamedha sacrifice. Above all, he laid the foundation for the Nalanda University, which has grown into an internationally renowned institution. At the end of his reign there was no peace on the Northwest Frontier as the Huns invaded Central Asia. After capturing Bactria, the Huns crossed the Hindu Kush mountains, occupied Gandhara, and invaded India. Their first attack during the reign of Kumaragupta I failed at Prince Skandagupta. Kumaragupta The inscriptions of his I reign are the inscriptions of Karandanda, Mansor and Birsad (the earliest records of his reign) and the copper plate inscriptions of Damodar.

Skandagupta (c. 455-467 AD)

Acquired the title of 'Vikramaditya'. Junagar/Girnar's reign inscription reveals that his governor Parnadatta restored Lake Sudarshan After Skanda Gupta's death, many of his successors failed to save the Gupta Empire from the Huns, including Purgupta, Kumaragupta II, Buddha Gupta, Narasimha Gupta, Kumaragupta III, and Vishnugupta. Eventually, the Gupta army disappeared completely for various reasons.

Decline of the Gupta Empire

The various reasons that led to the fall of the Gupta Empire are explained below. However, his successor proved weak and was unable to stop the invasion of the Huns. The Huns showed good horsemanship and were skilled archers, which made them successful not only in Iran but also in India. In the late 5th century, the Huns chieftain, Tramana, conquered much of western India as far as Elan near Bhopal in central India. By 485 AD, the Huns occupied much of Punjab, Rajasthan, Kashmir, eastern Malwa, and central India. Tramana (515 AD) was succeeded by his son Mihirkula. He was a despot mentioned in the Rajatarangini of Kallhana. Mihirukulla was defeated and Huna's power was overthrown by Yashodarman of Marwa, Narasimha Gupta Baladitya of the Gupta Empire, and Mauharith. However, this victory over the Huns failed to revitalize the Gupta Empire.

Rise of Feudal Lords

The rise of feudal lords was another factor that led to the fall of the Gupta Empire. Yashodarman of Marwa (who belonged to the feudal Aurikara family) successfully challenged the authority of the Gupta after defeating Mihirukula, and celebrated his victory in 532 AD to commemorate his conquest of much of northern India. erected a pillar. Though short-lived, Yashodarman's reign certainly dealt a severe blow to the Gupta Empire. Other feudal factions also rebelled against the Gupta and eventually gained independence in Bihar, Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Varabi, Gujarat, Marwa and others. It is important to mention that few coins or inscriptions have been found in West Malwa and Saurashtra since the reign of Skandagupta (AD 467).