The Age of the Imperial Guptas c2.3

c2.3

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.