Polity and Administration of Gupta Empire | History Optional for UPSC (Notes) PDF Download

The Gupta Empire: Central Administration

The King:

• The Gupta kings held titles like maharajadhiraja,parama-bhattaraka, and parameshvara, signifying their imperial authority.
• They claimed a divine status, with the Allahabad prashasti describing Samudragupta as a god on earth.

Council of Ministers:
The king was aided by a council of ministers who had various designations, such as mantrin,amtya, and sachiva, likely inherited positions.

• Sandhivigrahika– Minister for peace and war, handling relations with other states, including wars, alliances, and treaties.
• Kumaramatya– Senior official, equivalent to royal princes, attached to the king, crown prince, revenue department, or a province.
• Dandanayakas– High-ranking judicial or military officers.
• Baladhikrita– Commander-in-chief of the army.
• Mahashvapati– Commander of the cavalry.
• Mahapratihara– Chief of the palace guards.
• Khadyatapakita– Superintendent of the royal kitchen.

The Provincial Administration

The Gupta Empire was organized into provinces called deshas or bhuktis.

Uparikas:

• Uparikas were the governors appointed by the king. They held titles like maharaja,bhattaraka, and rajaputra.
• Responsible for the administration of the bhuktis.
• Also had military duties.
• Appointed heads of district administration and district town boards.

Goptri:

• The term “Goptri” is mentioned in Skandagupta’s Junagarh inscription, where Parnadatta is referred to as Goptri of Saurashtra.
• It is believed to be another term for a provincial governor.

Waterworks:

• The provincial government was responsible for maintaining waterworks.
• For example, they repaired the Sudarshana Lake after it burst its embankments.

District Administration

The provinces of the Gupta Empire were subdivided into districts known as vishyas.
Vishyapati:

• The vishyapati was the head of the vishya, appointed by the provincial governor.
• They were assisted by prominent local figures, including:
• Nagara-sreshthin: Chief merchant or banker.
• Sarthavaha: Chief caravan trader.
• Prathama-kulika: Chief artisan.
• Prathama-Kyastha: Chief scribe or officer in charge of revenue collection.

Below District Administration

Vithis:

• Clusters of settlements known as vithis were administered by ayuktakas and vithi-mahattaras.

Grama:

• The basic unit of administration was the grama, or village.
• Gramika and gramadhyaksha played important roles in village administration.
• Mahattaras: Village elders or headmen, often heads of families or communities.
• Ashtakula-adhikarana: A board of eight members headed by the mahattaras.
• Pancha-mandali: Possibly a corporate village body.

Revenue Administration

During the Gupta period, land revenue was the primary source of income. According to the Narada Smriti, one-sixth of the agricultural produce was taken as land revenue, known as bhaga.

Other Taxes:

• Uparikara
• Kara
• Bhoga
• Bali
• Hiranya
• Udranga
• Sulka

Taxation System:

• According to the Narada Smriti, subjects owe the king revenue in exchange for protection.
• Kamandaka’s Nitisara compares taxation to the work of a florist or milkman, emphasizing the need for timely support and taxation.
• Royal officials who gained wealth through improper means were to be punished, similar to draining an abscess.
• The Nitisara, like the Arthashastra, highlights the significance of the royal treasury and various revenue sources.
• Military campaigns, such as those by Samudragupta, were likely financed through revenue surpluses.

Revenue Department

• The akshapataladhikrita was responsible for keeping royal records.
• Gopasvamin, the akshapataladhikrita of Samudragupta

Pustapalas:

• Pustapalas or recordkeepers maintained records of land transfers.
• Fiscal terms such as kara,bali,udranga,uparikara, and hiranya were mentioned in Gupta inscriptions.

Bhaga:

• Bhaga referred to the king’s grain share, typically one-sixth of the agricultural produce.
• The Paharpur and Baigram plates suggested that 1/6th of the merit from a donation would go to the king, possibly equivalent to his grain share.
• The actual amount realized by ancient states from farmers is unclear, as indicated by the Manu Smriti.

Bhoga and Kara:

• Inscriptions often mentioned bhoga and kara along with bhaga.
• Bhoga may have referred to supplies like fruit, firewood, and flowers that villagers had to provide to the king.
• Kara was a general term for taxes but could also represent specific taxes.

Bali:

• Bali is an ancient term, interpreted variously as a generic tax, the king’s grain share, a land tax, or a religious cess.

Uparikara:

• Uparikara could have been a tax on farmers without land rights, temporary tenants, or an additional cess.

Udranga:

• Udranga might have been a tax on permanent tenants or related to dranga, a watch station.
• It could also refer to a police tax or a water tax.

Hiranya:

• Hiranya generally represented the king’s share of agricultural produce in cash.
• It might have been a levy in addition to the standard tax collected in grain or cash.

Other Taxes:

• Halirakara: Interpreted as a plough tax or an extra tax based on the area cultivated by one plough in a season.
• Shulka or tolls: Urban sources of revenue.
• Shaulkika: Collector of shulka, as mentioned in Skandagupta’s Bihar stone pillar inscription.
• Klipta and upaklipta: Terms mentioned in Vakataka inscriptions, possibly related to taxes or royal rights over land.
• Sources of state income included royal monopolies on treasure trove, deposits, mines, and salt reserves.

Obligations of Villagers:

• Villagers were required to provide royal officers on tour with grass for animals, hides for seats, and charcoal for cooking.
• Villages designated as agraharas were exempted from such obligations.

Expansion of the Gupta Empire under Samudragupta According to the Allahabad Pillar Inscription:

• The Allahabad pillar inscription, composed by the court poet Harisena, is the most significant epigraph from Samudragupta's reign. 
• This 33-line inscription, written in prose and verse, praises Samudragupta's achievements, conquests, and personality. 
• From this prashasti, Samudragupta is portrayed as a restless conqueror.

Conquests of Samudragupta and the Expansion of the Gupta Empire

Campaigns in Aryavarta and Forest Regions:

• Line 14 of the inscription mentions Samudragupta capturing a king from the Kota family, who may have ruled over the upper Ganga valley.
• Line 21 describes Samudragupta violently defeating several kings of Aryavarta, including Rudradeva,Matila,Nagadatta,Chandravarman,Ganapatinaga,Nagasena,Achyuta,Nandin, and Balavarman. He made all the kings of the forest regions his subordinates.
• This annexation of territories expanded the Gupta Empire over the Ganga-Yamuna valley, reaching Mathura and Padmavati in the west.

Campaigns in Frontier Areas and Subordination of Sanghas:

• Line 22 of the prashasti mentions rulers from frontier regions, such as Samata,Davaka,Kamarupa,Nepala, and Kartripura, who offered tribute, obeyed Gupta orders, and came to pay respect to Samudragupta.
• The ganas (tribal groups) that were subordinated included Malavas,Arjunayanas,Yaudheyas,Madrakas,Abhiras,Prarjunas,Sanakanithan,kakas, and Kharaparikas.
• The relationship between the Gupta emperor and these groups had elements of a feudatory relationship.

Campaign in the South:

• Lines 19 and 20 of the inscription refer to Samudragupta capturing and then releasing several rulers from Dakshinapath, including those from Kosala,Mahakantara,Kairala,Pishtapura,Kusthalapura,Erandapalla,Kanchi,Avamukta,Vengi,Palakka,Devarashtra, and other kings of Dakshinapath.

Others:

• Line 23 of the inscription mentions rulers who rendered various services to Samudragupta, sought the use of the Gupta garuda seal, and entered into matrimonial alliances with the Guptas voluntarily.
• By the end of his reign, Samudragupta's empire encompassed much of northern India, excluding Kashmir,Western Punjab,Rajasthan,Sindh, and Gujarat.
• In the northwest, Samudragupta claimed dominance over the Shakas and the Kushanas. In the south, while the kings of Dakshinapath were subdued, they were neither annexed nor reduced to feudatory status.

Conclusion