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GUPTA POLITY

GUPTA POLITY. A MEANINGFUL STUDY OF THE GUPTA POLITY HAS TO TAKE NOTE OF CERTAIN IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FIELD OF ECONOMIC,POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUG FIELDS. THE CHIEF ELEMENT IN THE ECONOMIC BACKGROUND OF THE GUPTA POLITY WAS THE EXCESSIVE PRE-OCCUPATION OF THE PEOPLE WITH THE LAND.

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GUPTA POLITY

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  1. GUPTA POLITY

  2. A MEANINGFUL STUDY OF THE GUPTA POLITY HAS TO TAKE NOTE OF CERTAIN IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FIELD OF ECONOMIC,POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUG FIELDS. • THE CHIEF ELEMENT IN THE ECONOMIC BACKGROUND OF THE GUPTA POLITY WAS THE EXCESSIVE PRE-OCCUPATION OF THE PEOPLE WITH THE LAND. • THE GUPTA KINGS GRANTED THE LAND TO THE BRAHAMANS IN THE BACKWARD AREAS. • THEY ALSO RECOGNIZED THE PRIVATE RIGHT IN LAND AND PERMITTED THE SALE AND PURCHASE OF LAND FOR THE RELIGIOUS PURPOSES. • HENCE THE ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE HAD TO BE SO DESIGNED AS TO ACCOMMODATE THIS EMERGING NEW PHENOMENA.

  3. THOUGH THERE WAS DECREASE IN THE VOLUME OF TRADE WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD,ARTS AND CRAFTS MADE VALUABLE STRIDES UNDER THE PROTECTIVE UBRELLA OF THE GUILD SYSTEM.

  4. A FACT OF CHIEF IMPORTANCE IN THE POLITICAL SITUATION OF THE GUPTA PERIOD WAS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE POLITICAL UNITY IN THE COUNTRY WITH THE DIGVIJAYA OF SAMUDRAGUPTA AND THE EXPEDITIONS OF CHANDRAGUPTA II IN THE WESTERN INDIA. • THE ASSUMPTION OF THE HIGH SOUNDING TITLES LIKE MAHARAJADHIRAJA,RAJADHIRAJA,PARAMMARAJADHIRAJA,RAJADHIRAJARSHI COUPLED WITH THE PARAMDAIVATA,PARAMESHWARA,PARAMBHATTARAKA HAD LED SCHOLORS TO BELIEVE THAT THESE TITLES EMPHASISE THE DIVINE NATURE OF THE MONARCHY.

  5. THE WORKING OF THE GOVERNMENT SUGGEST THAT THE GUPTA KINGS WERE NO DESPOTS OR ABSOLUTE MONARCHS.THEY RESPECTED THE ESTABLISHED LAWS AND THE CUSTOMS OF THE LAND.THEY WERE CULTURED AND OBSERVED VIRTUOUS CONDUCT AND SELF-RESTRAINT. • THEORETICALLY,HE OBSERVED RULES LAID DOWN BY THE SMRITIS,THOUGH, IN ACTUAL PRACTISE THE BRAHAMANS,THE INTERPRETERS OF LAW ,ACTED AS A CHECK ON ROYAL POWER. • THE KING HAS TO CONTEND WITH THE MERCHANT AND CRAFTS GUILDS WHICH HAD A LEGAL STATUS WHOSE LAWS AND YSAGES WERE BINDING ON HIM,AN THE BENEFECIARIES AND FEUDATORIES WHO WIELDED CONSIDERABLE POWER.HIS AUTHORITY WAS THUS CIRCUMSCIBED BY THESE CHECKS.

  6. THERE WAS A MANTRIPARISHAD WHO ALSO ACTED AS A CHECK ON THE DESPOTIC ACTIVITIES OF THE KING. • THE POST OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS WERE HEREDITARY AND THEY WERE PRESIDED OVER BY THE MANTRIMUKHYA OR THE PRIME MINISTER. • HIGHER FUNCTIONARIES WERE OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE MAHAMTRAS(UNDER ASHOKA) AND KUMARAMATYAS(PRINCELY MINISTERS) FROM THE GUPTAN TIMES.

  7. THE GUPTAS MAINTAINED A WELL-EQUIPPED AND A STRONG ARMY.THEY ALSO POSSED A FLEET.THE WAR OFFICE LOOKED AFTER THE LIMBS OF THE ARMY IN ADDITION TO THE COMMISSARIAT AND ADMIRALITY.THE GUPTA RECORDS REFER TO A NUMBER OF ARMY OFFICIALS. • MAHABALADHIKARITA---------COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMY. • MAHABALADHYAKSHA---------SUPERINTENDENT OF THE ARMY. • PILUPATI-------COMMANDANT OF THE ELEPHANT CORPS • ASVAPATI---------IN-CHARGE OF THE CAVALRY. • RANABHANDARAKA---------IN-CHARGE OF WAR FINANCES. • OTHER OFFICERS MENTIONED ARE MAHASARVADANDANAYAKA,SARVADHYAKSHA AND BALADHIKARNA.

  8. THERE WAS NO ELABORATE SYSTEM OF TAXATION DURING THE GUPTA PERIOD.THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF REVENUE WAS THE LAND TAX. • WE ONLY KNOW TWO KIND OF TAXES----- • BHAGA:A TAX PAID BY THE PRIVATE LANDOWNERS. • BHAGABHOGA:A TAX PAID ON CROWN LANDS. • IT APPEARS THAT THE TAXATION SYSTEM WAS VERY LIGHT AS THE GUPTAS DID NOT MAINTAIN A LARGE ADMINISTRATIVE ESTABLISHMENT.

  9. IT MUST GO TO THE CREDIT OF GUPTAS FOR EVOLVING THE FIRST SYSTEMATIC PROVINCIAL AND LOCAL ADMINISTRATION WHICH WAS PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH THE COLLECTION OF REVENUE AND THE MAINTENANCE OF LAW AND ORDER. • THE EMPIRE WAS DIVIDED INTO THE BHUKTIS(PROVINCES) WHICH WERE SUB-DIVIDED INTOVISAYAS(DISTRICTS). • THE BHUKTIS WERE PLACED UNDER THE CHARGE OF UPARIKA MAHARAJA AND THE VISAYAS WERE HEADED BY VISAYAPATIS. • THE OTHER OFFICIALS ARE AS FOLLOWS------- • VISAYADHIKARANA:OFFICER IN CHARGE OF VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS. • SAULIKA:SUPERINTENDENT OF TOLLS AND CUSTOMS. • GAULMIKA:SUPERINTENDENTS OF FORESTS AND WOOD. • DHRUVADHIKARANA:SUPERINTENDENT FOR THE COLLECTION OF THE ROYAL SHARE OF THE PRODUCE • BHANDAGARADHIKRITA:OFFICER IN-CHARGE OF DISTRICT TREASURY. • UTKHETAPITA:COLLECTOR OF TAXES. • VISAYAS WERE DIVIDED INTO THE VITHIS.THE LAST UNIT OF ADMINISTRATION WAS THE VILLAGE ,HEADED BY THE GRAMINI.

  10. THE CITIES HAD THEIR OWN ADVISORY COUNCILS OR PARISHADS.THE ADVISORY COUNCILSCONSISTED OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE DIFFERENT INTERESTS OF THE LOCALITY • THE IMPORTANT FUNCTION OF THE CITY COUNCILWAS THE IMPROVEMENT OF CIVIC AMENITIES. • THE COUNCIL CONSIDERED THE SALE AND PURCHASE OF FALLOW LAND AND HAD A SAY IN THE RURAL AFFAIRS. • THEY SUPERVISED LAW AND ORDER,ECONOMIC AND OTHER CORPORATIONS,CIVIC LIFE AND CLERICAL BUSINESS. • THEY WERE CONTROLLED BY THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT THROUGH ITS REPRESENTATIVE PURAPALA UPARIKA.

  11. GUILDS • THE PROMINENT ROLE THAT THE GUILDS OF ARTISENS AND MERCHANTS PLAYED IN THE URBAN ADMINISTRATIONAND THE OTHER EVIDENCE LIKE THE SEALS AND INSCRIPTIONS POINT TO THEIR FLOURISHING AGE. • THE TITLES LIKE DASA,DATTA,NANDIN,PALA,SENA,SIMHA AND THE LIKE INDICATE THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE DIFFERENT CASTES WERE ADMITTED INTO THE GUILD. • THE MERCHANT OR THE CRAFT GUILD HAS THE LEGAL STATUS. • IT COULD POSSESS CORPORATE PROPERTY AND EVEN MAKE ITS OWN RULES AND REGULATIONS AS FAR AS THEY ARE NOT AGAINST THE LAW OF THE DHARMASHASTRAS OR THE KING. • THE GUID COULD APPOINT HONEST MEN BY ELECTION AS ITS EXECUTIVE OFFICERS TO PUNISH TRANSGRESSORS. • THE GENERAL BODY OF THE GUILD COULD ELECT THE PRESIDENT AND THE EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND COULD REMOVE THEM IF THEY FOUND GUILTY IF THE OFFICER IS TOO STRONG THE GUILD APPEAL TO THE KING WHICH FOLLOWS THE INTERVENTION BY THE KING. • THE KING COULD ALSO INTERFERE TO PREVENT UNLAWFUL COMBINATIONS ,STRIKES AND FIGHTING AMONG THEMSELVES OR WHEN THE GUILD UNDERTOOK WORKS OPPOSSED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC INTEREST. • AS A FULLY ORGANISED BODY IT GAVE BONUSES,LEAVE,PENSIONS,PROVIDENT FUND,ETC FOR THE WORKERS.

  12. FEUDATORY NATURE • THEY ACCEPTED THE SUZERAINITY OF THE EMPEROR AND AGREED TO PAY ANNUAL TRIBUTE.THE SUZERAINITY WAS MORE NOMINAL THAN REAL. • THE VASSALS WERE REQUIRED TO ATTEND IMPERIAL COURT ONCE A YEAR AND PAY TRIBUTES. • THEY MAITAINED THEIR OWN OFFICER AT THE IMPERIAL COURT.SOMETIMES THEY GAVE THEIR OWN DAUGHTERS IN MARRIAGE TO THE IMPERIAL HOUSE. • THE EMPEROR RARELY INTERFERED IN THE INTERNAL ADMINISTRATION OF THE UNLESS IT IS PREJUDICIAL TO THE INTERESTS OF THE EMPIRE.

  13. ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE • THRE WERE GRADATIONS OF THE COURTS,FROM THE CHIEF COURT TO THE LOCAL COURT. • A CLEAR DEMARCATION WAS MADE BETWEEN THE CIVIL AND CRIMINAL COURTS. • THE COURT WAS THE SABHA PRESIDED OVER BY THE PRADVIVAKA(CHIEF JUSTICE). • BELOW THEM WERE WERE THE COURTS OF AMATYAS,SAINIKA,KULA,SRENI,GANA AND OF MERCHANTS. • LOCAL COURTS DEAL WITH CIVIL CASES. • A FEATURE OF THE JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION OF THE WAS THE PREVELANCE OF ARBITRATION OF JUSTICE.IT CONFERRED TWO IMPORTANT ADVANTAGES---------- • 1)THE EXPERTS IN LAW EXAMINED THE CASESAND SETTLED DISPUTES THAT CAME UPBEFORE THE COURTS. • 2)IT REDUCED LITIGATION.

  14. CONCLUSION • THE TONE OF THE GUPTA ADMINISTRATION WAS NOT AS RIGOROUS AS THAT OF THE MAURAYAS.THE GUPTAS GAVE UP THE USE OF ORDEALS.

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