The Age of the Imperial Guptas c2: Preface
The Age of the Imperial Guptas c2
- Language
- English
Preface
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The following six lectures on the "Age of the Imperial Guptas" were delivered at the Hindu University by the late Prof. R. D. Banerji in November, 1924. Owing to his other preoccupations, Mr. Banerji was unable to take up the work of publishing his lectures till he eventually joined the Benares Hindu University as Manindra Chandra Nandy Professor of Ancient Indian History and Culture in 1928. The author revised the manuscript in 1929 and brought the work up-to-date. Five chapters of the book were also printed off when Mr. Banerji suddenly died in May, 1930, to the great regret of the learned world. Two proofs of the last chapter were seen by the author, but he did not live to give the print order.
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The sudden death of Prof. Banerji naturally created further difficulties in expediting the publication of the work. A good deal of time was required to prepare the necessary blocks, the idea of incorporating them having obviously occured to the author at a late stage of printing. Permission had also to be obtained of the Archæological authorities for the utilisation of some of the photographs.
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The Age of the Imperial Guptas is a very important epoch in Ancient Indian History and the need of a handy volume dealing with the history and many-sided activities of the age was long felt. Some writers have dealt with the political history of the period Others have contributed a few notes discussing some of the problems of the Gupta Administration. But no book has been so far published which delineates with a masterly hand the multifarious manifestations of the spirit of the age. The late professor Banerji has attempted this task in these lectures, and the reader will find in the following pages an account not only of the Gupta chronology and administration but also of the literary and religious revival, and of the architectural, sculptural and numismatic achievements of the age. The book is far from being a mere compilation; the author has suggested a number of new and interesting solutions of several controversial problems in the political and administrative history of the period, and his treatment of the architecture and plastic arts of the age, coming as it does from the masterly pen of the mature archæologist, will be found to be particularly fresh and illuminating. This was the last book to be finished by the late Prof. Banerji and it will be found to be doing ample justice to his mature and brilliant talents. It is a great pity that Prof. Banerji should not have been spared to see the publication of his lectures.
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The Benares Hindu University is very much indebted to the Government of India and to the Director General of Archæology in India for giving permission to reproduce the pictures from which plates Nos. 2, 4 and 20 have been prepared, and to utilise a few other photographs which the late Prof. Banerji had obtained from Archæological Survey offices.
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Benares Hindu University. } A. S. ALTEKAR, *Manindra Chandra Nandy Professor* *of Ancient Indian History* *and Culture*
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I. THE CHRONOLOGY . . . . . .
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Candragupta I—3, The war of independence—5, The foundation of the Gupta era—7, Kāca—9, Candravarman of Puṣkaraṇa—11, Kings of Northern India defeated by Samudragupta—13, Kings of Southern India defeated by Samudragupta—15, Vyāghrarāja—17, Limits of Samudragupta’s kingdom—19, Mālavas and Yaudheyas—21, The Scythian Monarchs—23, Estimate of Samudragupta—25, Rāmagupta and Dhruvadevī—27, Candragupta II Vikramāditya—29, Empire of Candragupta II—31, The Vākāṭaka alliance—33, The *Fo-Kwo-Ki*—35, Kumāragupta I Mahendrāditya—37, Estimate of Kumāragupta I—41, The history of the Sudarśana Lake—43, Puṣyamitras and the First Hūṇa War—45, Northern India before the Hūṇa invasions—47, Inscriptions of Skandagupta—49, Civil War between Skanda and Puragupta—51, Later Imperial Guptas—53, Theories about Later Gupta Chronology—55, Union of the Provinces under Budhagupta—57, Eran pillar of the time of Budhagupta—59, Candragupta III—61, The Parivrājakas of east-central India—63, The dismemberment of the Empire—65, Appendix I, the Tumain and Mandasor inscriptions—66, Appendix II, Mathura pillar inscription of the time of Candragupta II of the year 61—67.
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II. THE SYSTEM OF ADMINISTRATION AND PEERAGE 69
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Ancient Gupta Officials—71, Kumārāmātyas—73, Provincial Viceroys—75, Provincial administration—77, Provincial Officials—79, Transfers of property—81, Civil contracts—83, Seals of Contracts—85, Method of sealing—87, Registration of contracts—89, Emblems on Imperial seals—91, Hereditary offices—93, Land-Records and Religious trusts—95, Seals of special officers—97, The Faridpur plates—99, 3rd and 4th plates from Faridpur—101.
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Hindu inscriptions of the Gupta Period—103, Later Gupta religious records—105, Anonymous dated inscriptions—107, The Pauranic genealogies—109, Final redaction of the Purāṇas—111, Revival of Hinduism—113, Hindu deities of the Gupta Period—115, Principal Hindu shrines—117, The Cult of the Sun—119, The Kṛṣṇa-Cult and Vaiṣṇavism—121, Śaiva images—123, Saura images—125, Condition of Buddhism—127, Images on the Kahaum pillar—129.
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IV. ARCHITECTURE .. .. .. 130 Date of the Mahābodhi temple—131, Temples at Konch and Bhitargaon—133, Terra Cotta panels from Bhitargaon—135, The Early Gupta temple type—137, The Gupta type in other provinces—139, Malabar and Early Cālukyan types—141, The architecture of the Bhumra Temple—143, Origin of the Sikhara—145, The Daśāvatāra Temple at Deogadh—147, The Door-Frame of the Deogadh Temple—149, The Frames of the Deogadh Panels—151, Auxiliary Shrines of the Gupta Period—153, The Later Temple at Nachna Kuthara—155, The Temple of Muṇḍeśvarī—157.
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V. PLASTIC ART .. .. .. 159 Mathurā School of the Gupta Period—161, The Persistence of Kuṣāṇa Influence—163, Decline of the Mathurā School—165, The Benares School of the Gupta Period—167, Pataliputra School of the Gupta Period—169, Hindu Subjects in Bas-Reliefs—171, The Human Figure in Gupta Art—173, Early and Late Gupta Art—175, Stelae of the Benares School—177, Bas-Reliefs of the Benares School—179, “Gupta Art” at Ajantā and Ellora—181, Antiquities at Eran—183, Metal Specimens—185, Stylized Caitya-Windows—187, Types of Caitya-Windows—189, Pillars and Pilasters—191, Pillars from Rajaona—193, Stone Door-Frame at Dah-Parvatiya—195, Other Gupta Door-Frames—197, Platform of the Daśavatāra Temple—199, Art of Bhumra and Deogadh—201, Bas-Reliefs—203, The Bagh Caves—205, Terracottas—207.
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Samudragupta’s Common Type—211, Memorial Medals—213, The Standard Type—215, The Lyrist and Aśvamedha Types—217, The Kāca Medals—219, The Coinage of Candragupta I—221, The Couch and Umbrella Types—223, Varieties in the Lion-Slayer Type—225, The Horseman Type—227, Copper Coinage of Candragupta II—229, The Varieties in the Horseman Type—231, The Aśvamedha Type of Kumāragupta I—233, The Lion-Slayer Type—235, The Peacock and Pratāpa Types—237, Kumāragupta’s Silver Coinage—239, Gold Coinage of Skandagupta—241, Silver Coinage of Skandagupta—243, Coins of Skandagupta’s Successors—245, Later Gupta Coinage—247.
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The *fraternities* of the Middle Ages, which were so numerous and so varied in their objects, were not all of the same origin. Some were religious, some social, some charitable, and some industrial. The religious guilds, or *gilds*, as they were often called, were associations of laymen for the purpose of performing religious duties, such as the maintenance of a chaplain, the celebration of masses, or the support of a hospital. The social guilds were formed for the purpose of mutual aid and good fellowship, and often included in their objects the relief of the poor, the sick, and the aged. The charitable guilds were established for the purpose of supporting hospitals, almshouses, and other institutions of mercy. The industrial guilds, or *craft guilds*, were associations of men engaged in the same trade or industry, and were formed for the purpose of regulating the trade, protecting the interests of the members, and maintaining the quality of their work.
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The craft guilds, which became so powerful in the later Middle Ages, were the successors of the earlier *collegia* of the Roman Empire. The *collegia* were associations of artisans and tradesmen, which were recognized by the state and had a legal existence. When the Roman Empire fell, these associations were largely destroyed, but the idea of association for mutual protection and the regulation of trade survived. In the early Middle Ages, the *gilds* began to reappear, and by the twelfth century they were firmly established in many of the cities of Europe.
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The craft guilds were organized on a democratic basis, and every member had a voice in the management of the guild's affairs. The officers were elected by the members, and the rules and regulations were made by the guild as a whole. The guilds had the power to fix prices, to regulate the hours of labor, and to determine the conditions of apprenticeship. They also had the power to punish members who violated the rules, and to expel those who were guilty of serious offenses. The guilds were thus a powerful force in the economic life of the Middle Ages, and they played an important part in the development of the modern industrial system.
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The decline of the craft guilds began in the sixteenth century, when the rise of the factory system and the growth of international trade made it difficult for the small, local guilds to compete with the larger and more efficient industrial organizations. The guilds were also weakened by the growth of the power of the state, which began to regulate trade and industry directly, and by the rise of the capitalist class, which sought to break the power of the guilds and to establish a system of free competition. By the end of the eighteenth century, the craft guilds had largely disappeared, but their influence lived on in the trade unions and other labor organizations of the modern world.