Gupta Empire

The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to early 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent.[6] This period is considered as the Golden Age of India by historians.[7][note 1] The ruling dynasty of the empire was founded by Gupta, and the most notable rulers of the dynasty were Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, Chandragupta II and Skandagupta. The 5th-century CE Sanskrit poet Kalidasa credits the Guptas with having conquered about twenty-one kingdoms, both in and outside India, including the kingdoms of Parasikas, the Hunas, the Kambojas, tribes located in the west and east Oxus valleys, the Kinnaras, Kiratas, and others.[9][10][11]

Quick facts: Gupta Empire, Status, Capital, Common la... ▼

Gupta Empire
c. 319–c. 550 CE
South Asia c. 420 CE YAUDHEYAS ARJUNAYANAS MADRAKAS MALAVAS LICCHAVIS TOCHARIANS ABHIRAS KALABHRAS WESTERN GANGAS SASANIAN HIND ZHANGZHUNG TRAITAKUTAS VAKATAKAS KADAMBAS SAMATATAS GAUDA KAMARUPAS KIDARITES ALCHON HUNS SASANIAN EMPIRE ◁ ▷ Map of the Gupta Empire c. 420 CE, according to Joseph E. Schwartzberg, with contemporary polities[1]
Status	Empire
Capital	Pataliputra Ayodhya[2][3]
Common languages	Sanskrit (literary and academic); Prakrit (vernacular)
Religion	Hinduism Buddhism Jainism
Demonym(s)	Indian
Government	Monarchy
Emperor
• c. late 3rd century	Gupta (first)
• c. 540 – c. 550 CE	Vishnugupta
Historical era	Ancient India
• Established	c. 319
• Disestablished	c. 550 CE
Area
400 est.[4] (high-end estimate of peak area)	3,500,000 km2 (1,400,000 sq mi)
440 est.[5] (low-end estimate of peak area)	2,500,000 km2 (970,000 sq mi)
Preceded by Succeeded by Kushan Empire Western Satraps Nagas of Padmavati Mahameghavahana dynasty Murunda dynasty Later Guptas Maukhari Maitraka Vardhana dynasty Mathara dynasty Shailodbhava dynasty Varman dynasty Gauda Kingdom Kalachuris Gurjara kingdoms Nala dynasty Sharabhapuriya dynasty Rajarsitulyakula Rai dynasty Alchon Huns

The high points of this period are the great cultural developments which took place primarily during the reigns of Samudragupta, Chandragupta II and Kumaragupta I. Many Hindu epics and literary sources, such as Mahabharata and Ramayana, were canonised during this period.[12] The Gupta period produced scholars such as Kalidasa,[13] Aryabhata, Varahamihira and Vatsyayana, who made great advancements in many academic fields.[14][15][16] Science and political administration reached new heights during the Gupta era.[15] The period, sometimes described as Pax Gupta, gave rise to achievements in architecture, sculpture, and painting that "set standards of form and taste [that] determined the whole subsequent course of art, not only in India but far beyond her borders".[17] Strong trade ties also made the region an important cultural centre and established the region as a base that would influence nearby kingdoms and regions in India and Southeast Asia.[18]^{[unreliable source?]} The Puranas, earlier long poems on a variety of subjects, are also thought to have been committed to written texts around this period.[17][19] Hinduism was followed by the rulers and the Brahmins flourished in the Gupta empire but the Guptas tolerated people of other faiths as well.[20]

The empire eventually died out because of factors such as substantial loss of territory and imperial authority caused by their own erstwhile feudatories, as well as the invasion by the Huna peoples (Kidarites and Alchon Huns) from Central Asia.[21][22] After the collapse of the Gupta Empire in the 6th century, India was again ruled by numerous regional kingdoms.