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Gupta Empire Facts & Worksheets

In 185 BCE, when the Mauryan Empire collapsed due to the assassination of the last Mauryan king, small kingdoms emerged throughout India. In 320 CE, a new empire arose eventually known as the Gupta Empire.

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In 185 BCE, when the Mauryan Empire collapsed due to the assassination of the last Mauryan king, small kingdoms emerged throughout India. In 320 CE, a new empire arose eventually known as the Gupta Empire. Since its foundation under Sri Gupta, the Gupta Empire has been considered as the Golden Age of Indian history.

See the fact file below for more information on the Gupta Empire or alternatively, you can download our 20-page Gupta Empire worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

GUPTA RULERS

  • Known as the Maharajadhiraja, or King of Kings, Chandragupta I (reigned 319-320 to 335 CE), son of Ghatotkacha, was the first famous king of the Gupta dynasty.
  • He married Kumaradevi, the daughter of the chief of the Licchavis, a powerful family and rulers of Mithila. Through the prestige and power that he got from this matrimonial alliance, he started to conquer various neighboring territories such as Magadha, Prayaga, and Saketa. He further extended his rule, from the Ganges to Allahabad, that lasted for fifteen years.
  • In 335-380 CE, Chandragupta’s successor, Samudragupta, reigned for about fifty years.
  • He is known to be a great military leader who waged wars across the Indian subcontinent. He defeated nine kings in the north and twelve in the south.
  • His conquests were documented in a lengthy eulogy written by his court-poet Harisena, which is inscribed on an Ashokan pillar at Allahabad.
  • This eulogy contains a long list of states, kings, and tribes that he was able to subjugate, divided into four categories.
  • The next ruler, Chandragupta II (reigned 380-412 CE), also known as Vikramaditya (Sun of Power), emerged victorious in conquering the Malwa, Gujarat, and Kathiawar territories, which added to the wealth of the Gupta dynasty.
  • His reign saw a significant growth of the Gupta Empire by extending their rule through matrimonial alliance and territorial conquests. By marrying Kuberanaga of the Naga family, a powerful ruling clan, Chandragupta II was able to establish his political influence in the Deccan. He was also able to control the Western sea coast, a strategic place for trade and commerce.
  • In 412-454 CE, Kumaragupta I ascended to the throne and maintained the success of his predecessors. He was then followed by the rule of Skandagupta (reigned 454-467 CE) who was perhaps the last influential Gupta monarch.
    In total, there were about 16 rulers who served the Gupta Empire.

GUPTA ACHIEVEMENTS

  • The Gupta Period of India marked a vast flourishment in the field of arts and literature rather than an enormous wealth of materials and trade relations.
  • The classical art emerged in the time of Samudragupta and was continued by Chandragupta II.
  • The famous literature during this time was mostly drama and poetry. This includes historical narratives, religious and meditative writing, and lyric poetry.
  • Kamasutra, a well-known essay across the world, was also produced during this period. It served as a guiding principle about the art of love and marriage in reference to Hindu laws.
  • Famous figures and scholars in the world of literature also flourished during the Gupta dynasty. Kalidasa, the greatest writer of the empire, wrote plays and works that are still celebrated and studied today. Aryabhatta, a scientist ahead of his time, proposed that the Earth was a rotating sphere before the known voyage of Christopher Columbus. He also calculated the length of the solar year as 365.358 days, only three hours over the figure calculated by modern scientists.
  • Furthermore, brilliant architecture, sculpture, and paintings likewise developed in the reign of the Gupta Empire. Some of the paintings include those that were found on the walls of the Ajanta Caves located in southern India.
  • Religious freedom also existed in this period as Hinduism and Buddhism peacefully flourished.

GUPTA DECLINE

  • During the 5th and 6th centuries, the Gupta Empire faced the invasion of Hunas from Central Asia. This major power struggle saw the decline of the Gupta dynasty as the Hunas conquered the northern and western regions of the kingdom.
  • However, the Huna power was soon overthrown by the Malwa forces led by Yashodharman, who emerged victorious in challenging the Gupta authority and built his own rule in 532 CE.

Gupta Empire Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about the Gupta Empire across 20 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Gupta Empire worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Gupta Empire. In 185 BCE, when the Mauryan Empire collapsed due to the assassination of the last Mauryan king, small kingdoms emerged throughout India. In 320 CE, a new empire arose eventually known as the Gupta Empire. Since its foundation under Sri Gupta, the Gupta Empire has been considered as the Golden Age of Indian history.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Gupta Empire Facts
  • The Gupta Territory
  • The Gupta Rulers
  • The Gupta Empire’s Culture in Pictures
  • The Gupta Empire: A Timeline
  • Chandragupta II “Vikramaditya“
  • The Gupta Scholars
  • The Gupta Empire: Architecture
  • The Gupta Empire’s Legacy
  • The Decline of the Gupta Empire
  • The Golden Age of India

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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