Samanta was a title and position used in the history of the Indian subcontinent between 4th and 12th century to denote a vassal, feudal lord or tributary chief. The leader of 100 village also popularly known as jagirdar. The term roughly translates to neighbor . The institution is considered to be closely associated with the origin and growth of feudalism in India and Medieval India .
75-639: The institution is known to have existed prior to the Gupta period, though details on them are vague. A Pallava inscription dating to the time of Santivarman (AD 455–470) uses the term Samanta-Chudamanayah (best feudatories). The Samanta in South India was used to mean a vassal to an emperor. In North India, the earliest use of the term in a similar sense was in Bengal in the Barabar Hill Cave Inscription of
150-535: A STOL airport, Jumla Airport , and the road network first reached it from Surkhet in May 2007. It is the usual starting point for treks to Rara Lake . Jumla has a highland oceanic climate that is cooled down by its elevation. As a result, the climate retains strong diurnal temperature variation in winter and the moderation is from subtropical influence as opposed to maritime. The highest temperature ever recorded in Jumla
225-578: A UNESCO world heritage site . Kumaragupta I was also a worshipper of Kartikeya . Skandagupta , son and successor of Kumaragupta I is generally considered to be the last of the great Gupta emperors. He assumed the titles of Vikramaditya and Kramaditya . He defeated the Pushyamitra threat, but then was faced with invading Kidarites (sometimes described as the Hephthalites or "White Huns", known in India as
300-428: A Samanta was also acquired by marrying into the ruling family. An example is Baliraja of Chaughan Rajasthanakot of Jumla who was made a Samanta Raja of the state after he married the daughter of Medinivarma who was the heiress of Semja. After marriage, Baliraja was virtually the head of all feudatory chiefs of the kingdom. This was elucidated in a copper-plate inscription of 1404 AD. This compound Indian title refers to
375-569: A campaign lasting until 409. His main opponent Rudrasimha III was defeated by 395, and he crushed the Bengal chiefdoms. This extended his control from coast to coast, established a second capital at Ujjain and was the high point of the empire. Kuntala inscriptions indicate rule of Chandragupta II in Kuntala country of Karnataka . Hunza inscription also indicate that Chandragupta was able to rule north western Indian subcontinent and proceeded to conquer Balkh , although some scholars have also disputed
450-487: A musician and a poet, and calls him the "king of poets". Such claims are corroborated by Samudragupta's gold coins, which depict him playing a veena . Samudragupta appears to have directly controlled a large part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain in present-day India, as well as a substantial part of central India. Besides, his empire comprised a number of monarchical and tribal tributary states of northern India, and of
525-584: A record altitude, where rice is cultivated in Nepal. Jumli Marshi, a Japonica variety of indigenous rice, has the cold tolerant gene and has probably been cultivated since 1,300 years ago in Jumla on the bank of the Tila River. The Tila Valley as well as the Sinja Khola Valley are covered with paddy fields growing the 'Kali Marshi' rice variety, a unique red rice that is sought after for its special taste. Jumla has
600-483: A territorial vassal or governor (a person who provides military support and governs a territory) under a king or monarch in exchange for certain guarantees) in South India. This should not be confused with the titles given in the colonial British India . Gupta Empire The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire on the Indian subcontinent which existed from the mid 3rd century CE to mid 6th century CE. It
675-570: A variety of subjects, are also thought to have been committed to written texts around this period. Hinduism was followed by the rulers and the Brahmins flourished in the Gupta empire but the Guptas were tolerant towards people of other faiths as well. 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
750-566: Is known that from Chinese sources that the Simhala king Meghavarna sent rich presents to the Gupta emperor requesting his permission to build a Buddhist monastery at Bodh Gaya : Samudragupta's panegyrist appears to have described this act of diplomacy as an act of subservience. Samudragupta appears to have been Vaishnavite , as attested by his Eran inscription, and performed several Brahmanical ceremonies. The Gupta records credit him with making generous donations of cows and gold. He performed
825-461: Is no doubt that Gupta and Ghatotkacha held a lower status and were less powerful than Chandragupta I. Chandragupta I married the Licchavi princess Kumaradevi, which may have helped him extend his political power and dominions, enabling him to adopt the prestigious title Maharajadhiraja . According to the dynasty's official records, he was succeeded by his son Samudragupta . However, the discovery of
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#1732851478358900-457: Is the centre of Chandannath Municipality in Jumla District of Karnali Province of Nepal . It is located at 2514 metres (8251 feet) elevation. Jumla is one of the 77 districts in the midwestern hills of Nepal. Rice (Oryza sativa L) cultivation in Jumla ranges from 2,400 to 3,050 m altitude, which is the highest elevation in the world. The highest elevation at 3,050 m is Chhumjul of Jumla,
975-417: Is the only work from which we know of various categories of Samantas. Bana mentions a large number of conquered enemy Maha-Samantas in the royal camp who were probably waiting to be assigned their new duties. Some types of Samantas mentioned by Banabhatta are: Banabhatta uses the term Anuraktamahasamanta (Anurakta-Mahasamanta) only once and it possibly meant those especially attached to their overlord. From
1050-614: The Aryabhatiya , making significant contributions to mathematics including developing a Place value system , an approximation of π of 4 decimal places, trigonometric functions, and Squared triangular numbers . Varāhamihira wrote the Pancha Siddhanta developing various formulas relating sine and cosine functions. Yativṛṣabha made contributions on units of measurement. Virahanka described Fibonacci numbers . Indian astronomy also saw progress in this era. The names of
1125-467: The Ashvamedha ritual (horse sacrifice), which was used by the ancient Indian kings and emperors to prove their imperial sovereignty, and issued gold coins (see Coinage below) to mark this performance. The Allahabad Pillar inscription presents Samudragupta as a wise king and strict administrator, who was also compassionate enough to help the poor and the helpless. It also alludes to the king's talents as
1200-770: The Aulikara King Yashodharman c. 532 CE . A 2019 study by archaeologist Shanker Sharma has concluded that the cause of the Gupta Empire's downfall was a devastating flood which happened around the middle of the 6th century in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar . In the heart of the former Gupta Empire, in the Gangetic region, the Guptas were succeeded by the Maukhari dynasty and the Pushyabhuti dynasty . The coinage of
1275-647: The Chaulukya - Paramara dynasties, who issued so-called Indo-Sasanian coinage , on the model of the coinage of the Sasanian Empire , which had been introduced in India by the Alchon Huns. In contrast to the Mauryan Empire , the Guptas introduced several military innovations to Indian warfare. Chief among these was the use of siege engines , heavy cavalry archers and heavy sword cavalry. The heavy cavalry formed
1350-547: The Gupta era . 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". 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 . The Puranas , earlier long poems on
1425-639: The Maharajadhiraja . A large number of his copper coins also have been found from the Eran - Vidisha region and classified in five distinct types, which include the Garuda , Garudadhvaja , lion and border legend types. The Brahmi legends on these coins are written in the early Gupta style. According to the Gupta records, among his sons, Samudragupta nominated prince Chandragupta II, born of queen Dattadevi , as his successor. Chandragupta II, Vikramaditya (Brave as
1500-572: The Nepali realm of the Maharaja of Licchavi , samantas held feudal domains and played a major part at court. Samantas played a role in other Nepali kingdoms as well. Dr Regmi writes that in Nepal the Samanatas adopted high sounding titles such as Maharaja and Maharajadhiraja at a time when they were just Samantas (vassals). An example is an inscription in which a Samanta of Changu area, named Amsu-Varma, adopted
1575-889: The Pallava kingdom in the south, and defeated Vishnugopa, the Pallava regent of Kanchi . During this southern campaign, Samudragupta most probably passed through the forest tract of central India, reached the eastern coast in present-day Odisha , and then marched south along the coast of the Bay of Bengal . The Allahabad Pillar inscription mentions that rulers of several frontier kingdoms and tribal aristocracies paid Samudragupta tributes, obeyed his orders, and performed obeisance before him. The frontier kingdoms included Samatata , Davaka , Kamarupa , Nepal and Karttripura . The tribal aristocracies and kingdoms included Malavas , Arjunayanas , Yaudheyas , Madrakas , and Abhiras , among others. Finally,
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#17328514783581650-707: The Parasika , then the Huna and Kamboja tribes located in the west and east Oxus valleys respectively. Thereafter, the king proceeded into the Himalaya mountains to reduce the mountain tribes of the Kinnaras , Kiratas , as well as India proper. In one of his works Kalidasa also credits him with the removal of the Sakas from the country. He wrote 'Wasn't it Vikramaditya who drove the Sakas out from
1725-506: The Sweta Huna ), from the northwest. He repelled a Huna attack around 455 CE, but the expense of the wars drained the empire's resources and contributed to its decline. The Bhitari Pillar inscription of Skandagupta , the successor of Chandragupta, recalls the near annihilation of the Gupta Empire following the attacks of the Kidarites . The Kidarites seem to have retained the western part of
1800-644: The 6th century CE . The Guptas were traditionally a Hindu dynasty. They were patronizers of Brahmanism and allowed followers of Buddhism and Jainism to practice their religions. Sanchi remained an important centre of Buddhism. Kumaragupta I (455 CE ) is said to have founded Nalanda . Modern genetic studies indicate that it was during the Gupta period that Indian caste groups ceased to intermarry (started practising/enforcing endogamy ). Some later rulers however seem to have especially promoted Buddhism . Narasimhagupta Baladitya ( c. 495 –?), according to contemporary writer Paramartha ,
1875-674: The Alchons are said to have altered the hierarchy of ruling families and the Indian caste system . For example, the Hunas are often said to have become the precursors of the Rajputs . The succession of the 6th-century Guptas is not entirely clear, but the tail end recognised ruler of the dynasty's main line was King Vishnugupta , reigning from 540 to 550. In addition to the Huna invasion, the factors, which contribute to
1950-484: The Earth was sphere, containing a circumference of 24,835 miles (39,967 km). Varāhamihira approximates the method for determination of the meridian direction from any three positions of the shadow using a gnomon . The Sushruta Samhita , which is a Sanskrit redaction text on all of the major concepts of Ayurveda medicine with innovative chapters on surgery, dates to the Gupta period. Jumla (town) Jumla
2025-527: The Gupta Empire. Skandagupta died in 467 and was succeeded by his agnate brother Purugupta . Following Skandagupta's death, the empire was clearly in decline, and the later Gupta coinage indicates their loss of control over much of western India after 467–469. Skandagupta was followed by Purugupta (467–473), Kumaragupta II (473–476), Budhagupta (476–495), Narasimhagupta (495–530), Kumaragupta III (530–540), Vishnugupta (540–550), two lesser known kings namely, Vainyagupta and Bhanugupta . In
2100-509: The Gupta homeland in the present-day Bengal region in Ganges basin, based on the account of the 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk Yijing . According to Yijing, king Che-li-ki-to (identified with the dynasty's founder Shri Gupta ) built a temple for Chinese pilgrims near Mi-li-kia-si-kia-po-no (apparently a transcription of Mriga-shikha-vana ). Yijing states that this temple was located more than 40 yojanas east of Nalanda , which would mean it
2175-454: The Guptas were supportive of thriving Buddhist and Jain cultures as well, and for this reason, there is also a long history of non-Hindu Gupta period art . In particular, Gupta period Buddhist art was to be influential in most of East and Southeast Asia. Many advances were recorded by the Chinese scholar and traveller Faxian in his diary and published afterwards. The court of Chandragupta II
2250-660: The Harshacharitra, we understand that the Samanta had five duties. They are: In the nature of rendering military aid, paying tributes and performing administrative and judicial functions, the office of the Samanta is comparable to the office of the Nayaka which was followed by the Vijayanagar Empire . The Samanta system was followed by several kingdoms across north and south India. Some examples of Samantas in South India are: In
2325-497: The Huns. The Hun invader Toramana was defeated by Bhanugupta in 510. The Huns were defeated and driven out of India in 528 by King Yashodharman from Malwa , and possibly Gupta emperor Narasimhagupta . These invasions, although only spanning a few decades, had long term effects on India, and in a sense brought an end to Classical Indian civilisation . Soon after the invasions, the Gupta Empire, already weakened by these invasions and
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2400-655: The Imperial Gupta Army. The best extant information comes from the Sanskrit mahakavya (epic poem) Raghuvaṃśa written by the Classical Sanskrit writer and dramatist Kalidasa . Many modern scholars put forward the view that Kalidasa lived from the reign of Chandragupta II to the reign of Skandagupta and that the campaigns of Raghu – his protagonist in the Raghuvaṃśa – reflect those of Chandragupta II. In Canto IV of
2475-735: The Maukhari Chief, Anantavarman (dating to the 6th century AD) in which his father is described as the Samanta-Chudamanih (best among feudatories) of the imperial Guptas. The term 'Samanta' originally meant a 'neighbour' and in the Mauryan period, the term referred to the independent ruler of an adjoining territory as is evident from its use in the Arthashastra and Ashokan edicts. The 'border- lords ' ( pratyan-tanripati ) mentioned by Samudragupta in his Prayagraj prashasti were such Samantas in
2550-570: The Maukharis and Pushyabhutis followed the silver coin type of the Guptas, with portrait of the ruler in profile (although facing in the reverse direction compared to the Guptas, a possible symbol of antagonism) and the peacock on the reverse, the Brahmi legend being kept except for the name of the ruler. In the western regions, they were succeeded by Gurjaradesa , the Gurjara-Pratiharas , and later
2625-537: The Prince of a subjugated but reinstated tributary region. Early kingdoms of Medieval India would surround themselves with a "Samanta-Chakra", that is, a 'circle of tributary chiefs'. By the time of King Harshavardhana , the institution of the Samanta had become well-developed and the Samantas came to be considered powerful figures. In order to integrate them into the hierarchy of the realm they were often given high positions in
2700-778: The Raghuvamsa, Kalidasa relates how the king's forces clash against the powerful, cavalry-centric, forces of the Persians and later the Yavanas (probably Huns) in the North-West. Here he makes special mention of the use horse-archers in the king's army and that the horses needed much rest after the hotly contested battles. The five arms of the Gupta military included infantry, cavalry, chariotry , elephantry and ships . Gunaighar copper plate inscription of Vainya Gupta mentions ships but not chariots. Ships had become integral part of Indian military in
2775-671: The Sun), ruled from 375 until 415. He married a Kadamba princess of Kuntala and of Naga lineage ( Nāgakulotpannnā ), Kuberanaga. His daughter Prabhavatigupta from this Naga queen was married to Rudrasena II , the Vakataka king of Deccan . His son Kumaragupta I was married to a Kadamba princess of the Karnataka region. Chandragupta II expanded his realm westwards, defeating the Saka Western Kshatrapas of Malwa , Gujarat and Saurashtra in
2850-581: The Vaishya varna. According to historian R. S. Sharma , the Vaishyas – who were traditionally associated with trade – may have become rulers after resisting oppressive taxation by the previous rulers. Critics of the Vaishya-origin theory point out that the suffix Gupta features in the names of several non-Vaishyas before as well as during the Gupta period, and the dynastic name "Gupta" may have simply derived from
2925-508: The coins issued by a Gupta emperor named Kacha have led to some debate on this topic: according to one theory, Kacha was another name for Samudragupta; another possibility is that Kacha was a rival claimant to the throne. Samudragupta succeeded his father around 335 or 350 CE, and ruled until c. 375 CE . The Allahabad Pillar inscription, composed by his courtier Harisena , credits him with extensive conquests. The inscription asserts that Samudragupta uprooted 8 kings of Āryāvarta ,
3000-572: The control of Vishayapati s (district lords ). A Vishayapati administered the Vishaya with the help of the Adhikarana (council of representatives), which comprised four representatives: Nagarasreshesthi , Sarthavaha , Prathamakulika and Prathama Kayastha . A part of the Vishaya was called Vithi . The Gupta also had trading links with the Sassanid and Byzantine Empires. The four-fold varna system
3075-475: The core of the Gupta Army and were supported by the traditional Indian Army elements of war elephants and light infantry . The utilisation of horse archers in the Gupta period is evidenced on the coinage of Chandragupta II , Kumaragupta I and Prakasaditya (postulated to be Purugupta ) that depicts the kings as horse-archers. There is a paucity of contemporary sources detailing the tactical operations of
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3150-460: The court. One such example is the king of Vallabhi who was defeated by King Harsha and became a Maha-Samanta. This Vallabhi king then rose under Emperor Harsha to the position of a Maha-Pratihara (guardian of the royal gateway or the royal door-keeper) and went on to become a Maha-Danda-Nayaka (Royal Field Marshal). In effect, the institution of the Samanta brought rulers of fragmented or tribalistic, small independent regions under subjugation to serve
3225-613: The decline of the empire include competition from the Vakatakas and the rise of Yashodharman in Malwa . The last known inscription by a Gupta emperor is from the reign of Vishnugupta (the Damudarpur copper-plate inscription), in which he makes a land grant in the area of Kotivarsha ( Bangarh in West Bengal ) in 542/543 CE. This follows the occupation of most of northern and central India by
3300-630: The early Gupta emperors have been discovered. This theory is also supported by the Purana , as argued by the proponents, that mention the territory of the early Gupta emperors as Prayaga , Saketa , and Magadha areas in the Ganges basin. The recently found silver coin of Sri Gupta in Uttar Pradesh further attest the origin of Guptas around Kāśī – Kannauj region and his rule was only limited to Kāśī (present day Varanasi ). Another prominent theory locates
3375-405: The empire. The Kidarites as well probably confronted the Gupta Empire towards the end of the rule of Kumaragupta I, as his son Skandagupta mentions in the Bhitari pillar inscription his efforts at reshaping a country in disarray, through reorganisation and military victories over the Pushyamitras and the Hunas . He was the founder of Nalanda University which on 15 July 2016 was declared as
3450-477: 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. The Gupta period produced scholars such as Kalidasa , Aryabhata , Varahamihira and Vatsyayana , who made great advancements in many academic fields. Science and political administration reached new heights during
3525-408: The identity of the Gupta emperor. Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI (r. 1076 – 1126 CE) mentions Chandragupta with his title and states: "Why should the glory of the Kings Vikramaditya and Nanda be a hindrance any longer ? He with a loud command abolished that (era), which has the name of Saka, and made that (era) which has the Chalukya counting". Despite the creation of the empire through war,
3600-410: The inscription mentions that several foreign kings tried to please Samudragupta by personal attendance; offered him their daughters in marriage (or according to another interpretation, gifted him maidens ); and sought the use of the Garuda -depicting Gupta seal for administering their own territories. This is an exaggeration: for example, the inscription lists the King of Simhala among these kings. It
3675-406: The invasion by the Huna peoples ( Kidarites and Alchon Huns ) from Central Asia . After the collapse of the Gupta Empire in the 6th century, India was again ruled by numerous regional kingdoms. The homeland of the Guptas is uncertain. According to one theory, they originated in the present-day lower-Doab region of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh , where most of the inscriptions and coin hoards of
3750-412: The king or emperor as vassals. The office of the Samanta represented a semantic change in state formation from an independent neighbour to a tributary chief and finally to a high ranking court official. Samanta title are used as a surname mainly among Bengali Hindu Mahishya and also among some Aguri . Banabhatta describes several types of Samantas in his work, Harsha Charita . Bana 's Harshacharitra
3825-415: The late 490's the Alchon Huns under Toramana and Mihirakula broke through the Gupta defences in the northwest, and much of the empire in the northwest was overrun by the Huns by 500. According to some scholars the empire disintegrated under the attacks of Toramana and his successor Mihirakula . It appears from inscriptions that the Guptas, although their power was much diminished, continued to resist
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#17328514783583900-435: The lovely city of Ujjain ?'. The Brihatkathamanjari of the Kashmiri writer Kshemendra states, King Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II) had "unburdened the sacred earth of the barbarians like the Sakas, Mlecchas , Kambojas , Greeks , Tusharas , Saka-Greeks , Hunas , and others, by annihilating these sinful Mlecchas completely". Faxian , a Chinese Buddhist monk , was one of the pilgrims who visited India during
3975-473: The name of a king mentioned by the 7th century Chinese Buddhist monk Yijing, is believed to be a transcription of " Shri -Gupta" ( IAST : Śrigupta), "Shri" being an honorific prefix. According to Yijing, this king built a temple for Chinese Buddhist pilgrims near "Mi-li-kia-si-kia-po-no" (believed to be a transcription of Mṛgaśikhāvana ). In the Allahabad Pillar inscription, Gupta and his successor Ghatotkacha are described as Maharaja ("Great King"), while
4050-472: The name of the dynasty's first king Gupta . Some scholars, such as S. R. Goyal , theorise that the Guptas were Brahmins , because they had matrimonial relations with Brahmins, but others reject this evidence as inconclusive. Based on the Pune and Riddhapur inscriptions of the Gupta princess Prabhavatigupta , some scholars believe that the name of her paternal gotra (clan) was "Dharana", but an alternative reading of these inscriptions suggests that Dharana
4125-445: The next king Chandragupta I is called a Maharajadhiraja (" King of Great Kings "). In the later period, the title Maharaja was used by feudatory rulers, which has led to suggestions that Gupta and Ghatotkacha were vassals (possibly of Kushan Empire ). However, there are several instances of paramount sovereigns using the title Maharaja , in both pre-Gupta and post-Gupta periods, so this cannot be said with certainty. That said, there
4200-487: The northern region, including the Nagas . It further claims that he subjugated all the kings of the forest region, which was most probably located in central India. It also credits him with defeating 12 rulers of Dakshinapatha , the southern region: the exact identification of several of these kings is debated among modern scholars, but it is clear that these kings ruled areas located on the eastern coast of India. The inscription suggests that Samudragupta advanced as far as
4275-406: The original use of the term. However, the term underwent a change, and came to mean a 'vassal' by the end of the Gupta period and in the post- Gupta period. In fact, the institution of the Samanta was the main innovation that distinguished the post-Gupta period from the periods of ancient India. By the end of the Gupta period and by the 6th century the term Samanta came to be universally accepted as
4350-411: The reign is remembered for its very influential style of Hindu art , literature , culture and science , especially during the reign of Chandragupta II. Some excellent works of Hindu art such as the panels at the Dashavatara Temple in Deogarh serve to illustrate the magnificence of Gupta art. Above all, it was the synthesis of elements that gave Gupta art its distinctive flavour. During this period,
4425-436: The reign of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta II . He started his journey from China in 399 CE and reached India in 405 CE . During his stay in India up to 411 CE , he went on a pilgrimage to Mathura , Kannauj , Kapilavastu , Kushinagar , Vaishali , Pataliputra , Kashi , and Rajagriha , and made careful observations about the empire's conditions. Faxian was pleased with the mildness of administration. The penal code
4500-675: The rise of local rulers such as Yashodharman , ended as well. Following the invasions, northern India was left in disarray, with numerous smaller Indian powers emerging after the crumbling of the Guptas. The Huna invasions are said to have seriously damaged India's trade with Europe and Central Asia . In particular, Indo-Roman trade relations , which the Gupta Empire had greatly benefited from. The Guptas had been exporting numerous luxury products such as silk , leather goods, fur, iron products, ivory , pearl , and pepper from centres such as Nasik , Paithan , Pataliputra , and Benares . The Huna invasion probably disrupted these trade relations and
4575-419: The royal land have to pay (a portion of) the gain from it. If they want to go, they go. If they want to stay on, they stay on. The king governs without decapitation or (other) corporal punishments. Criminals are simply fined according to circumstances. Even in cases of repeated attempts at wicked rebellion, they only have their right-hand cut off. The king's bodyguards & attendants all have salaries. Throughout
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#17328514783584650-440: The seven days in a week appeared at the start of the Gupta period based on Hindu deities and planets corresponding to the Roman names. Aryabhata made several contributions such as assigning the start of each day to midnight. the earth's rotation on its axis, westward motion of the stars. Aryabhata also mentioned that reflected sunlight is the cause behind the shining of the Moon. In his book, Aryabhata, he suggested that
4725-439: The south-eastern coastal region of India. Ramagupta is known from a sixth-century play, the Devichandragupta , in which he surrenders his queen to the enemy Sakas and his brother Chandragupta has to sneak into the enemy camp to rescue her and kill the Saka king. The historicity of these events is unclear, but Ramagupta's existence is confirmed by three Jain statues found at Durjanpur , with inscriptions referring to him as
4800-422: The tax revenues that came with them. Furthermore, Indian urban culture was left in decline, and Buddhism , gravely weakened by the destruction of monasteries and the killing of monks by the hand of the vehemently anti-Buddhist Shaivist Huna king Mihirakula , started to collapse. Great centres of learning were destroyed, such as the city of Taxila , bringing cultural regression. During their rule of 60 years,
4875-449: The title of Maharajadhiraja. They were not seen giving up the title of Samanta even after adopting a higher sounding title. One such example is Mahasamanta Maharaja Sri Karmalilah. Regmi compares this situation with the Indian side, where the title of Maharaja was used by both the king as well as his feudatories, such as the feudatory of Sasnaka in Midnapore , Sri Samanta Maharaja Samadatta, who ruled Dandabhukti of Utkala. The position of
4950-404: The whole country, the people do not kill any living creature, not drink any intoxicating liquor, nor eat onions or garlic." Chandragupta II was succeeded by his second son Kumaragupta I , born of Mahadevi Dhruvasvamini. Kumaragupta I assumed the title, Mahendraditya . He ruled until 455. Towards the end of his reign a tribe in the Narmada valley, the Pushyamitras , rose in power to threaten
5025-512: The world through meditation ( Dhyana ). The Chinese monk Xuanzang also noted that Narasimhagupta Baladitya's son, Vajra, who commissioned a sangharama as well, "possessed a heart firm in faith". A study of the epigraphical records of the Gupta Empire shows that there was a hierarchy of administrative divisions from top to bottom. It was divided into 26 provinces, which were called Bhukti , Desha or Rajya . Provinces were also divided into vishayas or pradeshas (districts) and put under
5100-408: Was brought up under the influence of the Mahayanist philosopher, Vasubandhu . He built a sangharama at Nalanda and also a 300 ft (91 m) high vihara with a Buddha statue within which, according to Xuanzang , resembled the "great Vihara built under the Bodhi tree ". According to the Manjushrimulakalpa ( c. 800 CE ), King Narasimhsagupta became a Buddhist monk, and left
5175-663: Was made even more illustrious by the fact that it was graced by the Navaratna (Nine Jewels), a group of nine who excelled in the literary arts. Among these men was Kālidāsa , whose works dwarfed the works of many other literary geniuses, not only in his own age but in the years to come. Kalidasa was mainly known for his subtle exploitation of the shringara (romantic) element in his verse. The 4th century Sanskrit poet Kalidasa credits Chandragupta Vikramaditya with conquering about twenty-one kingdoms, both in and outside India. After finishing his campaign in East and West India, Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II) proceeded northwards, subjugated
5250-426: Was mild, and offences were punished by fines only. From his accounts, the Gupta Empire was a prosperous period. His writings form one of the most important sources for the history of this period. Faxian on reaching Mathura comments–– "The snow and heat are finely tempered, and there is neither hoarfrost nor snow. The people are numerous and happy. They have not to register their households. Only those who cultivate
5325-428: Was observed under the Gupta period but caste system was fluid. Brahmins followed non-Brahmanical professions as well. Kshatriyas were involved in trade and commerce. The society largely coexisted among themselves. Gupta administration proved to be highly conducive for the rapid growth of urban centers. The Chinese author Faxian described Magadha as a prosperous country with rich towns and large populations. Ayodhya
5400-464: Was regarded as the second capital. Chandragupta Vikramaditya took personal interest in the development of Ujjain as a major cultural center after its conquest. Indian mathematics flourished during the Gupta Empire. The Indian numerals which were the first positional base 10 numeral systems in the world originated from Gupta India. The Surya Siddhanta contains the Sine table. Aryabhata , wrote
5475-412: Was situated somewhere in the modern Bengal region. Another proposal is that the early Gupta kingdom extended from Prayaga in the west to northern Bengal in the east. The Gupta records do not mention the dynasty's varna (social class). Some historians, such as A.S. Altekar , have theorised that they were of Vaishya origin, as certain ancient Indian texts prescribe the name "Gupta" for the members of
5550-502: Was the gotra of her mother Kuberanaga. Gupta ( Gupta script : [REDACTED] [REDACTED] gu-pta , fl. late 3rd century CE) is the earliest known king of the dynasty: different historians variously date the beginning of his reign from mid-to-late 3rd century CE. 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 I , c. 319 -335 CE. "Che-li-ki-to",
5625-576: Was the seventh ruling dynasty of Magadha . At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent . This period has been considered as the Golden Age of India by historians, although this characterisation has been disputed by some other historians. The ruling dynasty of the empire was founded by Gupta and the most notable rulers of the dynasty were Chandragupta I , Samudragupta , Chandragupta II , Kumaragupta I and Skandagupta . The high points of this period are
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