Gupta Empire: Art, Culture, Science and Fa-Hien

The Gupta period was known as the “golden age” because of the immense progress made in the fields of art, technology, and literature during this period. Some historians also refer to this time period as the Renaissance. The period saw the emergence of the iconic carved stone deity in Hindu art. Centres of art and sculptures emerged during this period such as Mathura and Sarnath which exported sculptures to parts of northern India. The Nagara style of art evolved during this period. Prominent structures of the period are:

Gupta Inscriptions

• An inscription from Chandragupta II’s reign can be seen in the Brahmanical cave at Udayagiri
• The Buddha statue unearthed at Sarnath is a unique piece of Gupta art
• The Gupta coinage was also remarkable

Literature

• During the Gupta dynasty, the Sanskrit language grew to prominence
• Samudragupta supported several scholars, including Harisena, and Chandragupta-II’s court was adorned by the illustrious Navratnas, the most famous of whom was Kalidasa

Science

Mathematics

• During this period, a major work called Aryabhatiya was written in the field of mathematics by Aryabhata, who belonged to Pataliputra
• The place value system came into being full-fledged during this time
• Aryabhatta used the power of tens with null coefficients with zero
• The decimal system was known in India by the beginning of the fifth century AD, according to a Gupta inscription from Allahabad
• The decimal system was first used by Aryabhatta
• He formulated the rule for finding out the area of the triangle which led to the origin of trigonometry and calculated the value of pie (π)
• He laid the foundation of algebra in his Aryabhatiya
• The most famous work of this time was Suryasidhanta (the writer of the original text is not known)
• Brahmagupta in the seventh century AD began to apply algebra to astronomical problems
• The notational system, the decimal system, and the usage of zero are the three major contributions to mathematics

Astronomy

• One of the most important developments in the field of astronomy was the theory proposed by Aryabhatta that, Earth isn’t flat but round in shape
• Aryabhatta also proved that the earth revolves around its own axis every day
• Aryabhatta measured the radius of the earth and explained the shape of the earth and the formation of solar and lunar eclipses
• Brahmagupta: First to give rules to compute with zero. Works: Brahma Sphutasiddhanta and Khandakhadyaka
• Varahamihira: Introduced Romaka Siddhanta which is the basis of the lunar calendar. Works: Brihatsamhita, Brihat Jataka, and Panchasiddhantika

Medicine

• The two famous physicians of the time were Sushruta and Charak
• Charaka is often regarded as the father of Indian medicine
• There was the usage of mercury and iron in medicine indicating the fact that people during the Gupta period knew chemistry
• Astanga Hridaya was written by Vrihad Vagabhatta, a well-known physician who was inspired by Charaka’s work
• The Sushruta Samhita explains how to treat cataracts, stone disorders, and a variety of other maladies
• Navaneetaka wrote Navaneetakam on Ayurveda. Palakapya wrote Hastya Ayurveda on veterinary medicine

Education and Universities

• During this age, Nalanda and Takshila were two popular universities
• Kumaragupta-I founded Nalanda University in the fifth century
• The university, which was located in modern-day Bihar, was one of the most prominent learning centers during the Gupta dynasty

Fa-Hien’s (Fa-Xian) Observations

• Fa Hien was a Chinese Buddhist monk
• During the reign of Chandragupta II, fa hien paid a visit to India
• He saw Asoka’s palace at Pataliputra and was impressed
• Fa-hien also mentions a Stupa and two monasteries nearby, both of which are credited to Ashoka
• According to Fa hien, the towns of Magadha were the largest in the Gangetic Plains region, which he refers to as central India, and roughly 600-700 monks were living there, learning their lectures from masters from all over
• Fa Hien mentions the Chandala and they were the only ones who broke the Dharma
• Fa-Hien mentions that the authorities interfered as little as possible with the subject, leaving them free to prosper and grow wealthy in their own way
• Fa Hien studied Sanskrit without interruption for three years at Pataliputra and two years at the Port of Tamralipti, and the roads were open and clean for travellers
• Fa-Hien’s accounts show that India was probably never ruled better than during Chandragupta Vikramaditya’s reign

Conclusion

This was a brief note on the art, culture, science, and Fa-hien’s observation of the Gupta Empire. Mathematics and astronomy made major advances in the Gupta period. The Gupta art also flourished during the period. With the decline of the Gupta empire the development of science suffered a setback.

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