Question

examine the changes in economy and society of the guptas​

Answer 1

Explanation:

Structure

33.0 Objectives

33.1 Introduction

33.2 Administration under the Guptas

33.2.1 King

33.2.2 Council of Ministers and Other Officials

33.2.3 Army

33.2.4 Revenue Administration

33.2.5 Provinces, Districts and Villages

33.3 Economy

33.3.1 Agriculture

33.3.2 Crafts Production and Trade

33.4 Society

33.5 Let Us Sum Up

33.6 Answer to Check Your Progress Exercises

33.0 OBJECTIVES

After reading this Unit you shall be able to know about:

the administrative set-up of the Guptas,

the economic conditions under the Guptas in relation to agriculture, crafts production

and trade, and

the various aspects of social life during this period.

33.1 INTRODUCTION

After having made you familiar with an outline of the political history of the Gupta period

(Unit 32) we now take up certain other aspects of this period. There are a variety of sources

which tell us about economic, social, administrative and cultural aspects of this period.

These sources of information are: (i) inscription written on different materials like copper

plates, stone, clay seals; (ii) coins issued by rulers of different dynasties; (iii) material from

excavations; (iv) contemporary literature; and (v) accounts left by foreign travellers like

Fa-Hien.

In this Unit we shall tell you about the administrative set-up adopted by the Guptas. It will

also deal with the economic activities of the period and with different sources of state

revenue. The Unit also discusses the social conditions during this period.

33.2 ADMINISTRATION UNDER THE GUPTAS

We have already mentioned in Unit 32 that the Gupta kings did not interfere in the

administration of those regions where the kings had accepted their suzerainty. However, this

does not mean that the Guptas were ruling only through their feudatories. They had an

elaborate administrative system which was in operation in areas which were directly

controlled by them.

33.2.1 King

The King remained the central figure of administration. However, there was a considerable

change in the character of monarchy. We find that the Gupta monarchs adopted high

sounding titles like: Paramabhattaraka, Parama-daivata, Chakravarti, Paramesvara,

etc. For example, the Allahabad Prasasti of Samudragupta describes him as "equal to the

gods: Dhanada (Kubera), Varuna (Sea-God), Indra and Antaka (Vama), who ha