The Gupta Empire flourished in northern India between 320-550 AD. It was founded by Sri Gupta and reached its peak under Samudra Gupta and Chandra Gupta II. The empire was administered through a bureaucracy including provincial governors and district officers. Agriculture, trade, and handicrafts flourished during this period of economic prosperity. However, the empire began to decline in the 5th century due to Huna invasions and a decentralized administrative system brought about by extensive land grants.
2. • Sungas : 185-73AD
• Kanvas: 73 BC-26 AD
• Kushans: 30 AD-375 AD
• Satavahana : 230 BC-220 AD
5. • Kamanduka: Nitisara: administration
• Koumudimhostavam: Vajjika: political
• Sudraka: Mruchchakatika: social and political
• Kavya-nataka: History
• Visakhadatta: Devichandraguptam: political
• Kalidas: political, social and religion
:Abhignana sakuntalam
:Meghadhutam
:Raghuvasam
:Kumarasambhavam
:Ritisamhara
6. Religious sources:
Dharma sutras: Narada Smriti and Brihaspati
smriti, Vayu and mastya puranas etc
Inscriptions: 23 Private : 19 official
Allahabad Iron Pillar Inscription
The Econ stone inscription of Samudragupta
Foreign sources:
Fahien: fu-kuo-ki or record of Buddhists kingdoms,
Hiuen Tsang and I-sting
9. • Founder of the dynasty: Sri Gupta
• Ghatotkacha : Second ruler
• Chandra Gupta :319-335 AD
• Samudra Gupta :335-380 AD
• Chandra Gupta II: 380-412 AD
• Kumara Gupta I : 412-454 AD
• Skanda Gupta : 454-467 AD
Early kings they were feudatories of the kushanas in U.P
10. King ship
• King had titles like parameswara, maharajadhiraja,
paramabhattraka etc.
• Samudra Gupta declared him self a god dwelling on the
earth.
• Kingship was hereditary, but royal power were limited.
• Guptas continued the traditional machinery of
bureaucratic administration but it was not as elaborate as
that of the Mauryas.
11. • The Guptas did not possess a big army. The feudatories
supplied the troops.
• The kings were not despots. They ruled according to
Rajadharma and with the advises of ministers.
13. Central Administration
Maha Mantri (Chief minister): stood at the head of civil
administration.
Among other imperial officers were included the
Maha-baladhikrta : commander-in-chief
Sandhivgrahika: the foreign minister
Maha-dandanayaka : Chief justice
Maha-asvapati : Commander of the Cavalry
Maha-pilupati: commander of elephant
Maha-ranabhandagarika: Master general of military stores
14. Provincial administration
Uparikas were the heads of provincial administration.
Uparikas were the high officers and the personal staff of
the emperor and were appointed by the king.
15. District administration
District or Vishya was under the control of Ayukta or
vishayapati or Kumaramatyas
Their appointment was made by the provincial governors
Ayuktas also acted as officials at central level.
District level Ayukta assisted by two officials
Ngara Srethin (Chief merchant)
Prathama Kulika ( chief artisan)
16. Social conditions
Caste system: the traditional caste system continued in the
period.
The foreign elements in Indian society were absorbed in
the traditional social order.
The sakas, Yavanas etc. were regarded as Kshtriyas.
The Hunas and Gurjaras later became the Rajputs and were
considered as part the society.
The connection between the caste and occupation was not
rigid.
17. Position of women
Women were given a subordinate position
Early marriages were encouraged and practiced.
Sati system was also encouraged as per the inscription of
Eran.
No widow marriages
Only upper-class women entitled to receive education
Devadasi system was prevailed in the society
(devadasi is a girl “married” to a deity and dedicated to worship and
service of the deity or a temple for the rest of her life)
18. Economic Conditions
The Gupta age was an age of economic prosperity.
agricultural
handicrafts
trade and commerce.
Agriculture:
The state encouraged agriculture. State was the exclusive
owner of the land.
Two harvests were found in the method of irrigation
The Persian water-wheel was use for irrigation
Water wheels were used to draw water from the tanks,
wells and channels.
21. • Rice, wheat and barley were produced.
• Sugar-cane, fruits, vegetables and other crops were
grown.
• Scientific methods were followed for better and more
agriculture production.
22. Land grants
• There was a tradition of giving land grants to the priests
and temples, free of taxes, and villages were granted to
officials with administration rights.
• Increase in land grants was responsible for bringing large
areas under cultivation.
• Agrahara grants: Religious Devagrahara: secular
• The landed gentry and officials exploited village
resources to a great extent.
land grants paved the way for feudalism development in
India.
23. Trade and trade (guilds)
There were several native professions such as garlanders,
washer men, carpenters, blacksmiths, jewelers,
goldsmiths, potters, weavers, architects etc.
Indian craftsmen produced fine quality cotton, silk and
woolen clothes.
Trade was carried on by land and sea.
Important cities and ports were connected by roads.
Foreign trade took place with South East Asian countries
through Tamralipti, the sea-port in Bengal.
24. Guilds
• Guilds were organized for traders, bankers and manual
workers like weavers and stone cutter.
• Mining and metallurgy occupied the top position
• Ship building was another big industry which was well
developed in the period that facilitated trade and
communication activities.
25. Science and technology
Aryabhata:
• Calculated ∏ to 3.1416
• Length of the solar year to 358. 6805 days
• Aryahbattiyam : deals with algebra, arithmetics and
geometry
Varahamihira: Astronomy and horoscopy
Hastayurveda: veterinary science
Navaneitakam: medical science
Amarakosam: study of metallurgy and plants
26. Decline of empire
• Huna invasions from Chandra Gupta II
• Decentralized administration
• Land grants