Samudragupta · Chandragupta II · Fa Hien · Aryabhata · Kalidasa | UPSC GS Paper I
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📋 Ancient History Series
The Gupta period (320–550 AD) saw unparalleled achievements in literature, science, art, mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy — all flourishing simultaneously. No other ancient Indian period produced such a concentration of genius. This is why historians call it the Golden Age of India.
However, UPSC also tests the weaknesses: Gupta administration was decentralized, feudalism crept in, and the empire collapsed under Huna invasions — a contrast to the tightly controlled Mauryan state.
| Ruler | Period | Key Facts |
|---|---|---|
| Sri Gupta | ~240–280 AD | Founder of Gupta dynasty; small kingdom near Magadha |
| Ghatotkacha Gupta | ~280–319 AD | Son of Sri Gupta; expanded kingdom |
| Chandragupta I | 319–335 AD | First great Gupta king; married Lichchhavi princess Kumaradevi; adopted 'Maharajadhiraja' title; started Gupta Era (319/320 AD) |
| Samudragupta | 335–375 AD | Greatest military conqueror; called 'Napoleon of India' by V.A. Smith; Allahabad Prashasti by Harishena; great patron of arts; played veena |
| Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya) | 375–415 AD | Greatest Gupta ruler; defeated Shakas; Navratnas at court; Fa Hien visited (399–414 AD); iron pillar of Delhi; peak of Golden Age |
| Kumaragupta I | 415–455 AD | Founded Nalanda University; title Mahendraditya |
| Skandagupta | 455–467 AD | Defeated Hunas; last great Gupta ruler; repaired Sudarshana Lake; Girnaar/Junagadh inscription about this |
→ Also known as Lichchhavi-dauhitra (grandson of Lichchhavis through mother)
→ Policy: Aryavarta kings — Dharmavijayaniti (conquer and annex); South Indian kings — Digvijaya (defeat and release after tribute)
→ Allahabad (Prayag) Prashasti — written by court poet Harishena on Ashoka's pillar; lists conquests, qualities, gold coins; most detailed source for Samudragupta
→ "Napoleon of India" — title given by historian V.A. Smith
→ Also called Kaviraj (king of poets); played veena (coins depict him playing)
→ Ashvamedha coins — gold coins depicting Ashvamedha Yajna
→ Vikramaditya = title meaning "Sun of Valour"
→ Defeated Western Shakas of Ujjain — extended empire to Arabian Sea; took title Sakari (enemy of Shakas)
→ Capital: Pataliputra and Ujjain (secondary)
→ Chinese pilgrim Fa Hien (Faxian) visited India 399–414 AD; described a peaceful, prosperous society; people did not eat meat, no capital punishment, hospitals for the poor
→ Iron Pillar of Delhi (Mehrauli) — erected during Chandragupta II; 1600 years old and still rust-free (ancient metallurgical marvel)
→ Navratnas (Nine Gems) at his court (see below)
| Navratna Scholar | Field | Key Work / Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Kalidasa | Literature/Poetry | Abhijnanasakuntalam, Meghaduta, Raghuvamsa, Kumarasambhava |
| Aryabhata | Mathematics/Astronomy | Aryabhatiya — value of π, heliocentric model, Earth rotates on axis, solar/lunar eclipse explanation; concept of zero |
| Varahamihira | Astronomy/Astrology | Brihatsamhita, Pancha Siddhantika |
| Vararuchi | Grammar/Linguistics | Sanskrit grammar |
| Amarasimha | Lexicography | Amarakosa — Sanskrit dictionary |
| Dhanvantari | Ayurveda (Medicine) | Ayurvedic texts |
| Kshapanaka | Jainism/Astrology | — |
| Ghatakarapara | Architecture | — |
| Shanku | Architecture/Artisan | — |
| Aspect | Mauryan | Gupta |
|---|---|---|
| Control | Highly centralized | Decentralized; local governors had autonomy |
| Officials | Paid salaries | Land grants (Agrahara); seeds of feudalism |
| Army | State-controlled | Feudal contributions; guild-based |
| Tax | High, systematic | Lower, more flexible |
| Espionage | Elaborate spy network | Less visible |
| Social freedom | Strict state supervision | More freedom; Fa Hien noted no fear |
| Domain | Achievement |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Aryabhata — concept of zero, decimal system, value of π ≈ 3.1416, algebra |
| Astronomy | Earth rotates on its axis; heliocentric model; eclipse due to shadow (not demons); Brahmagupta — Brahmasphutasiddhanta |
| Medicine | Charaka Samhita (compiled/edited); Sushruta Samhita — plastic surgery, cataract surgery |
| Literature | Kalidasa — Abhijnanasakuntalam (considered India's greatest play); Vishnu Sharma — Panchatantra |
| Art | Ajanta cave paintings (Gupta & post-Gupta); Nalanda Buddhist centre |
| Metallurgy | Iron Pillar of Delhi; zinc smelting known |
| Philosophy | Compilation of Smritis (Manusmriti); Puranas compiled in final form |
| Architecture | Dashavatara Temple (Deogarh, MP) — Panchayatana style; first structural Hindu temples |
| Education | Nalanda University (founded by Kumaragupta); Taxila continued |
→ Huna invasions — Central Asian nomads (Toramana, Mihirakula); Skandagupta repelled them but at huge cost
→ Feudalism — land grants reduced central revenue; provincial governors became independent
→ Succession wars — weak kings after Skandagupta
→ Trade decline — disruption of Silk Road reduced mercantile income
→ By 550 AD, Gupta empire had fragmented into regional kingdoms
| Scholar / Subject | Key Works & Contributions |
|---|---|
| Aryabhata (476–550 AD) | Wrote Aryabhatiya; calculated value of pi (π ≈ 3.1416); proposed that Earth rotates on its own axis; explained solar eclipse as shadow of moon on Earth; lunar eclipse as shadow of Earth on moon; contributed to the decimal system |
| Varahamihira | Wrote Brihat Samhita (encyclopedic work on science, astronomy, geography) and Pancha Siddhantika (compilation of 5 astronomical systems); predicted the presence of water in polar regions; made important astronomical observations |
| Brahmagupta (7th century — just after Guptas) | Wrote Brahmasphutasiddhanta; formulated rules for zero and negative numbers; explained gravity ('objects fall towards the Earth') — centuries before Newton |
| Medicine — Sushruta Samhita | Describes plastic surgery techniques; lists 120+ surgical instruments; rhinoplasty (nose reconstruction) procedures; written in earlier period but compiled and transmitted prominently during the Gupta period |
| Charaka Samhita | Originally compiled during the Kushana period but continued to be developed during Gupta era; foundational text of Ayurvedic medicine — diagnosis, treatment, and herbal remedies |
| Metallurgy | Iron Pillar at Mehrauli (Delhi) — stands 7 m tall; over 1600 years without rusting; evidence of highly advanced metallurgical knowledge; inscription attributes it to Chandragupta II |
| Nalanda University | Founded during the Gupta period (by Kumaragupta I); became world's first residential university; housed ~10,000 students; subjects: theology, astronomy, metaphysics, philosophy, medicine; Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang studied here (7th century); destroyed by Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1193 AD |
| Writer / Scholar | Works & Significance |
|---|---|
| Kalidasa — Greatest Sanskrit Poet | Shakuntala (Abhijnanashakuntalam) — recognized as the finest Sanskrit drama; Meghadutam (The Cloud Messenger — lyric poem); Raghuvamsham (epic on Raghu dynasty); Ritusamhara (poem on seasons); Kumarasambhava (birth of Kartikeya) |
| Vishakhadatta | Mudrarakshasa — political drama about Chandragupta Maurya's rise to power with the help of Chanakya |
| Shudraka | Mrichchhakatikam (The Little Clay Cart) — a social drama depicting life of common people; rare example of a play not dealing with royalty |
| Amarasimha | Amarakosha — the earliest surviving Sanskrit thesaurus/dictionary; one of the Navratnas of Chandragupta II's court |
| Harisena | Court poet of Samudragupta; composed the Prayaga Prashasti (Allahabad Pillar Inscription) — our most important primary source for Samudragupta's conquests and achievements |
✅ Must-Know for Prelims
→ Gupta Era started: 319/320 AD (Chandragupta I)
→ Napoleon of India: Samudragupta (title by V.A. Smith)
→ Allahabad Prashasti author: Harishena
→ Fa Hien's visit: 399–414 AD (Chandragupta II's reign)
→ Iron Pillar (Delhi): Chandragupta II era; rustless for 1600+ years
→ Nalanda founded: Kumaragupta I
→ Aryabhata's text: Aryabhatiya — π value, Earth's rotation, decimal
→ Kalidasa's masterpiece: Abhijnanasakuntalam (drama)
→ Panchayatana temple style: Dashavatara Temple, Deogarh
→ Gupta decline primary cause: Huna invasions + feudalism
🧠 Mnemonics
Gupta Kings: "Sri Ghata Chandra Sam Chandra Kumar Skanda"
(Sri Gupta → Ghatotkacha → Chandragupta I → Samudragupta → Chandragupta II → Kumaragupta → Skandagupta)
Navratnas (partial): "KAVA DAK SG" — Kalidasa, Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Amarasimha, Dhanvantari, Amarasimha, Kshapanaka
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