The Gupta are a dynasty which reigns on the north of the India of the middle of the 3rd century with 535. Their origin remains mysterious and it is probable that they were first of all a clan of râjas to the head of small states in the valley of the Gange and of its affluents.

At the time of his visit in India during the 7th century, the Chinese pilgrim Yijing takes note of a king named Srî Gupta which would have built a temple intended for the Chinese pilgrims close to Mrigasikhavana. However Yijing claims that it reigned 500 years before what seems to give an incorrect date historically.

Basing itself on the traditions and found inscriptions with Prayâga, one agrees to think that Srî Gupta , first Gupta, reigned of 240 with 280 and its successor Ghatotkacha probably of 280 with 319, both bearing the title of Mahârâja .

Chandragupta , the son of Ghatotkacha, makes an important political marriage by marrying Kumarâ Devî, a princess Lichhavî, the principal power of the Magadha, the north of the current Bihar. Henceforth main of Pâtaliputra and combined of an big family, Chandragupta gets busy to ensure and increase its capacity by making the conquest of Magadha, Prayâga and Saketa. He is then the Master of the valley of Gange and is made give the title of mahârâjadhirâja or large king of the kings .

Samudragupta , the untiring conqueror, succeeds his Chandragupta father in 335. It seizes the kingdoms of Shichchhatra and Padmavati, at the beginning of its reign. Later, it subjects the kingdom of Kotah, attacks the tribes of the Mâlvâ, Yaudheya, Arjunayana, Abhira, demolishes the Koushan Mathurâ. Perhaps it turns then to the Dekkan, continues its conquests until Kânchîpuram but fails to subject the Western coast of the sub-continent. Going up in its stronghold, it seizes the Bengal until the Brahmapoutra. It does not control however the center of India beyond the Narmadâ, making rather from the agreements with the Pallava and the Vâkâtaka which are Masters. Samudragupta would have practiced a Ashvamedha or sacrifice of the horse to celebrate its conquests and strikes an illustrated gold currency of a horse, by perhaps using the spoils of its southernmost forwardings. Its field extends to its death from the Yamunâ in the west in Brahmapoutra in the east, and from the Himalayas in north until Narmadâ in the south. Excessively pious person of Vishnou, it makes however shown tolerance towards the shivaïtes and the Bouddhiste S.

Râmagupta succeeds his/her father but is captured by the Kshatrapa Shaka or is assassinated by his/her Chandragupta brother who goes up on the throne after having married the widow.

Chandragupta II - also called Chandragupta Vikramâditya - reign of worms 375 with 413. He marries Prabhavâti, the girl of the râja Rudrasena II of the Vâkâtaka which becomes an ally of value. Chandragupta continues the conquests of his/her father, pushing back the Western borders, demolishing the Saka satraps of the Mâlvâ, seizing the Goujerat and the Saurashtra in a campaign which lasts until in 409 and during which it crushes its principal enemy, satrap indo-Scythian of Ujjain Rudrasimha III in 395. It subjects in the same way the râjas Bengal. At the conclusion of these campaigns, it is with the head of an empire which extends from one coast to another, it establishes one second capital with Ujjain, perhaps forsaking its original capital of Pâtaliputra, the news being more practical to manage the trade in the north of India. The Empire is then with its apogee. Although resulting from warlike campaigns, it is an important center of civilization for art, the literature, the culture and the science, of which the pilgrim Bouddhiste Chinese Faxian makes a very positive description. Kumarâgupta Ier , the son of Chandragupta, assembles on the throne in 414. Perhaps it would have been preceded (according to R.N. Saletore) by the court reigns of Govindagupta Balâditya Ier . It preserves the Empire and its prosperity, but the end of its reign is disturbed by the threat of kings Pushyamitra, perhaps a tribe Shvetahûna installed with the sources of the Narmadâ.

Skandagupta , his/her son, succeeds to him in 455. He draws aside the threat of kings Pushyamitra. Like its ancestors, it is a tolerant man, and although of faith vishnouite, it makes contruires temples with Shiva or Sûrya and made many equipments with the jain S. Cependant, also, must face him the end of its reign to an invasion of the shvetahûna which weaken its empire, the fall of gold titration of the currencies which it strikes in would be Lea demonstration. Skandagupta is regarded as the last of large Gupta. He dies in 467.

He succeed his/her brother Pûrugupta (467 - 472) then his son Narasimhagupta-Balâditya (472 - 473) and Kumarâgupta III (473 - 476) during the reign of which the Empire loses its Western possessions with the profit of the Valabhî.

Come then, reigning since Pâtaliputra, Budhagupta (476 - 496) the possible founder of the university of Nâlandâ, then Narasimhagupta II (496 - 510), then Prakâshâdityagupta and Vainyagupta . Empire divided and weakened dark in chaos.

See too

• Sassanides : their empire in Persia was contemporary of Gupta.

• : Mini-site of the exposure the Golden age of traditional India. Empire of Gupta. with the national Galleries of the Large palace in Paris from April 4th to June 25th, 2007. Exceptional presentation of works preserved for the majority in Indian museums, the French collections for this period being rather poor.