Developments in Gupta Period – History Study Notes & Stuff
Developments in Gupta Period
Administration, Cultural, Society life, Science, Literature, Art, Architecture
The period of the Gupta Empire is known as the Golden Age of Ancient India. Hindu culture was established in its full glory in the northern region of the country.
Details of rulers of Gupta dynasty are given here.
Administration during Gupta Period:
According to various inscriptions, the Gupta kings assumed the title like - Paramabhattaraka, Maharajadhiraja, Samrat, Parameswara and Chakravartin.
- The king was assisted in administration by a council. A chief minister, commander- in-chief (Senapati) and commander of other important officers are included in that council.
- A higher official named 'Sandivigraha' is mentioned in Gupta inscriptions for ‘foreign affairs’ and it was first appears under samudragupta.
- The king maintained contact with the provincial administration through 'Kumaramatyas' and 'Ayuktas' officer.
- Administrative unit in the Gupta Empire were called ‘Bhukti’ and head were known as ‘Uparika’.
- These governors were mostly elected from among the princes.
- Bhuktis were subdivided into Vishayas(i.e. districts).
- The Vishayas were governed by Vishayapatis / Ayukta.
- For Nagar/Vithika (city) administration, there were officers known as Nagarpati/Purapala.
- Gram (Village) in the districts were controlled by ‘Gramika’.
Social Life during Gupta Empire:
During the Gupta period, the caste system or varna system was at its peak and Brahmins attained the top position in the society. The rulers and other wealthy people started giving gifts to the Brahmins.
untouchability practice began during the Gupta period. The Chinese traveler Fa Hien mentioned that 'Chandal' had been separated from society. Brahmanism grew and Buddhism and Jainism began to be ignored. Like the Puranas, religious literature was composed during this period.
Position of Women:
The condition of women in the Gupta period was pathetic. Women were also forbidden to read religious texts like Puranas. Subordination of women to men was highly regular. The practice of swayamvar was abandoned and Manusmriti suggested early marriage for girls.
Trade & Commerce:
International trade with the Romans was large and Ujjain became a major commercial center in the Gupta period. The organisation of merchants and artisans was formed into 'Guilds'. The presence of these guilds has been found on several inscriptions such as the Indore Copper Plate inscription mentioning a guild of oilmen (telli) and mentioning the silk weavers guild in the Mansoor inscription.
Literature in Gupta Period:
During the reign of the Guptas, the Brahmi script developed into the Nagari script. Sanskrit saw golden age as a language in the Gupta period. There were many compositions written in classical Sanskrit in the form of songs, epics, drama and prose. Puranas, smritis and Dharmashastras were composed in gupta period and the Mahabharata and the Ramayana were finalized during this period. In its present form 18 Puranas (important are Bhagavata, Vishnu, Vayu and Matsya Purana) were composed during this period.
Samudragupta himself was also a great poet and patronized many scholars including Harisen. The court of Chandragupta II was also adorned with the iconic Navratnas including Kalidas.
- Kalidasa wrote dramas in sanskrit - Abhijanan-Shakun-talam (features among the "hundred best books of the world"), Malvikagnimitra(first drama) , Vikramovarshiyam. His wrote two well-known epics Kumarasam-bhava and Raghuvamsa. Meghaduta and Ritusamhara(first poetry) are his two lyrics (Kavya).
- Vishakhadatta was the author of two Sanskrit dramas - Mudrarakshasa and Devichandraguptam.
- Sudraka was a famous poet who wrote Mrichchhakatika.
- Bharavi – Kiratarjuniya (story of conflict between Arjuna and Shiva).
- Dandin wrote Kavyadarsa and Dasa Kumara Charita.
- Subandhu written Vasavadatta.
Science in Gupta Period:
Aryabhata - He is a great mathematician and astronomer, who wrote the book Aryabhatiya in 499 AD. The book is scientifically about the occurrence of solar and lunar eclipses. He was the first to announce that the Earth was spherical in shape and rotated on its axis.
Varahamihira - He composed the Pancha Siddhanta (on five astronomical systems). His Brihat Jataka/ Brihat Jatakam/ Brihajjatakam is a standard work on astrology. His other work Brihat Samhita is considered a great work in Sanskrit literature with a various subjects like astrology, astronomy, geography, architecture,animals, omens, weather and marriage.
Vagbhata - He is one of the most influential classical writers of Ayurveda and he was the author of Ashtanga Hridaya (medicine).
Art and Culture during Gupta Period:
The Gupta Coins:
Samudragupta issued eight types of gold coins. Chandragupta II and his successors also issued coins of various varieties of gold, silver and copper. The common things on these coins were that the portrait of the king was displayed on one side of the coin and a suitable goddess on the other side of the coin with its respective symbols.
Sculptures:
Various images of Buddha from Sarnath are excellent examples of Gupta sculpture. The art school in Sarnath created beautiful images of Buddha. During this time many images of Hindu Gods and Goddesses were made.
Metallurgical:
Apart from stone, Gupta artists also used bronze to make sculptures. Sultanganj Buddha - A two meter high bronze statue of Buddha discovered in Sultanganj (located near Bhagalpur, Bihar) is now in the Birmingham Museum. The craftsmen were skilled in the art of casting metal sculptures as well as pillars. The Delhi iron pillar of the Gupta period is still free from any rust, even it has been completely exposed to the sun and rain for many centuries.
Architecture in Gupta Period:
Both the Nagra and Dravidian styles of architecture during the Gupta period. However, most of the architecture of this period has been ruined by foreign invasions of the Huns. Therefore, archaeological evidence about Gupta architecture is not so good.
The Dashavatara temple at Deogarh is an example of Gupta architecture. It is mainly made of stone and bricks. Examples of temples to the Gupta period have been discovered in the jungles of central India, particularly in the Bundelkhand region, such as Bhitargaon in Kanpur district. There are also other temples –
- Shiva Temple of Bhumara
- Vishnu Temple of Tigawa Jabalpur
- Parvati Temple of Nachria Kathura
- Lakshaman Temple of Raipur
- Mukund Darra Temple of Kota
- Shiva Temple of Koh.
- Bhitari Temple at Ghazipur
Painting during Gupta Period:
Painting as an art reached a high level of perfection during the Gupta period, as evidenced by murals in Ajanta caves (Aurangabad) and in Bagh caves (near Gwalior).
The Ajanta paintings date mainly from the first to the seventh century AD, but most of them were produced during the Gupta period. These paintings mainly depict various scenes of the life of Buddha and the centuries-old paintings in Ellora and Bagh caves are also of a high level.
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