Tamil Nadu History NCERT Chap-9 Class 11

Chap 9

Gupta Age

Source:
1) Purana= Royal Geneology of Gupta
2) Mudraraksham(written during gupta but also describes accession of Ashok( killed brother to becom king)) and Devichandraguptam= Rise of Gupta
3)Chienses traveler- Fahien= Social economic and religious conditon
4)Mehruli Pillar=Ashokan pillar= inscription in Sanskrit with nagari script=achievement of Chandragupta 1
5)Allahabad pillar= Ashokan pillar= inscription in Sanskrit with nagari script=Samudragupta life(poet, accession, millitory campaign in NORTH and DECCAN, relationship with other kings)
6)Coins=titles, yagya,sacrifices etc.

Chandragupta 1 (320-330 AD):
--Although Sri Gupta was founder of dynasty---ChandraGupta1 is founder of Gupta era.
--Before Chandragupta = Sri Gupta +Ghatotkacha both were Maharaja
--But Chandragupta = Maharajadhiraj
--Matrimonial alliance+ conquest
--Daughter= Prabhavati Gupta= married to Vakatakas(Shavite...Ruler in Deccan)
                               --According to Inscription she had acces to Land.
                               --Prabhavati granted == Sanskrit legal text does not allow women to have land or grant it to other.===It means legal text were not uniformly applicable.
--Agrahara= Land granted to Brahman = Not tax.

Samudragupta(330-380 AD):
--Greatest ruler////////////// Napolean of India = due to military conquest
--military conquest:
                              1^st= North India---Ganga plain….Naga ruller
                              2^nd =South India---Pallavas, sakas, kushana etc accepted his sujernity…unlike north he didn’t destroy or annex…but gave kingdom back for accepting sujernity
                               3^rd= North
--Did Aswamegha yagya .

Chandragupta 1/Vikramaditya/sakari (380-415AD):
--perfect balance between policy of diplomacy and warfare.
--To destroy SAKA :
                       --Metrimonial alliance with Vakataka, a shavite(in west)
                       --helped in killing of SAKA ruler
                       --Malwa and Kathiawar cam under Gupta
--killing of SAKA à Access to Arabian sea à western world à Ujjain became alternative capital.
--Arabian sea à Access to  western trade à speciall roman Gold à gold coin by Chandragupta 2
--captured part of Bactrian kingdom à beyond  hindukush = North-west
--Narmada river in south was boundry à eastern Bengal in east à Arabian sea in west
--Kalidash was during his reignà patronised

Fahein’s visit:
--purpose of coming= collecting Buddhist text à learn sankrit and translated.
--didn’t mention name=Chandragupta 2 à was only for religious and not political purpose.
-- 9 year travel à 6 year in India
-- Travel route :
                --incoming = Land route =khotan(currently Hotan in china) à kashgarh(china-kashmir-Tajakistan border area in china)à Gandhara(Pakistan) à Punjab
               --Outgoing= Ceylon(Srilanka) à Java(Indonesia)
--wrote= Buddhism flourishing in North-Western india.
                 Buddhism was neglected in Gangatic valley.
--Although Chandragupta 2 patronised Brahiminism
--Women’s status detoriated:
                           --Swember abolished
                           --Child marriage 
--Caste system= rigid= staus of Chandal described            
--Efficient administration:
                --No spies system
                --No close regulation of private life of people
                --Freedom of movement
               --No dacoty(loot)
               --No fear of thief
               --Liberal than Morya
               --Less punishment more focus on fines.

Successor of Chandragupta 2:
--Kumargupta son Chandragupta ==Aswamegha yagya = Nalanda university
--Pushymitra tribe  defeted kyumargupta.
--Hun invasion weakend
--Sakangupta defeated Huns……..but his successor lost to Huns…END of Gupta
--In Malwa rise of Yashodharman.

--King was advised by Council of minister(Senapati,chief ministers, other important officers)
--Foreign minister= Sandivagraha.

Note: Purana were composed during this time although Buddhism and Jainism was ignored but monks likeVashubadhu  were patronized. The great Jain council was organized à Jain Canon of Swetamber was written.

North Indian Port = Taralipti = on bay of bangal = connected to silk route= major port.

Art and Architecture:

--Nagara and Dravidian style developed in this period
--Less structure left à Huns  invasion.
--Temple at Deoghar(jhanshi) , Garwas(near Allahabad)
--Architecture lacks  Gandhara style.
                            But Buddha statue at Mathura = Geek style.
--Metalurgy= finest = Delhi iron pillar = no rust
--Painting=Bagh cave(Gwalior), Mrunal(Ajanta=Jatak)
--Bagh Cave  and ajanta cave are only 2 cave painting of GUPTA.
--Painting in Sri Lanka= Sigiriya is highly influenced with Ajanta  
--Coins= Mostly gold, +Silver and copper ===Silver coin= Rupaka.

Literature:
--Sanskrit language developed
--SCRIPT: Brhami to Nagari(Nagri developed during gupta)
///Hinduism///
--SumdraGupta was a poet
--SamudraGupta patronized Harisena(a scholar, poet)
--ChandraGupta 2 à Navratna= Kalidasa ++
--Kalidasa:
                --Drama= Shakuntala, Vikramorvasiya, and Malvikagnimitra.
                --Epic= Raghuvamsa  and Kumarshambhava .
                --Lyrics= Ritusamhara  and Meghduta
--Vishakadutta:
                --Devichandraguptam and Mudraraksham(chap=6…How Morya overthrew Nanda…story depicted in mudraraksha).
--Sudraka ===renowned Poet===wrote  Mrichchakatika, a humor poem= love story of a rich merchan(Charudatta) with the daughter(Vasantasena) of a courtesan.
--Bharavi’s Kiratarjuna
--Vishnu Sharma wrote  Panchtantra.
--All purana(modern form) wrote in this period.
--Ramayna and mahabharta got its final form.

--Buddhism:
                     --Buddhist author =Amarashima wrote = Amarakosa(a lexicon)
--Jainism:
                    --Jaina canon  of  Swetamber  was written during this period=@ the great jain council

Aryabhatta= earth spins + solar/lunar eclipses+ earth was spherical

Science:
--Astrology + Medicine + Maths
--Arybhatta(494AD) = wrote arybhatta on astrology + maths
--

--Medicine:
                --Vagbhata = Last  great medical trio
                                       Great medical trio=Susruta(6^th cent BCE) + Charak(kanishka 1^nd cent BCE)+Vagbhata(Gupta)


--Gold coins= very pure= extensively used ==India didn't had this much gold to support=== Roman trade= After 5th Cent AD === Global Financial Crisis==Gold coin reduced.
--lesser or no gold coins in excavation after Gupta:
                    1)Many belives global recession =Roman colapse OR
                    2)No hoarding===all coins in circulation= as inscription still mentions coins.