The Gupta Empire
-------------------------------------------------
The Gupta Empire (Golden Period of ancient India) * After Greek Empire in India, the Empires of Northern India belonged to invaders who came from Central Asia. * In 4th century AD, there rose a pure Indian dynasty, the Gupta Empire. * In about 320 AD, Chandragupta, an Aryan prince made a matrimonial alliance with a Nepali queen. The queen’s army was very powerful and her warriors helped by Chandragupta’s skill in leading them, quickly conquered the land and built the Gupta Empire. * The Gupta Empire is remembered as the Golden period of ancient India.
Important Features of the Gupta Empire * Art and Literature flourished and poetry, plays, novels, statues and paintings were produced in great many numbers. The kings themselves were often good poets and musicians. * Some of the Gupta kings were Buddhists, but they allowed everyone to follow their own religion. During this time Hinduism began to grew strong. * There were state hospitals where medicine and surgery were given free to people who needed them. * The government built roads and irrigation schemes. Some people were force to work on these works but they were paid normal wages. * Regular wages were paid to officials and soldiers so that they did not have to cheat and force people to give them money as they had done in the past. * Taxes were low. Peasants working on royal land paid only one sixth of their crops to the government. Taxes on using roads and rivers water for irrigation were low. * People were allowed to go anywhere they wanted. * A police force containing one elephant, one chariot, three horsemen and five foot soldiers were placed in villages to patrol and protect the people from raiders. * There was a great deal of development in mathematics, science and astronomy. The Gupta scientists knew that the Earth was ball-shaped and went round the Sun. They invented the zero and decimals in mats.
The Gupta Empire (Golden Period of ancient India) * After Greek Empire in India, the Empires of Northern India belonged to invaders who came from Central Asia. * In 4th century AD, there rose a pure Indian dynasty, the Gupta Empire. * In about 320 AD, Chandragupta, an Aryan prince made a matrimonial alliance with a Nepali queen. The queen’s army was very powerful and her warriors helped by Chandragupta’s skill in leading them, quickly conquered the land and built the Gupta Empire. * The Gupta Empire is remembered as the Golden period of ancient India.
Important Features of the Gupta Empire * Art and Literature flourished and poetry, plays, novels, statues and paintings were produced in great many numbers. The kings themselves were often good poets and musicians. * Some of the Gupta kings were Buddhists, but they allowed everyone to follow their own religion. During this time Hinduism began to grew strong. * There were state hospitals where medicine and surgery were given free to people who needed them. * The government built roads and irrigation schemes. Some people were force to work on these works but they were paid normal wages. * Regular wages were paid to officials and soldiers so that they did not have to cheat and force people to give them money as they had done in the past. * Taxes were low. Peasants working on royal land paid only one sixth of their crops to the government. Taxes on using roads and rivers water for irrigation were low. * People were allowed to go anywhere they wanted. * A police force containing one elephant, one chariot, three horsemen and five foot soldiers were placed in villages to patrol and protect the people from raiders. * There was a great deal of development in mathematics, science and astronomy. The Gupta scientists knew that the Earth was ball-shaped and went round the Sun. They invented the zero and decimals in mats.