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Gupta
Empire

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Gupta Empire

Gupta Dynasty
Sri Gupta (240 – 280 AD)
 Founder of this dynasty
Ghatotkacha (280 - 319 AD)
Chandra Gupta I (319 – 335 AD)

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 Chandra Gupta was First Independent Ruler of Gupta's dynasty

 He was most powerful monarch and assumed the title of "Maharajadhiraj”
 Chandra Gupta started “Gupta Era” in 319 AD
 He was married to Lichchhavi princes Kumara Devi and introduced new gold coin famous as
a "King and Queen" type of coin

Samudra Gupta (335 - 375 AD)

 His wife was - Datta Devi
 He called himself as "Lichchhavi Duhitra" (daughter's son of the Lichchhavi's)
 He has been called the "Indian Napoleon" by V.A.Smith
 He was first king who invaded South India (Commander Veersena)
 The “Prayaga - Prasasti” (Allahabad Pillar) composed by Harisena, his court poet, the inscrip-
tion is in very simple and polished Sanskrit and is in Champu Kavya Style
 He was first Gupta king, who performed
Ashvamedha- Sacrifice and except the title of “Ashvamedha - Parakrama."
 He was a great patron of art, adopted the title of "Kaviraj."
 He is depicted in his coins Playing "Veena."

Ram Gupta (375 - 380 AD)

Chandra Gupta II "Vikramaditya" (380 – 412 AD)
 His another name was – Dev Raj or Dev Gupta (in Mahruli Iron pillar, Delhi)
 Chandra Gupta had two wives
- (1) Dhruva Devi – Mother of Kumar Gupta - I
- (2) Kubera Naga – Mother of Prabhavati
 Prabhavati married to the Vakataka crown - prince Rudra Sena II
 The conquest of the Saka’s is the most important significant event of his reign
 He killed the Saka chief Rudra Sena III and annexed his kingdom
 After this Chandra Gupta Il adopted the title of "Vikramaditya"
 Chandra Gupta Il made Ujjain his second capital city
 He was follower of Vaishnava religion (Madhvacharya) and adopt the title of
"Param - Bhagavata"
 Chinese traveler "Fa - Hien" (Fo-Ko-Ki) had visited India during the time of Chandra Gupta II
 Court Physician – Dhanvantri
 Court Poet – Kalidasa
 He was known as "Indian Shakespeare."

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Note:
Chinies visitors came to ancient india
 Fa Hsien (399AD)
 Sung Yun (518AD)
 Hsuan Tsang (630AD)
 I Tsing (End of 7th century)

Another Scholar

Authors Books

Arya Bhatt Aryabhattiyam, Suryasiddhantikam

Varahamihira Panchasiddhantika, Brihat Samhita

Vishnu Sharma Panchtantra

Sudraka Mricchakatikam

Kumara Gupta (415 - 454 AD)

 He adopted the title of "Mahendraditya."
 Kumar Gupta was second Gupta king who performed “Ashvamedha Sacrifice."
 Nalanda University was established by Kumar Gupta
Skanda Gupta (455 - 468 A.D)
 He was faced invading Hunas, from the northwest
 Hunas was defeated by Skanda Gupta
 He assumed the title of kramaditya
 He was succeeded by Puru Gupta (468 – 473 A.D)
 Last king of this dynasty was Vishnu Gupta

Pushyabhuti or Vardhan Dynasty

 Founder – Pushyabhuti (that's why this dynasty was famous as Pushasbhuti Dynasty)
 Initial Capital - Thaneshvar (Haryana)
 Initial Kings
- (1) Nara Vardhan (505 - 530 AD)
- (2) Rajya Vardhan (530 - 555 AD)
- (3) Aditya Vardhan (555 - 580 AD)
- (4) Prabhakar Vardhan (580 - 605 AD)

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Note - Prabhakar Vardhan was First Independent Ruler of Vardhan dynasty

Harsha Vardhan (606 - 647 AD)
 Father - Prabhakar Vardhan
 Mother – Yashomati
 Elder Brother - Rajya Vardhan
 Sister – Rajyashri
 Rajyshri had been married to the Maukhari king Graha Varman
 Graha Varman had been defeated and killed by Deva Gupta (king of Malwa) and Shashanka
(king of Bengal)
 The widowed Rajyashri was confined in jail
 After the death of Rajya Vardhan, Harsha ascended the thorne at the age of 16, Rajya
Vardhana vowed to seek revenge and attack the Malwa, the king of Malwa was defeated and killed,
but the victory became sad soon after as a Bengal (Gaur) king Shashanka killed Rajya Vardhan
 After that he transferred his capital from Theneshvar to Kannauj
 His first act, after accession, was to search his sister Rajyashri with the help of Buddha Monk
Divakar Metra and saves her life just at the time when she was going to burn herself as a Sati
 He entered into an alliance with Bhaskar Varman, the ruler of Assam (Kamrup). When all his
preparation were complete he attacked Bengal. Shashanka was probably defeated and killed.
 Court Poet – Banbhatta - Harshacharita, Kadambari
 In 630 A.D. Huien - Tsiang came in India
 Travel of Huein - Tsiang known as "Si-YU -Ki”
 In honor of Huien - Tsiang and also for the purpose of promoting the cause of Buddhism
Harsha called a grand assembly (642 A.D) at Kannauj
 Harsha used to call an assembly at Prayag at the regular interval of Five years
 One of such assemblies, the sixth in all was held at Prayag in about 643 AD and was witnessed
by Huien – Tsiang
 Harsha's Own Writings
- (1) Priyadarshika
- (2) Nagananda
- (3) Ratnawali
 He was follower of Mahayana sect of Buddhism
 Harsha was also known by Sheeladitya
 In 647 A.D. Harsha died.