GUPTAS’ POLITY
ORIGIN
• Imperial family – sway over – large part of Northern India
– 4th and 5th centuries AD
• Origins – shrouded in obscurity - great deal of controversy
• Dr. Ray Chaudhry, R. C. Tripathi – Guptas were Brahmins
• Dr. Vasudeva Upadhyaya, Pt . Gauri Shankar, Hira Chand NATURE
Ojha viewed – Kshatriyas
• According to Allen, Ayangar, Altekar – they were Vaishyas
• K.P. Jayawal suggests – Guptas - Kraskara Jat (Gotra) of
Punjab
• Dr. R. C. Majumdar – they belonged to – Iksvaku race
• Inscription of Prabhavati Gupta – belonged to – Dharma
gotra
POLITY
- Not possible for – Gupta rulers - to rule directly over the
whole area CoM
- Administrative convenience – empire divided into
- Region directly under monarch –
divided into Provinces and districts
- Democratic States
- The Samant States
- King – accepted – suzerainty of the
Gupta king
- Frontier States – paid tribute to – kings
- Friendly states
• Gupta polity – a synthesis of the centralised bureaucracy of
the Mauryas
• Concept of divinity of kingship – adopted by Gupta
monarchs
• In central administration – King – fountain head – final
authority on all matters
• Kings – adopted – title of ‘Maharajadhiraj’, Param Bhavat,
Chakravartin
• King shared power with ministers and high officers
• Ministers – appointed by kings
• Looked after – respective departments
• Kanchuki or Chamberlain – acted – agent between – king
and Council – says Kalidas
 • Three kind of ministers
• Incharge of foreign policy, finance and justice
Qualifications for C o M
• Sound physique capable of –
over reaching – foes
• Balanced mind and judgment
• Pure and honest at heart
• Learned and versatile in genious
• Firm and enthusiastic
• Possessing detecting skill and
• Diplomatic and native of soil
DEPARTMENT UNDER CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION
Maha Senapati - Head of the Military
Maha Dandanayak - Combined duties of judge and a general
Rana Bhandagarika - Collected – provisions for army
Mahabaladhikrata - Head of the military strategy
Dandapashik - Highest officer of the police
Mahasandhi vigrihika - Minister of war and peace or the Head of INR
Bhandagaradhikrat - Head – department of religion
Mahakakshapatalika - Great keeper of the records (modern CAG)
Sarvadhyaksha - Chief Officer of the central department of the state
JUDICIAL SYSTEM
• Provide – landmark in – history of the administration of law
and justice in Ancient India
• Produced – rich corpus of legal literature which reflect –
advance in – legal system
• First time – law givers of the period clearly demarcated
between civil and criminal law
• Narada Smriti viewed… Four kind of courts
• Guka
• Shreni
• Gaja and
• Rajakiya (Government)
• First three – dealt with public – fourth was for government
purpose
• Fahien states – king governed without decapitation
(beheading) or other corporal punishment
• Law books of Narada, Brihaspati, Katayayana, Sukraniti
and other reveals various types of cases – punishments
• Fahien – observed – people need not attend to courts and • Women of royal and well to do families enjoy – privilege of
magistrates selecting their husbands – through Svayamvara ceremony
• A standing testimony to the high standards achieved during • Ownership of family property–vested in the father
the Gupta period
• Rights of different sons and brothers – duly recognized by
SOCIAL LIFE UNDER GUPTAS the law digests
• The Puranas, Dharam Sastras, the Niti Sastras of Narada, • According – Law of Inheritance – son had the right by birth
Brihaspati, Yajna Valkya, to the share of his father’s property
• The Dramas of Kalidas (Raghuvamsa and Shakuntala) • Law digests of the period conflict with one another – the
right of a widow to inherit the share of her husband in –
• Vishakadatta’s Mudrarakshasa and Kaumudi’s Mahotsava –
family property
supply – good deal of information
• The amount – to be spent on the marriage of a daughter was
• Chinese traveler – made observations about – Indian
to be an equivalent of one-fourth of the share of a son in the
society – existed in 5th century AD
property of his father
• People – attracted – urban life
• Purdah system does not seem to exist – ladies of pedigree
• Specific changes in outlook, habits and manners – who – (noble) used to cover their face – when journey
settle in towns
• Caste system among Hindus – prevalent
• Varna system practiced
• There were no rigid rules in inter-marriages
• Freedom and place of honour enjoyed by women
• Some – women rose to the status of outstanding literary
figures by virtue of their scholarship
LITERATURE
 Mahabharatha and Ramayana were finally compiled in the
4th century AD.
 Puranas were compiled and reached its final shape.
 Various smritis were compiled during this period. The
Parashara, Pitamaha, Katyayana, Pulastya, Vyasa and
Harita Smritis belonged to this period.
 Sanskrit gained additional momentum during the Gupta
period.
 Shakunthala, Vikramorvasiya, Raghuvamsa,
Kumarasambhava, Meghadutam etc. written by Kalidasa
were considered the best works not only in sanksrit but of
whole world.
 Five mahakavyas produced during Gupta period are:
Raghuvamsa and Kumarasmbhava(Kalidasa)
Kiratarjuniyam(Bharavi),
Sishupalva dh (Magh) and
Naisadhiya charita (Sri Harsa)
EDUCATION
 High prosperity in different fields of education including
mathematics, astronomy, astrology, medicine, science etc.
 Formal education was available both in Brahmanical
institutions and Buddhist monasteries.
 Learned Brahmin teachers are called as Bhattas.
 Aryabhatta, Varahamihira and Brahma Gupta lived during
Gupta period.
 Devised decimal system and zero were introduced.
 Nalanda became a very important centre of learning
 Mathematics was the only common subject of guilds and
other education institutions.
 Aryabhatta explained the cause of the eclipse
FAMOUS UNIVERSITIES
NALANDA UNIVERSITY
Situated near Rajagriha in Bihar
The highest centre of Buddhist learning
Established as a Buddhist monastery during the period of
Kumara Gupta I
A residential university
Shilabhadra known as the “Treasure of Right Law” had
once been the head of the university.
Specialized in Mahayana Buddhism.
Destroyed at the end of 12th century by Mohammad Bin
Baktiar Khilji, a general of Muhammad Gori
VIKRAMASHILA UNIVERSITY
 Established by Dharmapala (780- 815)
  Situated at Magadha
 A Buddhist seat of learning
 Destroyed by Bhaktiar Khilji
 It was responsible for spreading of Buddhism in Nepal &
Tibet

VALABHI UNIVERSITY

 Valabhi University was established in Saurashtra of

modern Gujarat at around 6th century and it flourished for
600 years till 12th century
 Chinese traveler Itsing who visited this university during
the 7th century describes it as a great center of learning
 Gunamati and Sthiramati, the two famous Buddhist
scholars are said to have graduated from this University
 This University was popular for its training in secular
subjects and students from all over the country came to
study in this University