Guptas revision Flashcards
<p>Gupta dynasty: origin?</p>
<ol>
<li>rose to prominence in 320 AD</li>
<li>spread to large parts of northern India, central and small parts of southern India.</li>
<li>original homeland of the Guptas is not known for certain. But they might have originated from Bengal. Some scholars think they are from Prayaga (Allahabad in UP).</li>
<li>thought to be either Brahmins or Vaishyas.</li>
<li>Golden or classical age</li>
</ol>
<p>Gupta age: kings' names?</p>
<ol>
<li>Sri Gupta</li>
<li>Ghatotkacha</li>
<li>Chandragupta I</li>
<li>Samudragupta</li>
<li>Chandragupta II</li>
<li>Kumaragupta I</li>
<li>Skandagupta</li>
<li>Vishnugupta</li>
</ol>
<p>Gupta age: SriGupta?</p>
<ol> <li>Founder of Gupta Dynasty</li> <li>240-280 AD</li> <li>used the title of 'Maharaja'</li> </ol>
<p>Gupta Age: Ghatotkacha?</p>
<ol>
<li>son of Sri Gupta</li>
<li>tooktitle of ‘Maharaja‘</li>
</ol>
<p>Gupta age: ChandraGupta I?</p>
<ol>
<li>first great ruler of the line</li>
<li>increased power and extent of empire by
<ol>
<li>matrimonial alliance</li>
<li>conquests</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>married Kumaradevi, Lichhavi princess
<ol>
<li>first Indian queen featured on a coin</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>assumed the title of 'Maharajadhiraj'</li>
<li>Started the Gupta era in 320 AD, which marked the date of his accession</li>
</ol>
<p>Gupta age: Samudragupta?</p>
<ol>
<li>source: Prayaga Prasasti composed by Harisena, poet at his court, and engraved on an Ashokan pillar at Allahabad pillar inscription
<ul>
<li>Also Eran inscription (MP) mentionshis conquests</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>ascension to throne in 335 AD</li>
<li>also a lover of art;also called “Kaviraja”</li>
<li>'Indian napolean' and 'Hero of a hundred battles' by V.A. Smith: policy of conquest; 'Digvijaya' his ultimate goal</li>
<li>His region extended from the Himalayas in the north to the Krishna and Godavari Rivers in the south; and from Balkh (Afghanistan) in the west to Brahmaputra River in the east.</li>
<li>conquests can be divided into 5 grps
<ol>
<li>Ganga Yamuna doab: defeated and incorporated</li>
<li>eastern Himalayan states and frontier states plus some republics of PJ which were finally destroyed</li>
<li>forest kingdoms of Vindhyas called <strong>Atavika rajyas</strong></li>
<li>12 rulers of eastern Deccan and south India- conquered and liberated; as far as Kanchi, TN where Pallavas were compelled to acknowledge his suzerainty</li>
<li>Remaining Shakas and Kushanas still ruling in Afghanistan- defeated them and received their submission</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>He was a follower of Vaishnavite Hinduism but was tolerant of other faiths. Acc to a chinese source, Meghvarman, ruler of Sri Lanka sent a missionary to SamudraGpta fr permission to build a Buddhist temple at Gaya which was agreed by Samudragupta.</li>
<li>He also performed Ashvamedha sacrifice. Hence, one of his coins refers to him as “the restorer of Ashvamedha.”</li>
</ol>
<p>Eran inscription?</p>
<p>Eran is an archaeologically important place in MP. It is important for three reasons</p>
<ul>
<li>one of the earliest coin minting centres in ancient India</li>
<li>many Vishnu avatar temples found here. Most famous being a huge varaha statue. Narsimha and hanuman temples are also there</li>
<li>inscriptions found on pillars and these temple walls</li>
</ul>
<p>5 inscriptions found here</p>
<ol>
<li>Sridharavarman: Saka king</li>
<li>Samudragupta:numeral scripts, with at least "2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7" ; his conquests</li>
<li>Budhagupta: a Vaishnava inscription. It describes that the Gupta kingdom stretched from Kalindi River to Narmada River</li>
<li>boar inscription of Toramana:names kingToramana, a King of theAlchon Huns, as ruling over Malwa and records that a Dhanyavishnu (someone unknown) is dedicating a stone temple to Narayana (Vishnu)</li>
<li>Bhanugupta :mentionsBhanugupta;one the earliest recorded instances ofSati, though doesn't use the word</li>
</ol>
<p>Gupta age: Chandragupta II?</p>
<ol>
<li>
<p>source: glorified, bt exaggerated,in a pillar inscription fixed near Qutub Minar in Delhi</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>highest watermark of Gupta empire</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>extended power and extense by conquests and marriage alliance eg. marrying his daughter to a Vakataka prince of Central India and conquering malwa and GJ</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>conquest of GJ and Malwa gave him access to coast and also <strong>Ujjain which he made his second capital</strong></p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Navratnas(9 Gems in his Court)</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Took the title ‘Vikramaditya’ which was first used by an Ujjain ruler in 57 BC to mark his victory over the Saka ksatrapas</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Chinese pilgrim <strong>Fa-Hien (399-414)</strong> visited India</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>assumed the title Sakari after heannexed three Satrapa kingdoms;He defeated the Saka king Rudrasimha III</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>His other names (as mentioned in coins) include Vikrama, Devagupta, Devaraja, Simhavikrama, Vikramaditya Sakari, etc.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>Chandraupta II's 9 gems?</p>
<ol><li>Amarsimha: lexicography (dictionaries): Amarkosha</li><li>Dhanvantri: Medicine: Ayurveda</li><li>Harisena: Poetry: Allahabad inscription<ol><li>also wrote Brihatkatha Kosh: that describes the features of languages and clothing of people of SE Asia</li></ol></li><li>Kalidasa: Drama and poetry: in next flashcard</li><li>Kahapanaka: astrology: Jyotishashastra</li><li>Sanku: Architecture: Shilpashastra</li><li>Varahmihira: Astrology: Brihadsamhita</li><li>Vararuchi: Grammar: Vyakarna (in sanskrit)</li><li>Vetalbhatta: Magic : Mantrashastra</li></ol>
<p>Works of Kalidasa?</p>
<ul>
<li>3 plays:
<ol>
<li>Mālavikāgnimitram</li>
<li>Abhijñānaśākuntalam:among the first Sanskrit works to be translated intoEnglish, and has since been translated into many languages</li>
<li>Vikramōrvaśīyam</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>poems:
<ul>
<li>epics:twoepic poems,Raghuvaṃśa("Dynasty of Raghu") andKumārasambhava</li>
<li>twokhandakavyas:
<ul>
<li>Descriptive:Ṛitusaṃhāradescribes the six seasons by narrating the experiences of two lovers in each of the seasons</li>
<li>Elegiac: Kālidāsa created his own genre of poetry withMeghadūta(The Cloud Messenger), the story of aYakshatrying to send a message to his lover through a cloud.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul><p>Mrichhakatika: by? otherwork by him?</p>
<p>Sudraka:anIndianking and playwright.</p>
<p></p>
<p>ThreeSanskrit playsare ascribed to him -Mrichchhakatika(The Little Clay Cart),<strong>Vinavasavadatta</strong>, and abhana(short one-act monologue),<strong>Padmaprabhritaka</strong></p>
<p><strong>based in Ujjain, itis attributed to Gupta period.</strong></p>
<p>Kumaragupta I?</p>
<ol> <li> <p>FoundedNalanda University</p> </li> <li> <p>He was also calledShakraditya</p> </li> </ol>
<p>Skandagupta?</p>
<ol> <li> <p>Took the title of ‘Vikramaditya‘</p> </li> <li> <p>Was a ‘Vaishnavite‘</p> </li> <li> <p>Son of Kumaragupta</p> </li> <li> <p>Repulsed an attack by the Hunas but this strained his empire’s coffers</p> </li> </ol>
<p>Vishnugupta?</p>
<p>Last known ruler of the Gupta Dynasty (540 AD – 550 AD)</p>
<p>Gupta age: system of admin?</p>
<ol>
<li>adopted pompous titles like parmeshwara maharajadhiraja etc</li>
<li>kingship hereditary bt nt always the eldest son-> created uncertainties</li>
<li>gifts to Brahmans; in return they patronsied the king as Vishnu; may hv portrayed them as Brhmans while origially probably were vaishyas</li>
<li>stndg army; cavalry and horse archery replaced House chariots</li>
<li>land taxes increased in no. while those on trade decreased</li>
<li>1/4th-1/6th taxes + forced labor called vishti</li>
<li>judicial system far more developed with several law book; first tie civil and criminal laws clearly demarcated; laws abt inheritance; varna differentaited laws; king tried cases ; guilds also had their own laws</li>
<li>distributing powers to brahmans and guilds meant not as elaborate bureaucracy as Maurya's</li>
<li>recruitment nt confined to upper varnas only; though often became hereditary</li>
<li>mst imp officers : kumaramatyas</li>
</ol>
