Discuss the socio economic condition of India during the rule of imperial gupta
Answers
The Gupta empire was an ancient Indian empire which lasted from the 3rdcentury CE to 543 CE. This period is considered as the Golden Age of India. The empire was founded by King Sri Gupta. The most notable king of the dynasty was Chandragupta I and Chandragupta II and Samudragupta.
Various activities had given energy to the Gupta empire`s economy. Agriculture provided primarily subsistence and source of many export goods. The river Ganga, Brahmaputra, Narmada, Godavari and Krishna provided the source of irrigation.
Land ownership and share cropping system was prevalent. Industries of handicrafts flourished and provided earning for many citizens. Textile was too a flourishing industry .Various sources of thread like wool and animal skin were processed to make good quality cloth.
Ivory and bones were carved to create statutes. Feathers were used to make fans. The abundance of Gold, Silver and Copper in the rocks allowed the ruler to produce coin which glorified the period.
The economic condition of the empire was very stable as a result the said period flourished economically. However the social condition did not match the greatness of economic development. The social structure of the empire was influenced by religion
The society was divided by caste system. The highest class composed of Brahmins, underneath that were the rulers and warriors followed by merchants and artisans and lastly the untouchables.
The people from different classes did not mingle with each other. Men had more rights than women. The women were always in the background and were not respected. Thus the society was highly divided on the basis of caste, creed, or gender.