Home Region: North India (South Asia)

Gupta Empire

320 CE 550 CE

D G SC WF R

EQ 2020 in_gupta_emp / InGupta

Preceding Entity:

No Polity found. Add one here.

Succeeding Entity:

No Polity found. Add one here.

Displayed:

Learn more about polity border choices. Map Modern Map only Opacity Year Play rate (y/s)
Hit enter after changing the year or setting the play rate.

General Description

The Gupta polity ran from 320-514 CE, with its peak considered to be around 400 CE during the reign of Skanda-Gupta. ^[1]
At its largest, the Gupta empire spanned up to 900,000 square kilometres across north and south India, which it had full and direct control over, as well as southern India indirectly. The cities of Ujjain and Pataliputra seem to have both served as capital cities. While the total population is not known, the largest settlement, Pataliputra, is thought to have had a population of 150,000 people in 360 CE. ^[2] , Kulke and Rothermund (2004) ^[3] and Stein (2010) ^[4] .

Trade flourished under the Gupta Empire both internally across India as well as through overseas trading routes with China and the Roman Empire. Among their exports were pearls, gems, diamonds and precious metals. ^[1]
Common religions practiced in this polity included Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism from both the Vaisnava and Saiva Traditions, though none claimed to be the exclusive or ‘correct’ religion. ^[5]

[1]: (Keay 2010, 146) Keay, John. 2010. India: A History. New Updated Edition. London: HarperPress. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/HSHAKZ3X.

[2]: (Agrawal 1989)

[3]: (Kulke and Rothermund 2004)

[4]: (Stein 2010)

[5]: (Bisschop 2010, 478) Bisschop, Peter. 2010. “Saivism in the Gupta-Vakataka Age.” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 20 (4):477-88.Seshat URL: .https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/collectionKey/M52PA8IW/itemKey/BHH5W2PV

General Variables

Identity and Location

2 Capital

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Suprapolity Relations

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

2 Language

Religion

1 Religion Genus

1 Religion Family

1 Alternate Religion Genus

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Territory

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Formal Legal Code

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

Transport Infrastructure

1 Port

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Non Phonetic Writing

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Indigenous Coin

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases Coding in Progress.

Power Transitions

11 Power Transition

Instability Events Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp) was in:
(320 CE 514 CE)	Middle Ganga

Home NGA: Middle Ganga

General Variables

Identity and Location Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Capital	Pataliputra	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Capital	Ujjain	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Temporal Bounds Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	400 CE
Loading...

Duration	[320 CE ➜ 550 CE]
Loading...

Political and Cultural Relations Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	in_gupta_emp alliance with in_vakataka_k	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Degree of Centralization	loose	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Language Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Indo-European	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Language	Sanskrit	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Language	Prakrit	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Religion Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Religion Genus	Hinduism	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Religion Family	Vaisnava Traditions	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Alternate Religion Genus	Buddhism	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	150,000 people	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Polity Territory	[800,000 to 900,000] km²	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Hierarchical Complexity Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	[4 to 5]	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Religious Level	5	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Military Level	5	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Administrative Level	9	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Professions Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Professional Priesthood	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Professional Military Officer	Unknown Suspected	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Bureaucracy Characteristics Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Full Time Bureaucrat	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Law Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Absent Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Formal Legal Code	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Specialized Buildings: polity owned Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Irrigation System	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Food Storage Site	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Transport Infrastructure Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Port	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Special-purpose Sites Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Information / Writing System Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Script	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Nonwritten Record	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Non Phonetic Writing	Absent	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Information / Kinds of Written Documents Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Sacred Text	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Religious Literature	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Practical Literature	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Philosophy	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

History	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Fiction	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Calendar	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Information / Money Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Indigenous Coin	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Information / Postal System Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Unknown Suspected	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

General Postal Service	Unknown Suspected	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Courier	Unknown Suspected	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Information / Measurement System Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Stone Walls Non Mortared	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Stone Walls Mortared	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Settlements in a Defensive Position	Unknown Suspected	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Modern Fortification	Absent	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Moat	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Fortified Camp	Unknown Suspected	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Earth Rampart	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Ditch	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Complex Fortification	Absent Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Military use of Metals Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Iron	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Copper	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Bronze	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Projectiles Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Sling Siege Engine	Unknown Suspected	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Sling	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Self Bow	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Handheld Firearm	Absent	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Crossbow	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Composite Bow	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Atlatl	Absent	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Handheld weapons Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Sword	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Spear	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Polearm	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Dagger	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Battle Axe	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Animals used in warfare Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Elephant	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Donkey	Unknown Suspected	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Camel	Unknown Suspected	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Armor Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Unknown Suspected	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Shield	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Scaled Armor	Unknown Suspected	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Plate Armor	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Limb Protection	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Leather Cloth	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Laminar Armor	Unknown Suspected	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Helmet	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Chainmail	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Breastplate	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Naval technology Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Unknown Suspected	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Present Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Unknown Suspected	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Absent Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Present	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Absent Inferred	320 CE 550 CE
Loading...

Human Sacrifice Gupta Empire (in_gupta_emp)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More