Ancient India: Gupta and Post-Gupta
New Empires and Kingdoms
Guptas
● Information about their history through inscriptions and coins.
● Changragupta was followed by Samudragupta.
● Samudragupta, Gupta ruler (1700 years ago, ie AD 300). Harisena was his court
poet.
● Chandragupta, his father, was the first ruler of the Gupta dynasty to adopt the
grand title of maharaj- adhiraja, a title that Samudragupta also used.
● “Prashasti” = inscription ‘in praise of’. Prashasti about Samudragupta was
inscribed on the Asokan piller at Allahabad (Prayag).
● Four different kinds of rulers in different parts of India/Nepal/Srilanka either
surrendered to him or made alliances. (Eg: Aryavartha, Dakshinapatha, gana
sanghas etc).
● Main centers of Guptas: Prayag (Allahabad, UP), Ujjain (Avanti, MP) and
Pataliputra (Patna, Bihar).
● Samudragupta’s son = Chandragupta II. Kalidasa and Aryabhata adorned his court.
He overcame the last Sakas.
Harshavardhana & Harshacharita
● Information about their history through biographies.
● He belonged to Pushyabhuti Dynasty when Gupta dynasty was fading.
● His court poet, Banabhatta, wrote his biography, the Harshacharita, in Sanskrit.
● Xuan Zang, spent a lot of time at Harsha’s court and left a detailed account of
what he saw.
● Harsha took over the kingdom of Kanauj, and then led an army against the ruler of
Bengal.
● Although he was successful in the east, and conquered both Magadha and Bengal,
he was not as successful elsewhere.
● He tried to cross the Narmada to march into the Deccan, but was stopped by a
ruler belonging to the Chalukya dynasty, Pulakeshin II.
The Pallavas, Chalukyas and Pulakeshin
New Empires and Kingdoms
Guptas
● Information about their history through inscriptions and coins.
● Changragupta was followed by Samudragupta.
● Samudragupta, Gupta ruler (1700 years ago, ie AD 300). Harisena was his court
poet.
● Chandragupta, his father, was the first ruler of the Gupta dynasty to adopt the
grand title of maharaj- adhiraja, a title that Samudragupta also used.
● “Prashasti” = inscription ‘in praise of’. Prashasti about Samudragupta was
inscribed on the Asokan piller at Allahabad (Prayag).
● Four different kinds of rulers in different parts of India/Nepal/Srilanka either
surrendered to him or made alliances. (Eg: Aryavartha, Dakshinapatha, gana
sanghas etc).
● Main centers of Guptas: Prayag (Allahabad, UP), Ujjain (Avanti, MP) and
Pataliputra (Patna, Bihar).
● Samudragupta’s son = Chandragupta II. Kalidasa and Aryabhata adorned his court.
He overcame the last Sakas.
Harshavardhana & Harshacharita
● Information about their history through biographies.
● He belonged to Pushyabhuti Dynasty when Gupta dynasty was fading.
● His court poet, Banabhatta, wrote his biography, the Harshacharita, in Sanskrit.
● Xuan Zang, spent a lot of time at Harsha’s court and left a detailed account of
what he saw.
● Harsha took over the kingdom of Kanauj, and then led an army against the ruler of
Bengal.
● Although he was successful in the east, and conquered both Magadha and Bengal,
he was not as successful elsewhere.
● He tried to cross the Narmada to march into the Deccan, but was stopped by a
ruler belonging to the Chalukya dynasty, Pulakeshin II.
The Pallavas, Chalukyas and Pulakeshin
