Gupta Emperors of India established their dynasty in 280 A.D. and ruled India till 550 A.D. The earliest Gupta emperor is Sri Gupta. Art and Architecture of the Gupta Period includes the famous rock cut temples at Ajanta, Buddhist stupas, cave and temple architecture, the Mathura and Gandhara School of art. Literature under Gupta Empire drew their themes from epics and dealt with familiar narratives, some were treated in courtly style and subjected to literary virtuosity of many kinds. Philosophy in the Gupta Age was based on Vedic and post Vedic philosophical works. The beginning of the Gupta age witnessed a philosophical campaign between the followers of Buddhism and those of Hinduism. Development of Science under Gupta Empire was progressive and it had attained considerable perfection. Mathematics, astronomy, medicine, chemistry, physics and metallurgy were the most prominent of the sciences at that time. Religious movements during Gupta period resulted in integration and synthesis of heterodox religious creeds. The exact timeline of the rulers in Magadha before the Guptas is still shrouded in mystery. The Gupta script, which is derived from the Brahmi script, gave rise to the Siddham script. Education during Gupta Age was provided by the Brahmanical agraharas and in Buddhist monasteries. The Guptas established and patronized several universities of higher learning. The downfall of the Guptas was a gradual event and was brought about by civil war and local revolts. Social Life under Gupta Empire centered on the caste system and the stages of life though the rigidity was comparatively less. Consolidating the entire northern India, the early Gupta rulers had founded the stronghold of the Gupta Dynasty in India Development of Languages under Gupta Empire primarily revolved around their vocabulary and grammar. Sanskrit, especially, developed in leaps and bounds under the Gupta Empire. The Hun invasion during the Gupta supremacy brought about the immediate downfall of the imperial Guptas in India. Economic life during Gupta Empire was prosperous. India made great progress in the economic sphere during the Gupta age. Cultural Life of Gupta Period stressed upon the overall development of the empire. It also dealt with the religious development and education system of the state. There is a keen controversy among the scholars about the original homeland of the Guptas. Allahabad Prasasti is the earliest epigraphic evidence of the Guptas, eulogizing the achievements of Samudragupta. Philosophy under Gupta Empire developed significantly. The six Darshans had been developed during this age that include the philosophies of purva mimamsa; Vaiseshika, Nyaya, Vedanta, Yoga and Samkhya. The state of political affairs between 6th and 7th century A.D. was extremely disturbing, leading to no trivial ruler`s Before the rise of the Gupta dynasty, northern India was divided into number of small monarchical kingdoms. Administration of Gupta Empire emphasized upon the role of the king and the Government officials about the functioning of the state. Later Guptas is a misleading term. It had no connection with the imperial Gupta lineage. The principal sources of information regarding the later Guptas were the "Aphsad inscription" and the "Deo Baranark inscription". |