Tattva

The Gupta Dynastic age (320-467 A.D.) is regarded by many as the age when the cultural magnificence of ancient India had reached its zenith. This was the age that first marked the rise of international trade that would eventually lead the cartographers of the world to name an entire ocean after a single country. This was the beginning of the allure of India, the allure that would beckon countless explorers to brave the unknown, so that they could have a glimpse of ‘Indie’. This was the age when those great treatises on the arts and sciences, the gifts given by India to the world, were written. This, indeed, was the age that would first give India the worldwide renown of being a temple to humanity.

The Gupta dynasty was founded by Chandragupta I, who wed the Lichchavi princess Kumaradevi and thus gained control over a large part of Northern India. The son of this union was Samudragupta. He was the first to consciously adopt the ideal of a unified India, and established a huge empire, ultimately holding sway throughout all of northern and central India and most of peninsular India. He was not only a brilliant military tactician and warrior, but also a great patron of the arts and a poet himself. With the unification of the land, he laid the foundation of the cultural florescence that was to come.

Samudragupta’s son Chandragupta II, also known as Vikramaditya, was the ruler under which. the cultural glory of India was to reach its peak. He brought peace to the empire by subjugating the rebellious Bengal and west Punjab territories. The writings of the Chinese pilgrim Fa-Hsien, which were a window into India for the rest of the world, were written during the reign of Chandragupta II.

It is this period that saw the resurgence of the Sanatana Dharma; the rise of Puranic literature and gods as opposed to the full Vedic pantheon. The Supreme Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh was established during this time. Bhakti-yoga and image-worship became an important part of the life of the people, and many temples were constructed during this period, in many unique styles. The Stupa at Sanchi, the caves of Ajanta and Ellora, the Greater Kailash temple- all these were places of worship as well as architectural marvels in their own right.

This period also saw the emergence of guilds in city-centers, where craftsmen produced some of the most beautiful pieces of art ever seen. The terracotta art of Mathura, the cave carvings in Ajanta, Ellora and Elephanta, the Siva sculptures of Bhitargaon and Deogarh are all examples of the art produced by craftsmen of the Gupta period. Coinage was invented and standardized in India at a time when most of the rest of the world was still engaged in the barter system. The coins of Samudragupta, Vikramaditya and Kumaragupta are prized archaeological artifacts. And who can forget the iron pillar at Delhi? Rust free even after more than 1500 years! Scientists all over the world are mystified by this phenomenon, some even calling it a work of extraterrestrial origin! This alone is a testament to the level of expertise that the craftsmen of the Gupta period had attained!

The rise of the scientific spirit of enquiry also took place during that time. Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Brahmagupta- these names readily come to mind whenever the names of the greatest contributors to mathematics are invoked. Vedic mathematics is still recognized as one of the most intricate aspects of mathematics. In the science of medicine, the Gupta period saw the compilation of the Charaka Samhita and the Susruta Samhita into its final form, texts which are still held as valid even today. Nalanda, which was the largest university and centre of learning in the world for a great many years of its existence, was founded and grew to magnificence in the Gupta period. Such was the size of the university that when it finally fell to the invaders from Central Asia and was set on fire, the main library burnt for full six months! Alas that such an ill statistic must be recalled to give an idea of the glory of Nalanda!

The Gupta period is, above all else, known for its patronage of the literary arts. Samudragupta himself was known for his musical prowess, and his coins aptly show the two sides to him: one side shows him as a fierce warrior, while the other shows him seated with the lute in his lap. Chandragupta II’s patronage of the arts led to the emergence of one of the greatest poets of India: Kalidasa. It is only due to the royal support of the Gupta emperors that literary works such as Mrichhakatika (Sudraka) and Madhyamvyayoga (Bhasa) could have been written. These plays still enjoy popularity today: a testament to the degree of perfection that the arts attained during this period.

The Gupta Period is regarded as the Golden Period for a good reason: it was during this episode of Indian history that the arts and sciences reached their zenith. Discoveries in mathematics, astronomy and medicine that were made in India were the germs of ideas that would eventually bring Europe out of the soon-to-come Dark Ages. India was unified into a single empire that would not be rivaled in size for a long time to come by any other king. Trade with the other civilizations of the world had been firmly established, a trend which was to give India the repute of a ‘Land of riches’. An administrative system that would be the model for governments for centuries to come had been formed. Most importantly, this was the period that saw the final re-ascension of the Scriptures and the Trinity, and the growth in importance of Bhakti-yoga, both of which are cornerstones for the ideal way of life for humanity that is Hinduism, the Sanatana-Dharma.

Siddhartha Sinha is an undergrad student at the Bio-engineering department of the University of Washington. He can be reached at siddo23@gmail.com

 Email This Post

 

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 1st, 2006 at 8:08 pm and is filed under Hindu History. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.