Old NCERT Summary (RS Sharma): Life in the Gupta Age | History for UPSC CSE PDF Download

Administration

• Adopted pompous titles “Parmeshvar, Maharajadhiraj, Parambhattaraka”.
• Kinghsip was hereditary but without primogeniture.
• Throne did not automatically go to the eldest son and this created uncertainty that the royals benefited from.
• Land taxes increased and trade and commerce taxes decreased.
• Standing army was maintained and \supplemented by feudatories.
• Villagers subjected to forced labour = vishti for serving royal army and officials.

➢ JUDICIAL SYSTEM

• Judicial system was more developed than in earlier times.
• Civil and criminal law were clearly demarcated.
• Laws based on varnas.
• Elaborate laws about inheritance.
• Guilds of artisans and merchants were governed by their own laws.
• King tried cases with help from Brahmanas.

➢ BUREAUCRACY

• Bureaucracy was less elaborate than mauryas because much of imperial administration was done by feudatories and the State did not interfere in economy as much as the Maurya State.
• Kumaramatyas = appointed by kings in home provinces. Hiring from different varnas but concentration of several offices in one person led to weakening of royal control.
• A system of provincial and Local administration was present.
• Divisions = bhuktis in charge of Uparikas.
• Districts = Vishayas
• In eastern India, Vishayas divided into Vithis, further divided into villages.
• Village headman became more important. He governed with help of elders. Organized professional bodies were given considerable share in urban administration.
• These guilds enjoyed certain immunities, could look after memners’ affairs and punished violators of customs.
• This system was confined to north Bengal, UP, Bihar and some parts of MP.
• Rest of the empire was governed by feudal chiefs who gave homage to the king, presented daughters in marriage and paid tribute. Charters marked with royal Garuda seal were issued to vassals.
• Grant of fiscal and administrative concessions to priests and administrators. Several officials paid in cash (gold coins) but many also given land grants. Priests given tax-free land and authorized to administer justice in that land.

Trade

• Fa Hsien says rich people of Magadh supported Buddhism.
• Decline in foreign trade: In 550 AD, people of Rome learnt the art of making silk and thus imported less from China and India, thus decreasing foreign trade.
• Emergence of priestly landlords at the cost of local peasants. Land grants made to priests brought virgin land under cultivation.

Social life

• Brahmana supremacy continued: Land grants were provided. Priests asked for more privileges.

➢ Castes proliferated into numerous sub-castes because

(i) Foreigners assimilated into Brahmanism were thought of as separate sub-castes and
(ii) Many tribals were incorporated into Hinduism by land grants.

Position of women and shudras marginally improved. They were allowed to listen to puranas and worship a new god Krishna. Shudras were now portrayed as agriculturists instead of slaves and labourers as in earlier times.

• Untouchables = chandalas population increased a lot.
• Fa Hsien says they lived outside the village and dealt in meat and flesh.
• When they entered the village, upper caste people stayed away from them.
• Buddhism did not receive royal patronage.
• Nrahmanism came to the forefront.
• Gods worshipped were Shiva and Vishnu. Vishnupuraan and law-book Vishnusmriti were written. BhagvadGita appeared by 4th century.
• Siva was not as important as Vishnu in earlier Gupta period.
• Idol worship became common and many festivals were celebrated.
• Agriculture festivals were given religious garb.
• Kings followed tolerance towards various sects and did not persecute Jains or Buddhists.

Art and culture during Guptas

• Gupta Age called Golden Age of Art.
• Towns in north region declined economically.
• Guptas had gold and issued largest amount of gold coins.
• Samudragupta is portrayed playing Veena on the coins and Chandragupta II had nine scholars in his court.
• Art was religious. Buddhism led to great art in Maurya and post-Maurya times.
• Numerous images were made. Bronze statue of Buddha near Bhagalpur, 25 metre tall statue seen by Fa Hsien, images a Sarnath and Mathura, and Ajanta Paintings. Ajanta paintings depict events in life of Buddha and successive Buddhas.
• Images of Vishnu, Shiva and other Hindu gods seen for the first time in Gupta period.
• In many places, chief god in middle and others depicted smaller in size, standing around the chief god.
• Shows social distinction and hierarchy.
• Architecture was poor; only brick temples, notably at Bhitargaon, Bhitarpur and Deogarh.
• Nalanda university set up in 5th century.
• Iron and bronze craft was exemplary.
• Iron Pillar at Mehrauli has remained rust free since 15 centuries.

Literature

• Remarkable for the production of secular literature.
• Plays are all comedies; no tragedies.
• Women and shudras speak in Prakrit while upper classes speak in different language (probably Sanskrit).
• Bhasa = 13 plays.
• Kalidasa = Abhijnanashakuntalam (play; Dushyant meets Shakuntala and marries her),
  Raghuvamsa (poem about kings of Raghu dynasty),
  Malvikagnimitram (play; king Agnimitra loves servant girl Malvika),
  Vikramorvasiyam (play; king Pururavas falls in love with celestial nymph Urvashi) Meghadootam (poem; Yaksha sends a message to his lover through a cloud), Kumarasambhavam (poem; birth and adolescence of goddess PArvati).
• Ramayan and Mahabharat were finally compiled during this period.
• Puranas follow epics and earlier ones were composed in this period.
• Full of myths, legends, sermons meant for education and edification of common people.
• Law books and smritis were also written.
• Patanjali and Panini = Sanskrit grammar. Panini’s Ashtadhyayi.
• Amarsimha = Amarkosh (was in the court of Chandragupta II)
• Ornate style different from Sanskrit was developed.
• Greater emphasis on verse than prose.
• Sanskrit was court language of Guptas.

Science and Technology

• Aryabhatiya by Aryabhatta.
• Zero was invented in 2nd century BC.
• Notation system, decimal system and zero were the notable contributions.
• Decimal system came into use by 5th century AD.
• Indian numerals and decimal system spread to China, then to Arabia and, then to western world (that called them the Arabic numerals).
• Romak Siddhanta for astronomy - influenced from Greek astronomy, as is evident in the name.
• Varahmihir = Brihatsamhita in 6th century AD. Proposed heliocentricity.