GUPTA DYNASTY (4th - 6th CE)

INTRODUCTION

The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire centered in the kingdom of Magadh, existing from the mid-to-late 3rd century CE to 590 CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 550 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is called the Golden Age of India by some historians, although this characterization has been disputed by others. The ruling dynasty of the empire was founded by the king Sri Gupta; the most notable rulers of the dynasty were Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, and Chandragupta II. The 5th-century CE Sanskrit poet Kalidasa credits the Guptas with having conquered about twenty-one kingdoms, both in and outside India, including the kingdoms of Parasikas, the Hunas, the Kambojas, tribes located in the west and east Oxus valleys, the Kinnaras, Kiratas, and others.

Statesman and Administrator

The various inscriptions mention the following titles as usual for Guptas: Paraniadvaita, Pararnabhattaraka, Maharajadhiraja, Prithvipala, Paramesvara, Samrat, Ekadhiraja and Chakravartin.

1.  The king was assisted in his administration by a chief minister called mantri or sachiva.
2. Pratiharas and Mahapratihart’s were important officers in the royal court, though they did not participate in the administration.
3.  Among the important military officers are mentioned Senapati, Mahasenapati, Baladhyaksha; Mahabaladhyaksha, Baladhikrita and Mahabaladhikrita who perhaps represented different grades.
4. There were two other high military officers – the Bhatasvapati, commander of the infantry and cavalry and the Katuka, commander of the elephant corps.
5.  Another important official mentioned in the Basarh seals was Ranabhandagaradhikarana, chief of the treasury of the war office.
6.  One more high officer, mentioned for the first time in the Gupta records, was Sandhivigrahika or Mahasandhivigrahika, a sort of foreign minister.
7.  One of the inscriptions mentions Sarvadhyakshas, superintendents of all, but it is not clear whether they were central or provincial officers.
8.  Numerous inscriptions mention Dutaka or Duty who communicated royal commands to officers and people concerned.
9.  Dandapasadhikarana represented the chief of the police.
10.  Ordinary police officials were known as Dandapasika, Chatas, Bhatas, Dandika (chastiser), and Chauroddharanika (officer apprehending thieves).
11.  The king maintained a close contact with the provincial administration through a class of officials called Kumaramatyas and Ayuktas.
12.  Provinces in the Gupta Empire were known as Bhuktis and provincial governors as Uparikas. They were mostly chosen from among the princes.
13.  Bhuktis were subdivided into Vishyas or districts. They were governed by Vishyapatis.
14.  Nagara Sreshtis were the officers looking after the city administration.
15.  The villages in the district were under the control of Gramikas.
16.  Fahien’s account characterises the Gupta administration as mild and benevolent. There were no restrictions on people’s movements and they enjoyed a large degree of personal freedom. There was no state interference in the individual’s life. Punishments were not severe. Imposing a fine was a common punishment. The administration was so efficient that the roads were kept safe for travelers, and there was no fear of thieves. He mentioned that people were generally prosperous and the crimes were negligible.
17.  Fahien had also appreciated the efficiency of the Gupta administration as he was able to travel without any fear throughout the Gangetic valley.
18.  On the whole the administration was more liberal than that of the Mauryas.

Central Administration

• Maha Mantri (Chief minister) : stood at the head of civil administration.
• Maha-baladhikrta : commander-in-chief
• Sandhivgrahika : the foreign minister
• Maha-dandanayaka : Chief justice
• Maha-asvapati : commander of the calvalry
• Maha-pilupati : commander of elephant
• Maja-ranabhandagarika : Master general of military store

Gupta Society

1. The Gupta age saw the acceptance of the Aryan pattern in northern India. The key status of the Brahmin was established. Good number of books re-written incorporating the view-point of the brahmins confirming the view that the status of the Brahmin was effective and powerful. Added to his, the increased granting of land to brahmins strengthened the pre-eminces of the Brahmin in society. The Brahmin thought that he was the sole custodian of Aryan tradition. Not only, this, the brahmins also monopolized knowledge and the education system.
2. Also, in the Aryan pattern of a society the master of the house occupied higher status. This indicates the disappearance of the indigenous pre-Aryan culture. Luckily this patriarchal Aryan society did not spread to all parts of India as conflict between Aryan and non-Aryan cultures continued. Al though the patriarchal stamp of Aryan and non-Aryan society, as revealed by the low status of women, became increasingly evident, the opposite also appeared in the form of increasing worship of Mother Goddess and fertility cults. In a way, the imposition of Aryan pattern of society on classes other than those of upper castes was incomplete and uncertain. In the post-Gutan era more and more concessions were made to popular cults as borne out by the spread of Saivism and linga worship. Thus, the Aryan pattern of society could not take routes in the whole of India.
   Al though women were idealized in literature, they definitely occupied a subordinate position. Only upper class women were permitted a limited kind of education and that too only for enabling them to converse intelligently. Occasionally there are references of women teachers and philosophers. Some of the later day evil practices began to appear in this age. Early marriages appeared, and even pre-puberty marriages. It was also suggested that a widow should not only live in strict celibacy, but pre-ferably burn herself on the funeral pyre of her husband, according to Thapar evidence shows that this practice dates from 510 A.D. as stated in an inscription at era. It gradually came to be followed by the upper classes of central India to begin with and later in eastern India and Nepal.
3. Some of the towns of South Bihar were large like those of Magadha. People were generally rich and prosperous. Charitable institutions were numerous. Rest houses for travelers existed on the highways. The capital itself had excellent free hospital endowed by benevolent and enlightened citizens.
   Interestingly Pataliputra was still a city which inspired awe. Fahien was impressed by it particularly as it possessed two monasteries of interest. According to him, the monks were famous for their learning and students from all quarters attended their lectures. He himself had spent three years in the study of Sanskrit language and the Buddhist scriptures in Patiliputra. Fahien was tremendoulsly impressed by the palaces and halls erected during the time of Asoka in the middle of the city. According to him the massive stone-work adorned with sculptures and decorative carvings appeared to be the work of spirits beyond the capacity of human craftsmen.
4. Fahien also recorded that on his journey from the Indus to Mathura and Yamuna he saw a large number of monasteries tenanted by thousands of monks. Mathura alone had 20 such institutions.
5. It is said that people generally observed the Buddhist rule of life. The Chandalas or outcastes lived outside towns and cities. They were required to strik a piece of wood on entering to town or a bazaar so that people might not become polluted by contact with them. This particular observation shows that the manners and attitudes of people and government underwent a great change from the days of the Mauryas. It may be remembered that earlier the people of Taxila offered herds of fat beasts to Alexander to be slaughtered. Even Asoka did not forbid the slaughter of kine. Fahien observed that through out the whole country no body except the lowest out castes killed any living thing. Drank strong liquor, or ate onions and garlic. Probably this view of Fahien has to be taken with a pinch of salt. What all his remark conveys is that the sentiment of ahimsa was probably very strong in mid-India. Possibly, Fahien was only remarking on Buddhists.
6. In the field of education the sciences of mathematics and astronomy including estrology, were pursued. The famous writers of the day were Aryabhata, Varahamihira, and a little later Brahmagupta. The first two writers definitely absorbed some Greek elements relating to their respective sciences. By the end of the sixth century India had devised the decimal system for the notation of numeral and employed a special sign for zero. This contribution of India to the world in the sphere of practical knowledge was used in inscriptions only a century after Aryabhata.
7. The university at Nalanda became an educational center of international fame. Founded in the fifty century by one of the later Gupta emperors, it was endowed munificently by monarchs and rich men frol all parts of India and the Hindu colonies. Both Yuan-chwang and I-Tsing have left detailed accounts of their observations. We have also sufficient epigraphical and archaeological records to know more about it.
8. Formal education was imparted both in brahminical institutions and in Buddhist monasteries. In the latter pupils lived for 10 years but those who sought to join the ranks of monk  remained for a longer period. Nalanda was the premier canter of Buddhist learning.
9. Primarily formal education was limited to grammar rhetoric prose, composition, logic, metaphysics and medicine. It is interesting to observe that detailed works on veterinary science appeared and that too they primarily related to horses and elephants.
10. Most of technical and specialized knowledge remained with guilds. Unfortunately, this knowledge was transmitted to younger generations on hereditary lines. This knowledge of the guilds has no contact with Brahmin institutions and Buddhist monasteries. Exceptionally the only one subject that brought the guilds and others close was mathematics. Understandably great advance was made in the field of mathematics.
11. Dramatic entertainment was popular both in court circles and outside. Music concerts and dance performances were primarily held in well-to-do house holds and before discerning audience. The generality of people derived pleasure in gambling and in witnessing animal fights specially those, of rams, cocks and quails. Athletics and gymnastics were the well-known sporting tournaments of the day. At various festivals both religious and secular amusements of various kinds were witnessed by people. The festival of spring was an important event for merry-making. Al though Fahien says that vegetarianism was widely prevalent meat was commonly consumed. Wine both local and imported was drunk and chewing of beetle leaf was a regular practice.
12. Caste and occupation were related although it was not very strictly maintained. There appears to be some improvement in the status of the shudra as compared to the Mauryan times. There was a clear distinction between shudras and slaves in the legal literature of the day. Also the term 'dvija' came to be restricted to Brahmins. The inscriptions of the day, however indicate that there was social mobility among the sub-castes.
13. The legal text-books primarily base the mselves on the work of manu. The writers of the day were Yajnavalkay, Narada, Brihaspati, Katyayana. Joint family system was well-known.
14. The first major works on astronomy were compiled earlier. Some of the fundamental problems of astronomy were tackled by Aryabhata. It was primarily because of his efforts that astronomy was recognized as a separate discipline. Aryabhata also believed that the earth was a sphere and the shadow of the earth falling on the moon caused eclipses. A near contemporary of Aryabhata was Varahamihira who divided the study of a stronomy into three distinct branches - astronomy, and mathematics, horoscopy and astrology.

Gupta Empire Expansion

Samudragupta succeeded his father, Chandragupta I, in 335 CE, and ruled for about 45 years. He conquered the kingdoms of Ahichchhatra and Padmavati early in his reign, then attacked neighboring tribes, including the Malwas, Yaudheyas, Arjunayanas, Maduras, and Abhiras. By his death in 380 CE, Samudragupta had incorporated over 20 kingdoms into his realm, and extended the Gupta Empire from the Himalayas to the Narmada River in central India, and from the Brahmaputra River that cuts through four modern Asian nations to the Yamuna— the longest tributary of the Ganges River in northern India.

To celebrate his conquest, Samudragupta performed the royal Vedic ritual of Ashwamedha, or horse sacrifice. Special coins were minted to commemorate the Ashvamedha, and the king took the title of Maharajadhiraja (or “King of Kings”) even higher than the traditional ruler’s title of Maharaja.

According to the Gupta records, Samudragupta nominated his son, Prince Chandragupta II, born of Queen Dattadevi, as his successor. However, his eldest son, Ramagupta, may have been his immediate successor until he was dethroned by Chandragupta II in 380 CE.

Chandragupta I (A.D. 319-320 to 335)

The first Gupta ruler of consequence was Chandragupta I, son of Ghatotkacha. By marrying a Lichchhavi Princes Kumaradevi he sought to gain in prestige, though Vaishali does not appear to have been a part of his kingdom.

His rule remained confined to Magadha and parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh (Saketa and Prayaga). He took the title of Maharajadhiraja, and his accession in about A.D. 319-20 marked the beginning of Gupta era.

Chandragupta I was succeeded by his son Samudragupta probably in A.D. 325. Samudragupta became the ruler after subduing his rival Kacha, an obscure prince of the dynasty.

His conquests are known from a lengthy eulogy composed by his court-poet Harishena and inscribed on an Asokan pillar at Allahabad. This account contains a long list of states, kings and tribes which were conquered and brought under various degrees of subjugation.

The List can be divided into 4 categories

The first category includes the twelve states of Dakshinapatha with the names of their kings who were captured and then liberated and reinstated. They were Kosala, Mahakantara, Kaurata, Pishtapura, Kottura, Erandapalli, Kanchi, Avamukta, Vengi, Palakka, Devrashtra and Kushthalpura.

 The second category includes the names of the eight kings of Aryavarta, who were violently exterminated; prominent of them were Rudradwa, Ganapatinaga, Nagasena, etc.

 The third category consists of the rulers of the forest states (atavirarajyas) who were reduced to servitude and the chief of the five Border States (pratyantas) and nine tribal republics that were forced to pay all kinds of taxes obey his orders and came to perform obeisance.

The five Border States were Samtata (South-east Bengal), Kamarupa (Assam), Nepala (Nepal), Davaka (Assam) and Kartipura (Kashmir). The nine tribal republics were the Malavas, Yaudheyas, Madrakas, Abhiras, Prarjunas, Arjunayanas, Sarakinakas, Kavas and Kharaparikas.

 The fourth category consists of the Daivaputra Shahi Shahanushahi (Kushanas), the Shaka-, Murundas, the dwellers of Sinhala (Ceylon) and all the other islands who paid tribute to the King.

Harishena, the court poet of Samudragupta rightly describes him as the hero of a hundred battles, and Vincent Smith calls him the ‘Napoleon of India’. But inspite of his preoccupation with political and military affairs, he cultivated music and poetry. Some of his gold coins represent him as playing on the lyre.

The Guptas were followers of the Brahmanical religion and Samudragupta performed the Asvamedha sacrifice. However, he fully maintained the tradition of religious toleration. According to a Chinese source, Meghavarman, the ruler of Sri Lanka was granted permission by Samudragupta to build a monastery at Bodha Gaya.

Chandragupta II (A.D. 380-412)

Samudragupta was succeeded by his younger son Chandragupta II. But, according to some scholars, Samudragupta who died shortly before A. D. 380 was succeeded by his eider son Ramagupta.

The drama Devichandraguptam of Vishakhadatta suggests that Ramagupta suddenly attacked by the Sakas, made peace with them on condition that his queen Dhruvadevi was to be surrendered to the Saka chief.

This infuriated his younger brother Chandragupta, who went himself in the disguise of the queen to the Saka chief and killed him. Then he murdered his royal brother Ramagupta and married the queen.

The official records of the Guptas, however do not refer to Ramagupta and trace the succes­sion directly from Samudragupta to Chandragupta II.

Devichandraguptam of Vishakhadatta

The reign of Chandragupta II saw the high watermark of the Gupta Empire. He extended the limits of the empire by marriage alliance and conquests.

Chandragupta II married Kuberanaga of the Naga family. The Nagas were a powerful ruling clan and this matrimonial alliance helped the Gupta ruler in expanding his empire.

The marriage of his daughter Prabhavati by his wife Kubernaga with the Vakataka king Rudrasena II helped him to establish his political influence in the Deccan. With his great influence in this area, Chandragupta II conquered western Malwa and Gujarat from the Shaka Kshatrap, Rudrasimha III.

The conquest gave Chandragupta the Western sea coast, famous for trade and com­merce. This contributed to the prosperity of Malwa, and its chief city Ujjain. Ujjain seems to have been made the second capital of Chandragupta II.

‘King Chandra’ whose exploits has been mentioned in the Mehrauli Iron Pillar Inscription, which is located in the Qutub-Minar complex in Delhi is identified by many scholars with Chandragupta II.

According to this inscription, Chandra crossed the Sindhu region of seven rivers and defeated Valhikas (identified with Bacteria). It also mentions Chandragupta’s victory over enemies from Vanga (Bengal).

Chandragupta II adopted the title of Vikramaditya which had been first used by an Ujjain ruler in 57 B.C. as a mark of victory over the Saka Kshatrapas of western India.

An important incident which took place during his reign was the visit of Fa-Hien, a Chinese pilgrim, who came to India in search of Buddhist texts.

The court of Chandragupta II at Ujjain was adorned by numerous scholars including Kalidasa and Amarasimha.

Kumaragupta I (412-454 A.D.)

• Chandragupta II died about A.D. 413 and was succeeded by his son Kumaragupta who enjoyed a long reign of more than forty years. He performed the Asvamedha sacrifice, but we do not know of any military success achieved by him.
• He maintained intact the vast empire built up by his two predeces­sors. Towards the close of his reign the empire was menaced by hordes of the Pushyamitras probably a tribe allied to the Hunas which were defeated by the Crown prince Skandagupta.

Skandagupta (454-467 A.D.)

• Skandagupta, who succeeded Kumaragupta I, was perhaps the last powerful Gupta monarch. To consolidate his position he had to fight the Pushyamitras, and the country faced Huna invasion from access the frontiers in the north-west. However, Skandagupta was successful in throwing the Huns back.
• This heroic feat entitled him, like Chandragupta II, to assume the title of Vikramaditya. It appears that these wars adversely affected the economy of the empire, and the debased gold coinage of Skandagupta bears testimony to these. Moreover, he appears to have been the last Gupta ruler to mint silver coins in western India.
• The Junagarh inscription of his reign tells us about the public works undertaken during his times. The Sudarsana lake (originally built during the Maurya times) burst due to excessive rains and in the early part of his rule his governor Parnadatta and his son Chakrapalita got it repaired. The last known date of Skandagupta is 467 A.D. from his silver coins.

ART

• The Gupta period is called the Golden Age of ancient India.
• Both Samudragupta and Chandragupta II were patrons of art and literature.
• Samudragupta is represented on his coins playing the lute (vina), and Chandragupta II is credited with maintaining in his court nine luminaries or great scholars.
• In ancient India art was mostly inspired by religion.
• Buddhism gave great impetus to art in Maurya and post-Maurya times.
• It led to the creation of massive stone pillars, cutting of beautiful caves and raising of high stupas or relic towers. The stupas appeared as dome-like structures on round bases mainly of stone. Numerous images of the Buddha were sculpted.
• In the Gupta period we find an over two metre high bronze image of the Buddha, which was recovered from Sultanganj near Bhagaipur.
• Beautiful images of the Buddha were fashioned at Samath and Mathura.
• But the greatest specimen of Buddhist art in Gupta times is provided by the Ajanta paintings. Although these paintings covered the period from the first to the seventh century A.D., most of them belong to Gupta times.
• They depict various events in the life of Gautama Buddha and previous Buddhas.
• The Gupta period was poor in architecture.
• All we get are a few temples made of brick in Uttar Pradesh and a stone temple.
• We may mention the brick temples of Bhitargaon in Kanpur, Bhitari in Ghazipur and Deogarh in Jhansi.
• The Buddhist University at Nalanda was set up in the fifth century.

LITERATURE

                

• The Gupta period is remarkable for the production of secular literature.
• To this period belong thirteen plays written by Bhasa.
• The Mrichchhakatika or the Little Clay Cart written by Shudraka, which deals with the love affair of a poor brahmana with the beautiful daughter of a courtesan, is considered one of the best works of ancient drama.
• Kalidasa wrote Abhijanashakuntalam which is considered to be one of the best hundred literary works in the world.
• It tells up about the love story of King Dushyanta and Shakuntala, whose son Bharata appears as a famous ruler. The Shakuntalam was one of the earliest Indian works to be translated into European languages, the other work being the Bhagavadgita.
• Two things can be noted about the plays produced in India in the Gupta period.
• First these are all comedies. We do not come across any tragedies.
• Secondly, characters of the higher and lower classes do not speak the same language; women and shudras in these plays use Prakrit while the higher classes use Sanskrit.
• During this period we also notice an increase in the production of religious literature. The two great epics, namely the Ramayana and the Mahabharata were almost completed by the fourth century A.D.
• The Ramayana tells us the story of Rama, who was banished by his father Dasharatha from the kingdom of Ayodhya for 14 years on account of the machinations of his step mother Kaikeyi.
• He faithfully carried out the orders of his father and went to live in the forest, where his wife Sita was abducted by Ravana, the king of Lanka. Eventually Rama with the help of his brother Lakshmana brought back Sita.
• The story has two important moral strands. First, it idealizes the institution of family in which a son must obey his father, the younger brother must obey his elder brother and the wife must be faithful to her husband in all circumstances.
• Second, Ravana symbolises the force of evil and Rama symbolises the force of righteousness. In the end righteousness triumphs over the forces of evil, and good order over bad order.
• Many versions of the Ramayana are found in important Indian languages and also those of South-East Asia.
• The Mahabharata is essentially the story of conflict between two groups of cousins, Kauravas and the Pandavas. It shows that kingship knows no kinship.
• This story also represents the victory of righteousness over the forces of evil.
• The Bhagavadgita forms an important part of the Mahabharata.
• It teaches that a person must carry out the duties assigned to him by his caste and ray under all circumstances without any desire for reward.
• The Puranas follow the lines of the epics, and the earlier ones were finally compiled in Gupta times. They are full of myths, legends, sermons, etc.
• The Puranas were meant for the education and edification of the common people. The period also saw the compilation of various Smritis or the law books in which social and religious norms were written in verse.
• This period also saw the development of Sanskrit grammar based on Panini and Patanjal
• Amarakosha was compiled by Amarasimha, who was a luminary in the court of Chandragupta-
• Overall the Gupta period was a bright phase in the history of classical literature.
• It developed an ornate style, which was different from the old simple Sanskrit.
• Sanskrit was undoubtedly the court language of the Guptas.

SCIENCE  AND TECHNOLOGY

• In the field of mathematics we come across during this period a work called Aryabhatiya written by Aryabhata, who belonged to Pataliputra.
• It seems that this mathematician was well versed in various kinds of calculations.
• A Gupta inscription of 448 A.D. from Allahabad district suggests that the decimal system was known in India at the beginning of the fifth century A.D.
• In the field of astronomy a book called Romaka Sidhanta was compiled. It was influenced by Greek ideas, as can be inferred from its name.
• The Gupta craftsmen distinguished themselves by their work in iron and bronze.
• We know of several bronze images of the Buddha, which began to be produced on a considerable scale because of the knowledge of advanced metal technology.
• In the case of iron objects the best example is the iron pillar found at Mehrauli in Delhi.
• Manufactured in the fourth century A.D., the pillar has not gathered any rust in the subsequent 15 centuries, which is a great tribute to the technological skill of the craftsmen.

Religion

Gupta kings knew that the well-being of the empire lie in maintaining a cordial relationship between the various communities. They were devote

 Vaishnava (Hindus who worship the Supreme Creator as Vishnu) themselves, yet that did not prevent them from being tolerant towards the believers of Buddhism and Jainism. Buddhist monasteries received liberal donations. Yijing observed how the Gupta kings erected inns and rest houses for Buddhist monks and other pilgrims. As a pre-eminent site of education and cultural exchange Nalanda prospered under their patronage. Jainism flourished in northern Bengal, Gorakhpur, Udayagiri and Gujarat. Several Jain establishments existed across the empire and Jain councils were a regular occurrence.

Samudragupta was the up-holder of Brahmanical religion. Because of his services to the cause of religion the Allahabad inscription mentions the qualifying title of 'Dharma-prachir Bandhu' for him. But he was not intolerant of other creeds. His patronage to Buddhist scholar Vasubandhu and the acceptance of the request of the king of Ceylon to build a monastery of Bodh Gaya emply prove that the respected other religions.
His Asvamedha types of coins with other coins bearing the figures of Lakshmi and Ganga together with her 'vahas' makara (crocodile) testify his faith in Brahmanical religions.

Samudragupta had imbibed the true spirit of religion and for that reason, he has been described as 'Anukampavan' (full of compassion) in the Allahabad incscription. He has been described "as the giver of many hundreds of thousands of cows"

Personal Appearance, despite the small of the coins and the limitations of reproducing the real image by striking the die, can be judged from his figures on the coins 'tall in stature and of good physique he has strong muscular arms and a fully developed chest.

From the above description it is clear that Samudragupta was endowed with no ordinary powers - Physical, intellectual and spiritural.
About 380 AD Samudragupta was succeeded by one of his son who was selected as the most worthy of the crown. This ruler is known as Chandragupta-II. Later he took the additional title of Vikramaditya, which was associated by tradition with the Raja of Ujjain who was known for defeating the sakas and founding the Vikram era.

war

The era of the Gupta Empire in India was all about conquering. The rulers all wanted to expand their reach across India. They did this by attacking the kingdoms around them to gain land. They were controlled by their desire to expand their empire.
Samudragupta, son of Chandragupta, was a king that was out for conquest. He desired to unite all of India under his rule and quickly set out to accomplish this dream by starting wars across much of the Indian region.

Potential victims gave tributes and presents in exchange for mercy to Samudragupta as he fought and conquered his way through the Indian region. Samudragupta granted no mercy however. Slowly but surely, he defeated and conquered nine kings in the northern region and twelve in the southern region. In addition to the human devastation countless horses were slaughtered to celebrate his victories. There were countless human lives lost in the battles and Samudragupta often slaughtered horses to celebrate his victories as well.

The Gupta territories expanded to such an extreme extent under Samudragupta's rule that he has often been compared to great conquerors such as Alexander the Great and Napoleon. But he did not achieve military greatness alone. Local squads — which each contained one elephant, one chariot, three armed cavalrymen, and five foot soldiers — protected Gupta villages from raids and revolts which were frequent as Samudragupta swept war across the Indian region. In times of war, the squads joined together to form a powerful royal army to serve Samudragupta's needs.
The military of the Gupta Empire remained based on the traditional four part armies of the previous armies from other empires. They, unlike other armies, included a mounted cavalry by this time. They modeled the dress and armor of their cavalry after the well crafted and equipped Kushans. The Gupta preferred armored cavalry forces that attacked with lances or swords.

The Gupta military continued to rely heavily on infantry archers, this tactic effectively countered to mounted archers. One advancement the Gupta military made they made in the field of archery was creating the steel bow; a newer weapon that could meet the level of the power of the composite bow, which was generally made from horn, wood, and sinew, while not being subject to warping due to humidity. This incredibly powerful bow was capable of excellent range and could penetrate thick armor. However, steel bows were only been used by elite or noble class warriors while archers of the more common class continued to use the widely used bamboo longbow. Iron shafts were exchanged  for the long bamboo cane arrows when the penetration of armor was necessary, particularly against armored frequently used elephants and cavalry. Fire arrows also were employed by the Gupta Empire, their bamboo cane arrows well suited for use in these operations.

War elephants continued to be used in many empires as well as the Gupta Empire and pachyderm—thick animal skin--armor was advanced throughout this a period. Elephants remained a component of the tactics relied on by Gupta war generals. The use of war elephants was consubstantial with the use of an armored cavalry and an infantry and is likely the reason for the Gupta Empire's success in their war against both Hindu kingdoms and foreign armies invading from the Northwest of the Gupta Empire. At the height of the Gupta Empire, there were around 750,000 soldiers. The Gupta empire also maintained a navy to control waterways and their coasts. They also had a high level of understanding of siege warfare tactics, operating catapults and other sophisticated war machines.

Fall of the Empire

As with the collapses of other classical political systems, the Gupta Empire crumbled under both internal and external pressures.

Internally, the Gupta Dynasty grew weak from a number of succession disputes. As the emperors lost power, regional lords gained increasing autonomy. In a sprawling empire with weak leadership, it was easy for rebellions in Gujarat or Bengal to break out, and difficult for the Gupta emperors to put such uprisings down. By 500 CE, many regional princes were declaring their independence and refusing to pay taxes to the central Gupta state. These included the Maukhari Dynasty, who ruled over Uttar Pradesh and Magadha.

By the later Gupta era, the government was having trouble collecting enough taxes to fund both its hugely complex bureaucracy and constant wars against foreign invaders like the Pushyamitras and the huns . In part, this was due to the common people's dislike of the meddlesome and unwieldy bureaucracy. Even those who felt a personal loyalty to the Gupta Emperor generally disliked his government and were happy to avoid paying for it if they could. Another factor, of course, was the near-constant rebellions among different provinces of the empire.