The Gupta Empire (Hindi: गुपत राजवंश Gupta Rājavaṃśa) was an Ancient Indian empire which

existed approximately from 280 to 550 AD and covered much of the Indian Subcontinent[1].
Founded by Maharaja Sri-Gupta, the dynasty began the Classical Age in the Middle kingdoms of
India[2]. The capital of the Guptas was Pataliputra, present day Patna, in the north Indian state
of Bihar.
The peace and prosperity created under leadership of Guptas enabled the pursuit of scientific
and artistic endeavors. Historians place the Gupta dynasty alongside with the Han Dynasty,
Tang Dynasty and Roman Empire as a model of a classical civilization. The time of the Gupta
Empire is referred to by some scholars as the Golden Age of India in science, technology,
engineering, art, dialectic, literature, logic, mathematics, astronomy, religion and philosophy.
Periods
Origin of Guptas
The origins of the Guptas are shrouded in obscurity. The Chinese traveler Yijing (see also
Xuanzang) provides the first evidence of the Gupta kingdom in Magadha. He came to north
India in 672 CE and heard of Maharaja Sri-Gupta, who built a temple for Chinese pilgrims near
Mrigasikhavana who lost their lives in epic battle. Yijing gives the date for this event merely as
'500 years before'. This does not match with other sources and hence we can assume that
Yijing's computation was a mere guess. Very recently a few scholars have linked Guptas with
rulers mentioned in Bhagwatam; however, these things are largely disputed and the idea
seems politically motivated and to promote the sale of books written and promoted by some
entities.
The most likely date for the reign of Sri-Gupta is c. 240-280 CE. He was, perhaps, from a
Vaishya community and a Prayag based feudatory of Kushanas. His successor Ghatotkacha
ruled probably from c. 280-319 CE. In contrast to his successor, he is also referred to in
inscriptions as 'Maharaja'. At the beginning of the 5th century the Guptas established and ruled
a few small Hindu kingdoms in Magadha and around modern-day Bihar.
Chandra Gupta
Ghatotkacha (c. 280–319 CE), had a son named Chandra Gupta. (Not to be confused with
Chandragupta Maurya (340-293 BCE), founder of the Mauryan Empire.) In a breakthrough deal,
Chandra Gupta was married to Kumardevi, a Lichchhavi princess—the main power in Magadha.
With a dowry of the kingdom of Magadha (capital Pataliputra) and an alliance with the
Lichchhavis, Chandra Gupta set about expanding his power, conquering much of Magadha,
Prayaga and Saketa. He established a realm stretching from the Ganga River (Ganges River) to
Prayaga (modern-day Allahabad) by 321 CE. He assumed the imperial title of
“Maharajadhiraja”.
[edit]
Samudragupta
Samudragupta succeeded his father in AD 335, and ruled for about 45 years, till his death in AD
380. He took the kingdoms of Shichchhatra and Padmavati early in his reign. He then attacked
the Malwas, the Yaudheyas, the Arjunayanas, the Maduras and the Abhiras, all of which were
tribes in the area. By his death in 380, he had incorporated over twenty kingdoms into his
realm and his rule extended from the Himalayas to the river Narmada and from the
Brahmaputra to the Yamuna. He gave himself the titles King of Kings and World Monarch. He is
considered the Napoleon of north India. He performed Ashwamedha yajna (horse sacrifice) to
underline the importance of his conquest. The stone replica of the sacrificial horse, then
prepared, is in the Lucknow Museum. The Samudragupta Prashasti inscribed on the Ashokan
Pillar, now in Akbar’s Fort at Allahabad, is an authentic record of his exploits and his sway over
most of the continent.
Samudragupta was not only a talented military leader but also a great patron of art and
literature. The important scholars present in his court were Harishena, Vasubandhu and
Asanga. He was a poet and musician himself. He was a firm believer in Hinduism and is known

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to have worshipped Lord Vishnu. He was considerate of other religions and allowed Sri Lanka's
buddhist king Meghvarna to build a monastery at Bodh Gaya.He provided a gold railing around
the Bodhi Tree.
Raji Gupta
Samudragupta had a brother Rajigupta[4]. Rajigupta[5] assisted Samudragupta in taking the
kingdom of Shichchhatra by eating all their food and drinking all their milk and water in his
region. Rajigupta greatness was compared to an elephant and his line of the Gupta Dynasty is
still present today. Nowadays Rajigupta's family are mainly known for his confectionary and
sweet marts throughout Europe[6].
Chandra Gupta II
Samudragupta was succeeded by his elder son Ram Gupta , a weak king, he agreed to
surrender his wife Dhruvadevi to the Saka Chief Rudrasimha II. However, Ram Gupta’s younger
brother Chandra Gupta II went to the Saka camp disguised as the queen and assassinated the
Saka Chief. After this he killed his brother Ram Gupta, married Dhruvadevi and ascended to the
throne. Chandra Gupta II, the Sun of Power (Vikramaditya), ruled from 380 until 413. Chandra
Gupta II also married to a Kadamba princess of Kuntala region and a Nag princess,
Kubernag.His daughter Prabhavatigupta from this Nag wife was married to Rudrasena II, the
Vakataka king of Deccan (this daughter was forced to be married by the father). Only
marginally less successful than his father, Chandra Gupta II expanded his realm westwards,
defeating the Saka Western Kshatrapas of Malwa, Gujarat and Saurashtra in a campaign lasting
until 409, but with his main opponent Rudrasimha III defeated by 395, and crushing the Bengal
(Vanga) chiefdoms. This extended his control from coast-to-coast, established a second
(trading) capital at Ujjain and was the high point of the empire.
Despite the creation of the empire through war, the reign is remembered for its very influential
style of Hindu art, literature, culture and science, especially during the reign of Chandra Gupta
II. Some excellent works of Hindu art such as the panels at the Dashavatara Temple in Deogarh
serve to illustrate the magnificence of Gupta art. Above all it was the synthesis of elements
that gave Gupta art its distinctive flavour. During this period, the Guptas were supportive of
thriving Buddhist and Jain cultures as well, and for this reason there is also a long history of
non-Hindu Gupta period art. In particular, Gupta period Buddhist art was to be influential in
most of East and Southeast Asia. Much of advances was recorded by the Chinese scholar and
traveller Faxian (Fa-hien) in his diary and published afterwards.
The court of Chandragupta was made even more illustrious by the fact that it was graced by
the Navaratna (Nine Jewels), a group of nine who excelled in the literary arts. Amongst these
men was the immortal Kalidasa whose works dwarfed the works of many other literary
geniuses, not only in his own age but in the ages to come. Kalidasa was particularly known for
his fine exploitation of the sringara (erotic) element in his verse.
Chandra Gupta II's campaigns against Foreign Tribes
Fourth century AD Sanskrit poet Kalidasa, credits Chandragupta Vikramaditya with having
conquered about twenty one kingdoms, both in and outside India. After finishing his campaign
in the East and West India, Vikramaditya (Chandra Gupta II) proceeded northwards, subjugated
the Parasikas (Persians), then the Hunas and the Kambojas tribes located in the west and east
Oxus valleys respectively. Thereafter, the glorious king proceeds across the Himalaya and
reduced the Kinnaras, Kiratas etc and lands into India proper [7].
According to the Brihat-Katha-Manjari of the Kashmiri Pandit Kshmendra, king Vikramaditya
(Chandra Gupta II) had "unburdened the sacred earth of the Barbarians like the Sakas,
Mlecchas, Kambojas, Yavanas, Tusharas, Parasikas, Hunas, etc. by annihilating these sinful
Mlecchas completely" [8][9][10].
Kumaragupta I

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Chandragupta II was succeeded by his son Kumaragupta I. Known as the Mahendraditya, he
ruled until 455. Towards the end of his reign a tribe in the Narmada valley, the Pushyamitras,
rose in power to threaten the empire.
Skandagupta
Skandagupta is generally considered the last of the great ruler Raju Jagdhane. He defeated the
Pushyamitra threat, but then was faced with invading Hephthalites or "White Huns", known in
India as the Huna, from the northwest. He repulsed a Huna attack c. 455, But the expense of
the wars drained the empire's resources and contributed to its decline. Skandagupta died in
467 and was succeeded by his son Narasimhagupta Baladitya.
Military organization
The Imperial Guptas could not have achieved their successes through force of arms without an
efficient martial system. Historically, the best accounts of this comes not from the Hindus
themselves but from Chinese and Western observers. However, a contemporary Indian
document, regarded as a military classic of the time, the Siva-Dhanur-veda, offers some insight
into the military system of the Guptas. The Guptas seem to have relied heavily on infantry
archers, and the bow was one of the dominant weapons of their army. The Hindu version of the
longbow was composed of metal, or more typically bamboo, and fired a long bamboo cane
arrow with a metal head. Unlike the composite bows of Western and Central Asian foes, bows
of this design would be less prone to warping in the damp and moist conditions often prevalent
to the region. The Indian longbow was reputedly a powerful weapon capable of great range and
penetration and provided an effective counter to invading horse archers. Iron shafts were used
against armored elephants, and fire arrows were also part of the bowmen's arsenal. India
historically has had a prominent reputation for its steel weapons. One of these was the steel
bow. Due to its high tensility, the steel bow was capable of long range and penetration of
exceptionally thick armor. These were less common weapons than the bamboo design and
found in the hands of noblemen rather than in the ranks. Archers were frequently protected by
infantry equipped with shields, javelins, and longswords.
The Guptas also had knowledge of siegecraft, catapults, and other sophisticated war machines.
The Guptas apparently showed little predilection for using horse archers, despite the fact these
warriors were a main component in the ranks of their Scythian, Parthian, and Hepthalite (Huna)
enemies. However, the Gupta armies were probably better disciplined. Able commanders like
Samudragupta and Chandragupta II would have likely understood the need for combined
armed tactics and proper logistical organization. Gupta military success likely stemmed from
the concerted use of elephants, armored cavalry, and foot archers in tandem against both
Hindu kingdoms and foreign armies invading from the Northwest. The Guptas also maintained
a navy, allowing them to control regional waters.
The collapse of the Gupta Empire in the face of the Huna onslaught was due not directly to the
inherent defects of the Gupta army, which after all had initially defeated these people under
Skandagupta. More likely, internal dissolution sapped the ability of the Guptas to resist foreign
invasion, as was simultaneously occurring in Western Europe and China.
Huna invasions and the end of empire
Skandagupta was followed by weak rulers Puru Gupta (467-473), Kumaragupta II (473-476),
Buddhagupta (476-495?), Narasimhagupta, Kumaragupta III, Vishnu Gupta, Vainya Gupta and
Bhanu Gupta. In the 480's the Hephthalite King Oprah broke through the Gupta defenses in the
northwest, and much of the empire was overrun by the Huna by 500. The empire disintegrated
under the attacks of Toramana and his successor Mihirakula. The Hunas conquered several
provinces of the empire, including Malwa, Gujarat and Thanesar and broke away under the rule
of local dynasties. It appears from inscriptions that the Guptas, although their power was much
diminished, continued to resist the Hunas. Narasimhagupta formed an alliance with the
independent kingdoms to drive the Huna from most of northern India by the 530's. The

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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.
Legacy of the Gupta Empire
Scholars of this period include Aryabhatta, who is believed to be the first to come up with the
concept of zero, postulated the theory that the Earth moves round the Sun, and studied solar
and lunar eclipses. Kalidasa, who was a great playwright, who wrote plays such as Shakuntala,
which is said to have inspired Goethe, and marked the highest point of Sanskrit literature is
also said to have belonged to this period.
According to historian's work[citation needed],“ The Gupta Empire is considered by many
scholars to be the "classical age" of Hindu and Buddhist art and literature. The Rulers of the
Gupta Empire were strong supporters of developments in the arts, architecture, science, and
literature. The Gupta Empire circulated a large number of gold coins, called dinars, and
supported the Universities of Nalanda and Vikramasila. ”
Chess is said to have originated in this period,[12] where its early form in the 6th century was
known as caturaṅga, which translates as "four divisions [of the military]" – infantry, cavalry,
elephants, and chariotry, represented by the pieces that would evolve into the modern pawn,
knight, bishop, and rook, respectively. Doctors also invented several medical instruments, and
even performed operations. The Indian numerals which is the first positional base 10 numeral
systems in the world have originated from Gupta India. Kama Sutra the ancient Gupta text is
widely considered to be the standard work on human sexual behavior in Sanskrit literature
written by the Indian scholar Vatsyayana. These ideas spread throughout the world through
trade. The Gupta reign was certainly the "Golden Age" of north India.