Gupta Empire

The Gupta Empire was an Indian empire which lasted from around 320 to 550 AD. It managed to unify large parts of the Indian subcontinent. The time of the Gupta Empire is traditionally referred to as India's Golden age.

Gupta Empire
c. 240–c. 579[1]
Gupta empire at its peak
Status	Empire
Capital	Prayag[2][3][4] Ayodhya (after 455)[5][6][7][4]
Common languages	Sanskrit (literary and academic); Prakrit (vernacular)
Religion	Hinduism[8][9] (official) Buddhism[10] Jainism
Government	Monarchy
Maharajadhiraja
• c. 240 – c. 280	Gupta (first)
• c. 540 – c. 550	Vishnugupta (last)
Historical era	Classical India
• Established	c. 240
• Disestablished	c. 579[11]
Area
400 est.[12] (high-end estimate of peak area)	3,500,000 km2 (1,400,000 sq mi)
440 est.[13] (low-end estimate of peak area)	1,700,000 km2 (660,000 sq mi)
Population
• 5th century	75,000,000[14]
Currency	Dinara (gold coins) Rupaka (silver coins) Karshapana (copper coins) Cowries
Preceded by Succeeded by Western Satraps Nagas of Padmavati Pañcāla Arjunayanas Yaudheya Mahameghavahana dynasty Murunda dynasty Kushano-Sasanian Kingdom Later Guptas Kingdom of Valabhi Kingdom of Thanesar Gurjara kingdoms Aulikaras Maukhari Dynasty
Today part of	India Pakistan Bangladesh Nepal Afghanistan

Plenty of information about this dynasty can be found through coins, inscriptions, monuments, and Sanskrit writings. The Gupta rulers were great conquerors and administrators. This brought on a series of invasions that weakened the empire, but many of their cultural and intellectual achievements were saved and transmitted to other cultures and live on today. Fa Hien visited India during the reign of Chandragupta II and stayed in this country for several years.

People lived a simple life. Goods were affordable and all round prosperity ensured that their requirements were met easily. Gold and silver coins were issued in great numbers which is a general indicative of the health of the economy. Trade and commerce flourished both within the country and outside. Silk, cotton, spices, medicine, priceless gemstones, pearl, precious metal and steel were exported by sea.^[source?]

Gupta dynasty

See also: List of Gupta emperors

The Gupta dynasty lasted from around 240 to 579.

Some of its main rulers were:

• Chandragupta
• Samudragupta
• Ramagupta
• Chandragupta II
• Kumaragupta I
• Skandagupta
• Purugupta
• Kumaragupta II
• Budhagupta
• Narsimhagupta
• Vishnugupta

Administration

Map of the Gupta Empire around 420 CE

The Gupta Empire was divided into 26 provinces. These were called Bhukti, Desha, or Rajya. Each province had smaller parts called Vishaya (districts), ruled by officers called Vishayapati. The Vishayapati was helped by a local council called the Adhikarana. This council had four members: the head of the city, a trade leader, a top artisan, and a government writer. A smaller area inside a district was called a Vithi.^[15]

The Gupta Empire had trade links with the Sassanids and the Byzantines. The social system followed four main castes (varnas).^[16]

Coins

The Guptas used coinage across their empire. This showed both their wealth-as some coins were trying to unify the empire by using the same coins over the empire.

Further reading

• Karls, Farah. World History The Human Experience.