Gupta Empire

During the peak of its powers the Gupta Empire covered nearly all of the Indian subcontinent . Historians have said it to be the golden age of India. 

The foundation of the empire was laid by king Sri Gupta , however the most notable and famed rulers of the dynasty are Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, and Chandragupta II. The kingdom covered approximately 35,00,000 km2 to 17,00,000 km2 . The capital of the Gupta Empire was Pataliputra. 

Flag of the Gupta Empire 

The Gupta flag had an Indian mythological creature on it known as Garuda. Due to the roots of the Gupta empire being of Hindu origin it was used on their flag. Garuda is a Hindu God and a divine creature. He is said to be the son of sage Kashyap and his wife Vinita. He is depicted to be a largely powerful creature and it was mentioned in religious books such as the Puranas and Vedas. 

Notable Gupta rulers 

Chandragupta I 

He had two predecessors one was the founding king Shri Gupta and the second his son Ghototkacha. He was given the title of Maharajadhiraja meaning the great king of kings. This title suggested that he was the first major emperor of the dynasty and he turned his ancestral kingdom into a vast unending empire. He was married to the Lichchhavi princess Kumaradevi. It is said that this marriage helped him extend the political powers of this dynasty. His reign is supposed to be from 319-350 CE. 

Samudragupta 

There is a eulogy composed by one of his courtiers named Harishena in the Allah Pillar inscription describing him as a ruler with many military conquests. He even extended  his empire from the Ravi river till the Brahmaputra river. He had himself in many coins and inscriptions which has told him to be a poet, and a person who plays music. He had an expansionist policy. He was the son of Chandragupta I and Lichchhavi princess Kumaradevi. 

Chandragupta II

He was the son of Samudragupta and he was nominated as prince. His mother was queen Dattadevi. He was given the title of Vikramaditya ,which means the sun of valour. Chandragupta II married the Naga princess of Kuntala, Kadamba. He extended his empire towards the West by defeating the Saka Western Kshatrapas of Malwa, Gujarat and Saurashtra. He had a son named Kumaragupta and a daughter named Prabhavatigupta. During his reign Hindu art, culture and other religions were on the rise. 

Achievements in the field of Science 

The Gupta Empire’s achievements in the field of science are :-

• The scientists of the Gupta era could detect eclipses using their own technology and they even knew about the presence of 7 planets of the solar system. 
• Aryabhata was one of the most renowned mathematicians and scientists of the era who determined that the earth revolves around the sun along with rotating on its axis. 
• Aryabhata also claimed the earth to be spherical and he even calculated the earth’s circumference. 
• Medicinal progress such as using particular herbs for treating wounds. 
• Mathematicians of this era invented the decimal system. 

Achievements in the field of literature 

The Gupta Empire’s achievements in the field of literature are :- 

• The 18 Puranas were written during this era and they preserve the era’s tradition, religious and philosophical principles etc. 
• The Indian epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata were completed in the 4th Century AD. 
• Kalidasa was a writer of this period and his works such as Meghaduta, Raghuvamsa and Kumarasambhava are considered as classics. His poems and prose were among the best literary works of the time. 

Achievements in the field of art 

Achievements in the field of art for the Gupta Empire are as follows :- 

• Cave temples were mainly built in the Gupta era. Famous cave temples of Ajanta and Bagh were made by cutting into rocks and were mainly Buddhist temples. 
• Cave temples of Udaygiri, which represented the Hindu culture. 
• The cave paintings of both Bagh and Ajanta caves . 
• A copper statue of Lord Buddha in Sultanganj, Bihar. 

The achievements of the Gupta Empire is actually unending but here were some of the main achievements. 

Conclusion

The Gupta empire saw its demise with the invasion of the Huns and the aftermath they suffered in every aspect such as politically and economically. The empire ended in 550 CE. It gave India the best possible success in every possible field such as trade, literature, art, land mass, etc.