Page 79 - SST Class 06

TAJIKISTANAJIKISTAN
T
The Gupta Empire Age of India because India prospered in
INDIA various fields of life. We can study them
Kabul Under Chandragupta Vikramaditya
KASHMIR (India in 414 AD) under the following points.
Peshwar
Peshwar
AFGHANISTAN enab
IRAN A N Jhelum Chenab Lahore C H I N A Administration
Ch
Lahore
Ra i
v
Jullundhar
S T Jullundhar TIBET The king was the most powerful and his
I Satluj YAUDHEYAS
K Meerut
P A dus In Indraprastha Y G an N E P word was the final authority. He liked
Mathura
ga
Kanauj A L BHUTAN t to be called by high-sounding titles as
ARJUNAYANAS B ahmpu ra r
amuna
Sarnath
LWA Prayag Kashi Patliputra BANGLADESH Maharajadhiraja (the king of kings) or
H
BANGLADES
r p
T o ic of a r MA Gaya Samrat (the emperor). He ruled with the
C nce
Mandasaur Sanchi
SAURASTRA Ujja in Rupnath
b
Va lla hi Narma da ARA BURMA help of ministers. The whole territory
Broa ach Tapi
Bro ch
Mah ana di KAN was divided into provinces called
G odavari B AY bhuktis , which were governed by the
A R A B I A N O F princes or other chosen people called
S E A B E N G A L
uparika maharaja . The provinces were
K
rishna
further divided into districts called
REFERENCE vishayas governed by vishayapatis ,
Extent of the
Gupta Empire while the village was the smallest unit
Kaveri

Present (INDIA) ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS under the charge of a village council of
International
Boundary elders.
(INDIA)
SRI Taxes were collected by officials;
LAKSHADWEEP
MALDIVES LANKA
however, they were given the right to
I N D I A N O C E A N
collect taxes from the people. This was
India under Chandragupta II
a shortcoming of the Gupta period as it
LATER GUPTA RULERS contributed to the decline of the dynasty later
because these people broke away when the weak
Chandragupta II was succeeded by his son,
Kumaragupta who too was an able administrator. kings came to the throne.
He maintained the territories well that he Fa-Hien has admired the Gupta administration
inherited from his father. He was succeeded by highly. The people did their jobs freely and
Skandagupta who too was an able ruler. He without any restriction. The punishments were
crushed the Hunas, a barbaric tribe from central mild, but there were hardly any crimes. The roads
Asia. were safe, so the traders could move safely.
Activity The chief source of income was the land revenue
On an outline map of India, show the territories which was one-fourth of the total produce. The
under Chandragupta I’s rule in red colour, government officials were honest.
Samudragupta’s rule in black colour and
Chandragupta II’s rule in yellow colour. Society
However, the later Gupta rulers were not strong Fa-Hien has written that the people were rich and
and able. They were weakened by the frequent prosperous. Charity was abundant as temples,
attacks of the Hunas. As a result, the Gupta hospitals and inns were built by charity. The
empire broke into pieces and thus, this illustrious people were law-abiding, vegetarian and honest.
dynasty came to an end. The Chandalas (low-caste people) lived outside
the towns and were treated as untouchables
THE GUPTA AGE : THE GOLDEN AGE because they were not vegetarian. All other
people lived in harmony.
The Gupta Age is rightly termed as the Golden
Political Developments (AD 300 TO 700)
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