Gupta Empire
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India's Gupta Empire
The main rulers of the Gupta era were Chandragupta I (ca. 319-335), Samudragupta (ca. 335-376) and Chandragupta II (ca. 376-415). Under their rule, India experienced a period of relative peace and law and order which allowed scholarship, science and culture to flourish. As such, the period of the Gupta Empire is often described as India's Golden Age.
Great achievements in science, engineering, astronomy and mathematics, in logic and rhetoric, in arts, lierature, religion and philosophy were seen. Both Hinduism and Buddhism were practised. The earliest Hindu Puranas are believed to date from the Gupta period.
Extensive trade ties were promoted between India's Gupta Dynasty and Burma, Sri Lanka, Malay Archipelago and Indochina.
The Gupta period has left us many beautiful examples of architecture, scupture and painting. The paintings of the Ajanta Caves come from that period and are now registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Wall Painting of Padmapani (Ajanta Caves)
The Legacy of the Gupta Empire
* The mathematical concept of zero
* The decimal system
* The Ajanta Caves
* The game of chess
* The theory that the earth moves around the sun
* Sakuntala (Sanskrit play)
* The Kama Sutra
Gupta Empire
Edited by Frederick P. Miller et al.
Mithuna -Terracotta, India, Gupta period, 5th century A.D.
Interesting Web Pages on the Gupta Empire
- Indian History: 5. Scythic and Non-Aryan Influences
- Part of the article, "India". from the 9th Edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica.
- Gupta Empire
- The Gupta Empire / Dynasty has quite a lot of significance in the history of India. Read about the Gupta period and their kingdom.
Map of Gupta Empire (marked in dark blue), 370 AD
The Recognition of Sakuntala: A Play in Seven Acts (by Kalidasa)
The Recognition of 'Sakuntala: A Play in Seven Acts (Oxford World's Classics)
Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 05/31/2012)
Kalidasa's play about the love of King Dusyanta for Sakuntala, a monastic girl, is the supreme work of Sanskrit drama by its greatest poet and playwright (c.4th century CE). Overwhelmingly erotic in tone and in performance, The Recognition of Sakuntala aimed to produce an experience of aesthetic rapture in the audience, comparable to certain types of mystical experience.
The pioneering English translation of Sakuntala in 1789 caused a sensation among European composers and writers (including Goethe), and it continues to be performed around the world. This vibrant new verse translation includes the famous version of the story from the Mahabharata, a poetic and dramatic text in its own right and a likely source for Kalidasa. The introduction discusses the play in the aesthetic and cultural context of ancient India.
Chandra Gupta II on Horse - Coin at British Museum (Photo: PHGCOM)
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cmoneyspinner
Feb 14, 2012 @ 11:07 am | delete
- Zero, chess and Kama Sutra. WHOA! What would our world have been like with the Guptas? :) Great lens!
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blastfromthepast
Feb 14, 2012 @ 9:33 pm | delete
- Yes, the Gupta Empire sure packed a punch!
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Blessedmombygrace
Jan 6, 2012 @ 5:47 pm | delete
- So glad to have found this lens. We just studied the Gupta Empire yesterday in our homeschool history (with Mystery of History). I was thrilled to have the video on your lens to show my kids today!
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blastfromthepast
Jan 9, 2012 @ 9:31 am | delete
- Very happy that you have found this lens useful. I love your phrase "Mystery of History"!
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