Q. The Gupta period is considered as a “Golden Age” but the common masses lived in misery. To what extent do you agree with this statement? [20 Marks]

Ans:

The Gupta Empire lasted from 320 AD to 550 AD. This age in ancient India has been called the ‘Golden Age of India’ because of the all-round progress witnessed in different spheres of human life and achievements in different fields like arts, science and technology and literature etc. The prosperity under the Gupta initiated a period of splendid accomplishments in arts and sciences.

• Polity:
  • With the decline of Mauryan Empire, the unity and integrity of India shattered. The central authority disappeared and regional principalities emerged everywhere. This trend was reversed by emergence of  Gupta rulers in 4th Century AD. Gupta rulers provided political unity to a large part of north India for nearly two centuries, administered it well.
  • Therefore, the Gupta age witnessed political unification of India after long period of more than 500 years after the decline of Mauryans.
  • A number of strong and efficient rulers came to power during Gupta period. For example, Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, Chandragupta II and Skandgupta ruled over extensive empires.
  • Attention was given to the dispensation of justice. Mostly fines were imposed on law-breakers and corporal punishment was given only in extreme cases of repeated offences. In general, the punishments were light.
    • Fa-hien has also cites about good law and order situation prevailing during Gupta period.
• Economy:
  • Gupta age was full of economic prosperity. According to Chinese traveller Fa-hien Magadh, the power centre of Gupta empire was full of cities and its rich people.
    • Fa-hien says that enjoyed economic prosperity and the burden of taxes on them was not heavy.
  • In ancient India, the Guptas issued the largest number of gold coins which were called ‘dinaras’ in their inscriptions.
• Achievements in the field of literature:
  • Sanskrit language and literature had reached its peak during this period which had been taking into shape since long time. The lavish royal patronage had encouraged the intellectuals to put in their best and thus achieve an artistic excellence.
  • Various Puranas like Vishnu Purana, Vayu Purana, Bhagvata Purana, Harivamsha Purana, etc. had been compiled during this time. These were important not only for studying Brahmanical religion but also for the knowledge of genealogy and historical traditions.
  • This was the period when probably the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata were finally compiled into their present form.
  • Several law books like those of Manu, Vishnu, Yajnavalkya, Narada Brihaspati, and Katyayana were written during this period.
  • Kalidasa, one of the navratnas in the court of Chandragupta II, was undoubtedly the most renowned poet and dramatist of the period.
    • He wrote lyrical poems like Meghaduta, Raghuvamsa, Kumarasambhava and short poem like Ritusamhara.
    • His plays Abhijanashakuntalam, Malavikagnimitra and Vikramorvashiya are classics in the field of Sanskrit literature.
  • The famous Natya-shastra of Bharata was a treatise on dance, drama and poetry. It provided foundation to literary development.
  • Kamasutra of Vatsyayana, the first systematic illustration of the art of love making shows the beginning of a strong presence of the erotic tradition in literature.
  • Sudraka’s Mrichchhakatika, Mudrarakshasa and Devichandraguptam of Vishakhadatta, Bharavi’s Kiratarjuniya, Magha’s Shishupalavadha and Bhattikavya, Bhatti’s Ravanavadha,Panchatantra fables written by a sage Vishnusharman are some of the other achievements of the period.
  • In the field of grammar, Bhartihari in the 5th century CE wrote a commentary on Patanjali’s Mahavashya and Amarasimha compiled Amarakosha.
  • This was the time when Prakrit literature too got some patronage outside the court.
    • Several of the Jaina texts were written in Prakrit during this period. The most didactic work of the Jains written in prakrit was the Paumacariyam by Vimalasuri.
• Achievements in the field of Science and Technology:
  • It was during the Gupta age that many scientific breakthroughs occurred.
  • In the field of astronomy, the most important Indian name is of Aryabhata who flourished in the 5th century CE.
    • His work Aryabhatiyam, deals with astronomy and mathematics.
    • He suggested that the earth revolved around the Sun and rotated on its axis.
    • He also explained the eclipse and argued that it was the shadow of the earth on the moon which caused eclipse.
    • he was the first person to use the decimal-value system.
    • he is the author of Aryabhata-siddhanta.
  • The close contemporary of Aryabhata was Varahamihira who included the study of horoscope and astrology in astronomy.
    • His Panchasiddhantika (Five schools) discusses about the five astronomical systems (siddhanta) of which two- Romakasiddhanta and Paulishasiddhanta shows a close knowledge of Greek astronomy.
    • His another work, Brihatsamhita is encyclopaedic. It covers wide ranging subjects of human interest, including astrology, planetary movements, eclipses, rainfall, clouds, architecture, growth of crops, manufacture of perfume, matrimony, domestic relations, gems, pearls, and rituals.
    • The Laghu and Brihat-jataka are his works on horoscopy and became popular during the Gupta age.
  • The roots of Indian mathematics are generally traced to the shulvasutras which are appendices to the shrautasutras. It made suggestions for the construction of Vedic sacrificial altars which could be made only with the help of ruler and compass.
  • In the field of medical science
    • Ashtanga hridaya of vagbhata was written in this period.
    • The Navanitakam is the famous book of this age on medicine
    • Veterinary medical science also progressed:
      • Hastyayurveda is a work to cure elephant’ diseases.
      • Asvasastra by Salihotra is a work on horse science.
    • Probably, Dhanavantari, the most renowned physician of Ayurvedic medicines, also flourished during this age.
  • In chemical and metallurgy:
    • Nagarjuna, the famous Buddhist scholar, was also a great student of medicine, chemistry and metallurgy. He discovered many new medicines. He invented rasa therapy.
    • Use of mercury and iron in the treatment of diseases is mentioned by Varahmihira.
    • Mehrauli iron pillar is a strong evidence to indicate highly developed metallurgy.
      • Manufactured in the fourth century A.D. the pillar has not gathered any rust in the subsequent 15 centuries. It is a great tribute to the technological skill of the craftsmen.
      • It was impossible to produce such a pillar in any iron foundry in the west untill about a century ago.
      • It is pity that the later craftsmen could not develop this knowledge further.
    • Several bronze image of the Buddha was produced at considerable scale.
• Achievements in art and architecture;
  • Sarnath school and Mathura schools are two major sculptural school of art developed during Gupta time.
    • During Gupta period this art was totally free from foreign influence and took it to its best form.
  • Nagara architecture had its origin during Gupta period.
  • Some Cave architectures like Ajanta and Bagh caves are also constructed during Gupta time.
  • Ajanta and Bagh paintings testifies the achievements in mural painting art of this era.
  • Music, Dance and Drama:
    • Music, dance and the art of acting and drama were patronized by the Gupta emperors.
    • The coins of Samudra Gupta justify it. Coin (Lyrist type coin) during Samundragupta period showed he was a good musician also. e.g. One of Samudragupta’s coin types shows him playing the vina (lyre).
    • Women were trained in these fine arts, particularly the prostitutes, the Devdasis and the Nagaravadhus. Besides, we find innumerable references of these arts in literary texts of this age.
    • Various sanskrit plays were written during this period. e.g. Abhigyanshakuntalam and vikramorvasiyam by Kalidas. Mudrarakshasha by Vishakhadutta, and Mricchakatika by Shudraka.
  • Dr Coomarswamy has remarked, “Gupta art marks the zenith in a perfectly normal cycle of artistic evolution.”
  • Further, it helped in the progress of art in South India as well as in the countries of South East Asia where the Indian culture had by then penetrated.
• Developments in religious aspect of life:
  • Hinduism:
    • The transformation of the ancient Brahmanical faith into something like modern Hinduism, its final triumph against Buddhism and Jainism, its spirit of liberalism, its absorption of foreigners within its fold and the practice of tolerance by every religion, are regarded as the distinguishing features of the religious life of the Gupta age.
    • Neo-Hinduism which mostly provided the base to modern Hinduism was organised during the Gupta age.
    • They provided protection to the Bhagavata sect of Hinduism, called themselves Bhagavatas, worshipped god Vishnu and his spouse Lakshmi, marked Garuda (vehicle of Vishnu) on their state-flag, performed Asvamedha sacrifices, gave large donations to Brahmanas and built many temples.
    • Besides, a large number of scholars wrote different texts and revised or compiled the old ones which certainly helped in the growth of Hinduism.
      • Practically all the Puranas were written during this age; the Sutras were prepared or compiled; and the Mahabharata was given a new shape.
    • Of course, the construction of the temples, emphasis on Bhakti-Marg and concept of incarnation of God in different forms started earlier than the Gupta age. But, now all these infiltrated down to the masses and became their universal beliefs.
      • The old Vedic religion yet formed the basis of Hinduism but its form was changed. The common people did not forget to practice the ancient Vedic religion based mostly on ritualism and sacrifices which they neither understood nor had the economic means to pursue. They were now attracted to a simple and economically less burdensome religion based on faith and worship.
    • Absorbing within itself all the essentials of the ancient and the new Brahamanic religion, Hinduism took a new shape during the Gupta age, proved most attractive to the common people and became the dominant religion in India once again.
    • The acceptance of what was attractive in Buddhism or Jainism, the adaptability to new circumstances and ideas and the liberalism in accepting even the foreigners within its fold also helped in the popularity of Hinduism.
    • It has been said that it was the revival of Hinduism or ‘Hindu Renaissance’ that took place during this age.
    • However, it is better to suggest that the process did not start with the Guptas. It started much earlier and only found its culmination during the age of the Imperial Guptas.
    • Bhagavatism, which was a contemporary to Buddhism and Jainism in origin and owed its birth to the stream of thought which began with the Upanishads, reached its zenith and became the most popular religion during this age.
      • The theory of ten Avatar as or incarnations of the supreme god Vishnu was accepted and, amongst them, Krishna was regarded as the most important one.
      • The Buddha was also accepted as one of the ten incarnations of Vishnu and the worship of Rama, the hero of the Ramayana, also started, though it did not become much popular at that time.
    • However, Saivism became more widespread, particularly in South India, and Siva-worship became as popular as that of Vishnu.
      • Different rulers of the Vakatakas, the Nalas and the Kadambas accepted Saivism and built temples in honour of Siva.
    • Mathura was an important place in the North where Pasupata-cult of Saivism became most popular. Actually, Bhagavatism and Saivism became so close to each other that both were accepted as part of the same religion, viz., Hinduism.
      • Temples were built by the followers of both the sects and image-worship became most popular in Hinduism.
    • Besides, Brahma, Surya, Kartikeya, Ganesa, Durga, Lakshmi, Sarasvati and other lesser gods like Indra, Varuna, Yama, etc. also remained the objects of worship. The snakes, the Yakshas, the Gandharvas, the Apsaras also continued to be revered.
    • Even animals (i.e. cow), plants (i.e. Tulsi), rivers (i.e. the Ganga and the Yamuna) and mountains (the Himalayas) were looked at with reverence and cities like Banaras and Pravag (Allahabad) became places of pilgrimage.
    • The worship of Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu and Siva) also started during this age.
    • Thus, all prominent features of modern Hinduism had virtually taken shape during the Gupta-period.
    • Hinduism absorbed within its folds all foreigners like the Greeks, the Sakas and the Kushanas. Besides, it spread itself beyond the frontiers of India.
      • Hindu missionaries and religious preachers went as far as Syria and Mesopotamia in the West and to the islands of Java, Sumatra and Borneo in the South-East Asia, drew large converts and helped in the propagation of Indian culture there.
  • Buddhism:
    • Buddhism was also widely supported during this period. Of course, Hinduism became the most popular religion in India and particularly superseded Buddhism in Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, yet Buddhism remained popular in many parts of India.
    • Dr A.S. Altekar writes, “The general view that Buddhism was on the decline in the Gupta period, owing to the revival of Hinduism under the Guptas, is not supported by the above survey of its pliilosophical activity. Nor is it confirmed by the artistic evidence.”
    • Renowned Buddhist scholars like Asanga, Vasubandhu, Kumarjiva and Dignaga wrote their best scholarly works during this time.
    • Besides, the artistic creations of Ajanta and Ellora caves and the Dhamek Stupa built at Sarnath, monastery at Nalanda and images of the Buddha of this time justify the fact that Buddhism was also quite popular.
      • The account of Fa-hien testifies to the same.
    • Buddhism remained quite popular at Kashmir, Gandhara, Mathura, Sanchi, Nalanda, Vallabhi, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Pradesh during this period.
    • However, it is accepted that due to the increased popularity of Hinduism, Buddhism had certainly lost its first position in India.
    • It is also said that later Guptas (e.g. Buddha Gupta) was the follower of Buddhism.
  • Jainism also remained popular during this period and efforts were made to strengthen it further.
    • Two Jaina councils were convened at Mathura and Vallabhi respectively, in 313 A.D. Another council was called again in 453 A.D. at Vallabhi. Fresh commentaries were written on Jaina-texts which enriched Jaina literature.
    • While the Svetambara sect of Jainism remained popular at Mathura and Vallabhi, its Digambara sect was popular in Karnataka and Mysore.
    • Jainism was also popular in some parts of Bengal and at Kanchi in the South.
    • It was provided patronage by the Kadamba and Ganga dynasties of the South.
  • The one basic feature of the religious life of the Gupta age was the spirit of religious toleration between different religious communities. e.g.
    • The followers of the Hinayana and the Mahavana sect lived in the same monasteries.
    • Hinduism accepted the Buddha as one of the incarnations of Vishnu.
  • The emperors also practised religious toleration in their private and public life.
    • Samudra Gupta himself believed in Hinduism but he had appointed a Buddhist scholar, Vasubandhu, as the tutor of his son.
    • The Gupta rulers gave generous grants to all scholars and religious institutions including Buddhism and Jainism.
    • The University of Nalanda was also patronised by the Gupta, rulers.
• Development in Education:
  • Literature, science and fine arts progressed tremendously during the Gupta age. This is the best proof that there existed a varied and sound system of education during this period in the absence of which neither intellectualism could grow nor progress could be achieved in different fields of life.
  • Pataliputra, Vallabhi, Ujjayini, Padmavati, Avarapur, Vatsagulma, Kashi, Mathura, Nasik, Kanchi, etc., were the centres of learning where universities were established.
  • The rulers and the rich people gave large donations in cash, land or material to educational institutions, though they were all autonomous in their functioning.
  • University education was provided only to meritorious students.
    • The admission to a university was done on the past performance of a student. Once a student was admitted to a university he was provided not only free education but also free boarding and lodging.
  • In the sixth century, the university of Nalanda became renowned all over Asia. The universities provided both religious and secular education to students according to their choice or capability.
  • The existence of many universities suggests that institutions of the lower level existed in every pan of India and education was quite widespread.
• Social achievements:
  • Spread of varna system to remote areas using system of land grants.
  • Some improvements in conditions of Shudras and women. e.g. they were now permitted to listen to the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas. They could also worship new god called Krishna and allowed to perform certain domestic rites.
  • Women are visible on coins and seals e.g. Queens are depicted on the ‘king and queen type’ of coins, and on the reverse of certain coins.

• Dr Romila Thapar contends that when we accept the Gupta period as the classical age of ancient India we have to accept its limitations also. She says that the living standards, which reached their peak, were limited to upper classes alone and, further the classicism of the Gupta period was restricted to northern India alone. i.e.
  • Geographi­cally the golden age of the Gupta period was limited only to northern India. Dr Romila Thapar has rightly expressed that in south India, economic prosperity began much after the period of the Guptas.
• The common masses lived in misery:
  • Another view expressed by several modern scholars is that the advantage of the increased prosperity during the Gupta age was drawn largely by rulers, mercantile and trading community and the Brahamanas.
    • The land was given to the Brahamanas first as donations. Then afterwards, it was donated to individuals in lieu of services to the state.
    • It marked the beginning of feudalism which resulted in bringing misery to the peasants, Sudras and slaves.
    • It resulted, in some cases, permanent bondage to peasants and social tensions among different castes.
  • The number of chandalas( untouchables) increased and their condition worsened during the Gupta age. Fa-Hien has described the wretched condition of the Chandalas.
  • Even the texts written by the great Sanskrit scholar, Kalidas described values which supported the life-style of rich people. Even in the field of fine arts we find that most of them flourished under the patronage of rich classes and therefore, folk-arts failed to develop. The economic condition of the common people also did not improve during the Gupta age.
  • Position of women declined too. The origin of system of Sati lies in Gupta period (Eran inscription, 510 A.D.).

Thus, it can be said that Gupta age did not witness much progress in the social development and economic prosperity too was limited to upper strata of society. In this way the golden character of Gupta age can be accepted only in degrees not in absolute terms.

Yet, we have to understand that the poor were neglected at that time all over the world and the measurement of success and failure of a rule or the rule of a particular dynasty should be viewed on the basis of the contemporary prevailing conditions in general. Therefore, if we assess the Gupta age from the then prevailing code of assessment, we can fairly accept the Gupta age as the golden age of ancient India.

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