The Gupta Empire (319 AD - 540 AD): Extension of the Empire; Development of Language and Literature; Art and Architecture.

 The Gupta Empire (319 AD - 540 AD)

• Gupta empire emerged on the ruins of the Kushan kingdom. 
• The empire orginated in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and expanded in almost whole India excluding interior south and Kashmir. 
• Prayag was the nerve centre of their administration. 
• They were originally Vaishyas.

• The founder of the Gupta empire was Srigupta. 
• The empire witnessed three most important rulers - Chandragupta-I, Samudragupta and Chandragupta-II. 

Extent of the Empire

• Three Gupta rulers Chandragupta-I, Samudragupta snd Chandragupta-II Contributed the most to the expansion of the empire.
• Chandragupta I (AD 319 - 334)
• Marriage alliance was the tool of Chandragupta I for expansion of the empire.
• He married a Lichchavi princess from Nepal and strengthened his position. Since he married in a higher clan of kshatriya, he earned prestige. 
• Samudragupta (AD 335-380)
• He is given credit for the most of expansions of the empire. 
• Samudragupta was given the title Napolian of India.
• Opposite to the Ashoka's peace policies and non-aggression, Samudragupta delighted in violence and conquest. 
• Samudragupta's conquered places and countries can be divided into five groups:
1. Group 1 - 
• kingdoms of Ganga-Yamuna doab.
2. Group 2 - 
• Eastern Himalayan states and some frontier states of Nepal, Assam and Bengal, and also some parts of republic of Punjab. 
3. Group 3 - 
• forest kingdom situated in the Vindhya region known as Atavik rajyas. 
4. Group 4 - 
• Eastren Deccan and south India as far as Kanchi in Tamil Nadu.
5. Group 5 - 
• Afghanistan, where Shakas and Kushans ruled. 
• Chandragupta-II (Vikramaditya) (AD 380 - 412) 
• He extended the limits of empire by marriage alliance and conquest. 
• He married his daughter Prabhavati to a Vakataka prince of the Brahmana caste and ruled in the central India. The prince died, and was succeeded by his young son. Prabhavati thus became a virtual ruler who promoted the interest of her father Chandragupta-II. Thus, Chandragupta-II exercised his control indirectly over the Vakatakas kingdome in the central India. 
• Other kingdoms conquered by Chandragupta-II included - 
• Mathura conquered from the Kushans 
• Western Malwa and Gujarat  conquered from the Shaka kshatrapas. 
• Ujjain, which was made the second capital by Chandragupta-II. 

 Development of Language and Literature

• The Gupta period is remarkable for the production of secular literature, which consisted of a fair degree of ornate court poets, that were different from old simple Sanskrit poets. 
• Bhasha was an important poet in the early phase of the Gupta period.
• He wrote 13 plays.
• He authored Dradiracharudatta, which was later refashioned as Mrichchhakatika or the Little Clay Cart by Shudraka. The book narrated the love story of poor Brahman Charudatta and a beautiful courtesan.
• Kalidasa 
• He authored the great sanskrit literature Abhijnanashakuntalam which is very highly regarded in the world literature. It relates the love story of King Dushyanta and Shakuntala, whose son Bharat appears as a famous ruler. 
• The plays introduced in India had two common features - 
1. They are all commedies, and no tragedies were found.
2. The characters of the higher and lower classes do not speak the same language. Lower class uses Prakrit, while the higher class uses Sanskrit. 
• The two great epics - the Ramayana and the Mahabharata were almost completed in this period.
• The Gupta period also shows the development of Sanskrit grammar based on the works of Panini and Patanjali. 
• Compilation of Amarkosha by Amarsimha is remarkable in this period.
• Sanskrit was undoutedly the court language of the Gupta period. 

Art and Architecture in the Gupta Period

Art 

• Gold Coins
• Guptas issued the largest number of gold coins. 
• Samudragupta was represented in his coins playing the lute (vina).
• Paintings of Buddha
• A life-size copper image of Buddha of more than 6 feet was made. 
• The finest images of Buddhist art during this period are the Ajanta paintings. 
• Painting of Hindu gods
• Image of the chief or leading god was painted at the centre and larger in size surrounded by his subordinated gods, painted smaller in size. This reflects the social hierarchy and discrimination. 

Architecture 

The Gupta period was not much concerned about architecture. However, it can be summed up as follows: - 

• Caves
• Cave architecture in this period remained constant. However, following features were added to it - 
• Mural paintings on the walls of caves. Examples are - caves of Ajanta and Ellora.
• Ajanta caves
• Situated near Aurangabad in Maharashtra. 
• Total no. of caves - 29 = 25 are were used as viharas or residential caves, 4 were used as Chaitya or prayer halls. These caves were developed between 200 BC and 650 AD.
• Ellora Caves
• It is a group of 34 caves -- 17 Brahmanical, 12 Buddhist and 5 Jain. These caves are newer than Ajanta and developed between 5th and 11th century AD. 
• Cave No. 1-12: Buddhist
• Cave No. 13-29 Hindu
• Cave No. 30-34 Jain (Digambara sect)
• Bagh Caves
• located on the bank of Baghni river in Madhya Pradesh. 
• It is a group of nine Buddhist caves developed around 5th-6th century AD. 
• Most important cave here is Rang Mahal. 
• Junagadh Caves 
• These are Buddhist caves located in Junagadh district of Gujarat. 
• These were developed around 1st-4th century AD. 
• Most important feature is a 30-50ft high citadel called 'Upar Kot'.
• Stupas
• Gupta period saw a decline in the development of stupas. However, Dhamek stupa of Sarnath is a fine example of this period. 
• Sculptures
• This period witnessed the development of a new school of sculpture.
• It was characterised by the use of cream coloured sandstone and the use of metal. 
• Sculpture was dressed, and nudity lacked. Example - 7.5 ft. Buddhist sculpture of copper at Sultanganj in Bihar.  
• Temple Architecture 
• Temples passed through following five stages - 
• First stage - 
• Temples were square in shape and had flat roof.
• Entire structre was built on low paltform.
• Portico was developed on shallow pillars.
• Example - Temple No. 17 at Sanchi.
• Second stage - 
• Platforms were higher or upraised.
• Two storey temples.
• Third stage - 
• Emergence of shikhara in place of flat roof. 
• Panchayatan style of temple making introduced. In this, there were four subsidiary shrines along with the temple of the principal deity. The main temple was square with elongated mandap in front of it, giving it a rectangualar shape. Example - Dashavatar temple at Deogarh. 
• Fourth Stage - 
• The main shrine became more rectangular. 
• Fifth Stage - 
• Circular temples with shallow rectangular projection were introduced.