UNIT VIII (8 MARKS) LIFE IN GUPTA AGE
Administration Trends in Trades Art & Literature. Science & Technology
GUPTA DYNASTY (320-550AD)
After centuries of political disintegration an empire came to be established in AD 320, under the Guptas. Although the Gupta empire was not as large as the Maurya Empire, it kept north india politically united ,from 335 AD to 455 AD , and flourished for nearly a century. The ancestry and early history of the Gupta family are are little known. But very likely they were initially a family of land owners who acquired political control in the region of Magadha and parts Hinduism became a more coherent and codified religion because of the efforts of the Gupta kings, who fused elements of Buddhism with Hinduism and emphasized the theistic nature of the religion, particularly the role of the god Vishnu.
Inscriptions describe the originators of the dynasty as a local ruler named Sri Gupta and his son Ghatotkacha, who lived at the beginning of the 4th century. The first imperial ruler, a "supreme king of kings," was Chandragupta I (320-353?). He married a princess from the ancient noble clan of the Licchavis and based his power at the ancient imperial capital of Pataliputra (now Patna), located on the Ganges River in what is now the state of Bihar.
Chandragupta’s son Samudragupta (353?-375) conducted a campaign of expansion that established the largest political unit in South Asia at that time. His exploits are described in a eulogy inscribed on a pillar at Allahabad. According to the inscription, Samudragupta uprooted kingdoms and waged wars of extermination along the valleys of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers. He also pushed an army into southern India as far as Kanchipuram in modern Tamil Nadu state, capturing local kings and then reinstating them as his dependents. He reduced the leaders of the “forest states” on the outskirts of his empire to the status of servants. Settlements to the west, in the region of the modern states of Punjab and Rajasthan, and kingdoms or confederations along the Himalayan frontier, including those in present-day Assam state and Nepal, obeyed Samudragupta’s decrees, rendered taxes, and sent representatives to his court. Even foreign powers such as the Kushanas, the Shakas, and the rulers of Sinhala (now Sri Lanka) paid tributes such as personal services and gifts of maidens, and in return enjoyed their independence. At the end of his reign, Samudragupta celebrated his accomplishments by issuing new gold coinage and observing the ancient Vedic ritual of horse sacrifice, permitted only to powerful rulers and intended to demonstrate supremacy.
Chandragupta II (376?-415?) conquered the western part of India and the region of modern Gujarat state, creating the largest empire India had seen in 500 years and bringing the Guptas to the zenith of their power. He also forged an alliance with the Vakataka dynasty of the Deccan plateau through the marriage of his daughter, thereby extending Gupta influence over most of central India. The range of gold, silver, and copper coins issued by the Guptas indicates that the imperial administration exercised close control over a lively economy throughout northern and central India.
The empire experienced a gradual decline throughout the 5th century. Kumaragupta I (415?-455) maintained the empire, but during his later years neighboring rulers expressed growing hostility. In addition, a new threat arose from the nomadic Huns of northern Asia, who had overrun much of central Asia and were penetrating India from the northwest. Skandagupta (455-467) was able to revive the fortunes of the dynasty, but the disappearance of Gupta silver coinage after the reign of his brother Purugupta (467-469) indicates that most of western India had slipped from the Guptas’ control. Competing claims to the Gupta throne further weakened the dynasty. These were resolved temporarily under Budhagupta (476?-495), but by the time of his reign the power of the dynasty was increasingly restricted to the Guptas’ homeland in the Magadha and Bengal regions. In the early 6th century, Bhanugupta was able to compete with the Huns for dominance in north central India; however, the Guptas disappeared as an independent political force after about 550.
GUPTA ADMINISTRATION:
Administration was highly decentralized - police, control of military stores, chief justice, etc. Probably, recruitment ceased to be based on merit. Parallelism of power - highest concentration and extensive decentralization. Such an administration required a good standing army and complicated system of checks and counter-checks.
Gupta administration can be divided into central, provincial, local & village administration.
CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION: All the powers of the state were vested with the king. He made & implemented laws. It was the king who was the army. There was a council of ministers to help & advise the king. The king himself appointed the ministers.
PROVINCIAL ADMINISTRATION: The whole kingdom was divided into provinces. These provinces were known as Bhuktis or Deshes. Officers ruling provinces were often of royal blood & were called ‘Gopitris’ or ‘Uparikas’. Officers maintained law and order and protected people against external aggression - also looked after public utility services.
Bhuktis were divided into groups of districts called Pradeshes. Pradeshas were divided into Vishayas or districts. The head of the districts was Vishayapati. Probably the provincial head was assisted by various officials. Districts divided into number of villages - villages being the last unit. Villages looked after houses, streets, temples banks etc. - each village had its own weavers, black-smiths and gold-smiths, carpenters etc.
LOCAL ADMINISTRATION: The city administration was governed by committees which made arrangements for cleanliness, water, light etc. in the city. They also collected taxes & other fines from the people.
VILLAGE ADMINISTRATION: Village was the smallest unit of administration. Village headmen known as gramini was assisted by a council called Panchamandali. Each village had its own seal.
GUPTA TRADE:
1. Trade reached its peak during the Gupta period. The State gathered abundant revenues in the form of custom duties at the numerous ports on the western coast like Broach Sopara, Cambay and a multitude center where most of the trade routes converged.
2. Guilds continued to be the nodal points of commercial activity. They were almost autonomous in their internal organization. The government respected their laws.
3. Textiles of various kinds were manufactured. The domestic market was considerable. They had also markets in foreign countries. Silk muslim calico, Linen, wool and cotton were produced in great quantities.
However, ivory work remained at its peak and did stone-cutting and carving. In metal-work copper the chief items of production were those of copper, iron and lead. Bronze also began to be used. The pearl-fishers of western India reaped huge profits in foreign markets. A great variety of precious stones like jasper, agate quartz and lapis-lazuli were exported.
4. It is generally held that the people’s standard of living was very high. The prosperous urban dwellers lived in comfort and ease.
GUPTA ART:
The Gupta period was poor in architecture. The doctrine of Bhakti & the growing importance of image worship led to the construction of the free standing temple with its sanctuary (garbha griha), in which the central cult image was placed. The gupta period marks the beginning of Indian temple architecture. The temples were simple structures, but their bearing upon later developments is of great significance. Examples of art produced during this period include spectacular cave temples in western India and numerous free-standing sculptures. Hindu temple architecture was in its formative stage during this period, while ancient sculptural traditions achieved their mature form. In the works of Indian poet and dramatist Kalidasa, Sanskrit literature reached its height.Different forms of art, e.g. sculpture painting and terra-cotta attained a maturity. Stupas were also built in large numbers. A remarkable piece of Gupta metal-casting found at Sultanganj in Bihar is nearly feet high. Another metal figure but of a smaller size in bronze was found in U.P. The art of painting reached its height of glory & splendour in this age. The most important examples of the gupta paintings are to be found in the Ajanta caves, the Bagh caves.
GUPTA LITERATURE:
Sanskrit language & Literature after centuries of evolution reached to the classical excellence. Sanskrit was the court language of Guptas. Ashvaghosha laid the foundation of ancient Indian drama. Possibly the greatest in ancient Indian literature is the work of Kalidasa, poet and dramatist, whose writings represent an illustrious page in the history of world culture. The most important works of Kalidasa were the abhijnanashakuntalam, Ritusamhara, Meghaduta. Translations of Kalidasa's works penetrated to the West at the end of the eighteenth century and were well received.
The Puranas had existed much before the time of Guptas in the form of bardic literature; in the gupta age they were finally compiled & given present form. The period also saw the compilation of various smritis or the law books written in verse. The two great epics namely the Ramayana & Mahabharata were almost completed by the 4th century AD. This period also saw the development of Sanskrit grammar. Buddhist & Jaina literature in Sanskrit were also written during the gupta period.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: During gupta period there was an advance in knowledge about Science & Technology. The study of astronomy, medicine, & mathematics continued to attract the best minds of the time. Two of the well known scientists of that time were Aryabhata & Varahamihira both of whom were astronomers & mathematicians. Aryabhata calculated the value of π to 3.1416 & the length of the solar year to 365.3586805 days, both remarkably close to recent estimates. He believed that the earth was sphere & rotated on its axis, and that the shadow of the earth falling on the moon caused eclipses. He is also the author of Aryabhattiyam, which deals with algebra, arithmetic’s, & geometry.
Varahamihira wrote several treatises on astronomy & horoscopy.
Hastayurveda or the veterinary science, authored by Palakalpya attests to the advances made in medical science during the gupta period. The Navanitakam, a medical work, which is a manual of recipes, formula & prescriptions, was compiled during this period.
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