Gupta Empire

Empire Level 2 ★ Major power

c. 240 CE – c. 550 CE

Empire of the 'classical age' of Sanskrit literature, science and art.

🗺 See on map in 401 CE

Capital: Pataliputra / Ayodhya
Region: Gangetic Plain
Duration: 310 years
Main period: Gupta Empire & Regional Powers

Changing extent

c. 240 CE — ~250 km radius
c. 335 CE — ~700 km radius: Samudragupta's campaigns
c. 400 CE — ~850 km radius: Chandragupta II — Western Kshatrapas conquered
c. 480 CE — ~500 km radius: Huna pressure

Approximate extent over time (solid = latest, dashed = earlier).

Rulers

Sri Gupta Maharaja
Founder.
c. 240 CE – c. 280 CE
Ghatotkacha Maharaja
c. 280 CE – c. 319 CE
Chandragupta I Maharajadhiraja
Gupta era begins 319-320; married Licchavi princess Kumaradevi.
c. 319 CE – c. 335 CE
Samudragupta Maharajadhiraja
Prayaga (Allahabad) prashasti by Harisena.
c. 335 CE – c. 375 CE
Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya) Maharajadhiraja
Conquered the Western Kshatrapas; Faxian's visit.
c. 375 CE – c. 415 CE
Kumaragupta I Maharajadhiraja
Nalanda founded in his reign.
c. 415 CE – c. 455 CE
Skandagupta Maharajadhiraja
Repelled the Hunas.
c. 455 CE – c. 467 CE
Budhagupta Maharajadhiraja
c. 477 CE – c. 495 CE

Selected rulers; gaps in the list are not gaps in the dynasty.

Key events

Year	Event	Place
c. 240 CE	Sri Gupta founds the Gupta line	Magadha
c. 319 CE	Gupta era begins Chandragupta I's accession.	Pataliputra
c. 320 CE	Chandragupta I marries the Licchavi princess Kumaradevi The alliance strengthened Gupta power in Magadha.	Pataliputra
c. 335 CE	Samudragupta becomes emperor	Pataliputra
c. 350 CE	Samudragupta's Prayaga prashasti Records Samudragupta's campaigns.	Prayagraj
c. 395 CE	Chandragupta II conquers the Western Kshatrapas The Guptas gained Gujarat, Malwa and the western ports.	Ujjain
c. 400 CE	Kalidasa at the Gupta court	Ujjain
c. 402 CE	Iron Pillar erected Rust-resistant wrought-iron pillar.	Mehrauli, Delhi
c. 405 CE	Faxian travels in India	Pataliputra
c. 415 CE	Kumaragupta I becomes emperor	Pataliputra
c. 427 CE	Nalanda Mahavihara founded	Nalanda
c. 455 CE	Skandagupta repels the Hunas The first Huna invasion was repulsed.	Bhitari
c. 467 CE	Death of Skandagupta Gupta power began a long decline.	Pataliputra
499 CE	Aryabhata writes the Aryabhatiya Place-value mathematics and astronomy.	Kusumapura (Pataliputra)
c. 550 CE	Fall of the imperial Guptas North India fragmented among the Maukharis, Later Guptas and others.	Magadha

Sites & monuments

Nalanda

Religious monument · c. 427 CE

Great Buddhist monastic university.

Personalities

c. 337 CE – c. 422 CE

Chinese Buddhist pilgrim who travelled through Gupta India

active c. 350 CE

Composer of Samudragupta's Prayaga (Allahabad) pillar inscription

active c. 400 CE

Sanskrit poet-dramatist of Abhijnanashakuntalam and Meghaduta

Vishakhadatta

active c. 400 CE

Author of the political drama Mudrarakshasa

c. 476 CE – c. 550 CE

Mathematician-astronomer who wrote the Aryabhatiya

📚 Recommended reading on the Gupta Empire

Textbook

India's Ancient Past

R. S. Sharma · Oxford University Press

The expanded version of the classic old-NCERT ancient India text; clear and exam-friendly.

UPSC Prelims UPSC Mains SSC State PSC

Amazon ↗Flipkart ↗

Reference

A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India

Upinder Singh · Pearson

The most complete modern textbook on ancient India, rich in sources, maps and archaeology.

UPSC Mains General reading

Amazon ↗Flipkart ↗

Reference

Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300

Romila Thapar · Penguin

An authoritative, interpretive history of early Indian society and states.

UPSC Mains General reading

Amazon ↗Flipkart ↗

Reference

The Wonder That Was India

A. L. Basham · Picador

A timeless, beautifully written survey of ancient Indian civilisation.

General reading

Amazon ↗Flipkart ↗

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Contemporaries

Powers that coexisted with the Gupta Empire for a significant part of its history.

Anuradhapura Kingdom ★

Sri Lanka · c. 437 BCE – c. 1017

Kushan Empire ★

Northwest · c. 30 CE – c. 375 CE

Pallava Dynasty ★

South · c. 275 CE – c. 897 CE

Pushyabhuti (Vardhana) Dynasty ★

North · c. 500 CE – c. 647 CE

Early Pandyas (Sangam era)

South · c. 400 BCE – c. 300 CE

Early Cholas (Sangam era)

South · c. 300 BCE – c. 300 CE

Early Cheras (Sangam era)

South · c. 300 BCE – c. 300 CE

Western Kshatrapas

West · c. 35 CE – c. 415 CE

Ikshvakus of Vijayapuri

Deccan · c. 225 CE – c. 340 CE

Kalabhra Interregnum

South · c. 250 CE – c. 600 CE

Vakataka Dynasty

Deccan · c. 250 CE – c. 500 CE

Kadamba Dynasty

South · c. 345 CE – c. 525 CE

Western Ganga Dynasty

South · c. 350 CE – c. 1000

Northeast · c. 350 CE – c. 1140

Licchavi Kingdom of Nepal

Himalaya · c. 400 CE – c. 750 CE

Alchon Huns (Hunas)

Northwest · c. 460 CE – c. 560 CE

Maitraka Dynasty

West · c. 475 CE – c. 776 CE

Rai Dynasty of Sindh

Northwest · c. 489 CE – c. 632 CE

Later Guptas of Magadha

East · c. 490 CE – c. 750 CE