Greetings,

In 4th century AD, a new dynasty arose in Magadha and established their kingdom in Northern India. They were known as the Guptas and their rule lasted for 200 years. This period is also known as the Classical Age or Golden Age of ancient India was perhaps the most prosperous era in Indian History.Gupta Empire saw some of the most greatest kings such as Samudragupta, Kumargupta, Chandragupta I, Skandgupta and many more.

Some of the peculiar features of this dynasty that made them powerful are-

• Administration
• They believed in decentralization . It comprised of self governing tribes and small kingdoms ruled by kings.
• The Guptas took titles like Mahadhiraja, Samrat, Ekadhiraja, Chakravartin, etc which is a sign of their significance.
• The Guptas appointed a council of Ministers which helped and assisted them in making most of the important decisions regarding the Kingdom. They were highly intellectual and intelligent men.
• A special post i.e. Kumaramatya was formed which was responsible for the recruitment of highly intellectual men for obtaining the posts of high officials.
• The task of administration of the city was in the hand of the Council which consisted of the president of the city and different chief representative of the merchants and artisans.
• Their Military was feudal in nature.
• In the Gupta period, for the first time Civil and Criminal Law was clearly defined and demarcated by the King.
• Also, people were bound to pay taxes to the King.

• SOCIETY
• The Varna System was not followed rigidly throughout the Kingdom.  The position of the lower castes such as the Shudras was improving. Now they were permitted to listen to the epics and the puranas and were allowed to worship a new god called Krishna.
• Under the rule of Guptas, Vaishnavism became very popular. Idol worship also became a followed norm. Religion brought people closer together and resulted in the unity of the people.

• ECONOMY
• The State was the exclusive owner of Land. The Economy of the State was not decentralised and was fully owned by the State and the King.
• In the Gupta period, Land surveys were conducted quite regularly by the State. An officer named Pustapala was appointed by the King himself who conducted the land surveys and maintained a record of all the transactions of land in the State.
• In the history of Ancient India, Guptas were the only rulers who issued the largest number of gold coins. They also issued a large number of silver coins to be used for local exchange.
• Also, they traded with the countries which were located in the South East Asian region which led to the increase in trade and commodities.

Some other important points to be kept in mind are-

• There were different political units present. Foreign rule completely vanished and peace and prosperity prevailed throughout the kingdom.
• The Government was quite careful in implementation of taxes for the people. Taxes were not very high, punishment was mild(not for serious offences). The Government was mindful of the people of his kingdom.
• Hinduism as a religion was revived under their rule but at the same time, there was a greater tolerance for all the other religions that existed during that period.
• Art and literature flourished during this period. People learned sanskrit as well during this period.
• Great personalities such as Kalidasa, Amarsinha, Aryabhatta, lived during this period and enriched society.

CRITICISM

• Prevalence of Feudal system.
• Absence of large Central Army and Bureaucracy.
• Decline of trade with the Roman Empire.
• Decline in the status of women.

All the best for the future.

Hey,

Sri Gupta founded the Gupta Empire c. 240-280 CE, and was succeeded by his son, Ghatotkacha, c. 280-319 CE, followed by Ghatotkacha’s son, Chandragupta, c. 319-335 CE.

After Chandragupta married princess Kumaradevi from the kingdom of Magadha, he conquered or assimilated the nearby kingdoms and assumed the imperial title of Maharajadhiraja, meaning “King of Kings.”

Chandragupta’s son, Samudragupta, assumed the throne in 335 CE, and conquered several neighboring kingdoms; eventually, the Gupta Empire extended across the entire Indian subcontinent.

Samudragupta was succeeded by his son, Chandragupta II, who continued to expand the Gupta Empire through conquest and political alliances.

Hope this helps.