Tag: history

Gupta Empire had robust international and internal trade despite fall in Roman trade. Riverine trade was also conducted through Ganges, Brahmaputra, Narmada, Krishna etc. The important ports included Tamralipti, Braoch, Kalyan, and Cambay. Broach (Bharuch. The main items of trade included spices, pearls, gold, horses etc. Tamralipti port handled the north Indian trade during the Gupta period. It is believed that Taralipti was the exit point of the Mauryan trade route for the south and south-east. It was located near Rupnarayana river.

During the Gupta period, village administration was supervised by the village headman who was assisted by local elders and leaders known as mahattaras. This is well documented in various epigraphic records from that era.

Guptas stone sculptural art was related with Mathura School of Art. The material used in this school was the spotted red stone. This art reached its peak during the Gupta period in 6th or 7th century. The Mathura School images include those of Buddha , Bodhisattvas , Vishnu , Shiva , Yakshas , Yakshinis , Jinas etc.

The Mehrauli pillar inscription belongs to the period of the Guptas. The Mehrauli iron pillar inscription mentions Chandragupta Vikramaditya’s authority over northwestern India. This pillar was established by Chandragupta as Vishnupada in the honour of Lord Vishnu.

Samudragupta of the Gupta Dynasty is known as the Napoleon of India. Historian A V Smith called him so beacuse of his great military conquests known from the 'Prayag Prashati' written by his courtier and poet Harisena, who also describes him as the hero of a hundred battles.

The Gupta period witnessed a tremendous progress in the field of art, science and literature and on account of this it has been called “a golden age”. Kalidas, Basha, Sudraka, Vishakhadatta, Amarsimha, etc made great contribution in the literature. Gupta period marks the beginning of Indian temple architecture.Kankali Devi Temple, Dasavatara Temple, Vishnu and Varsha Temple at Eran, etc all were constructed during this period. Painting and art reached its zenith during this period.

The Iron pillar at Mehrauli was erected by the Chandragupta I in the 3rd to 4th century CE. Chandragupta I was the first of the imperial Gupta Empire Kings who ruled around 319 CE. The pillar is nearly 24-ft. iron pillar that is located in the Quwwat-ul Mosque. 

Sushruta Samhita  is an ancient Sanskrit text on medicine and surgery written in the 6th century BC. It was written by Sushruta, widely considered in popular literature as the "father of Indian surgery". It is one of the two foundational Hindu texts on medical profession that have survived from ancient India.

Vishakhadatta wrote Mudra Rakshasa. The Mudrarakshasa is a historical play in Sanskrit by Vishakhadatta that narrates the ascent of the king Chandragupta Maurya to power in India.