History & Culture
Post-Mauryan and Gupta Age
GS Paper I
Post-Mauryan and Gupta Age — Quick Revision
One-page UPSC revision of c. 200 BCE–550 CE — post-Mauryan dynasties, inscriptions, art schools, Sangam texts, Gupta rulers, literature, science and temples.
SyllabusGS I · History of India (Prelims); Indian culture — salient aspects of art forms, literature and architecture from ancient times (Mains GS I)
A last-week sheet for the post-Mauryan and Gupta centuries. Inscriptions and authors are the highest-yield items.
Inscriptions — the Master Table
| Inscription | Place | Ruler / content | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heliodorus pillar | Besnagar (Vidisha) | Greek envoy devoted to Vasudeva | Prakrit |
| Hathigumpha | Udayagiri, near Bhubaneswar | Kharavela of Kalinga (Jain) | Prakrit |
| Nashik | Maharashtra | Gautami Balashri on Gautamiputra Satakarni | Prakrit |
| Junagadh (150 CE) | Girnar, Gujarat | Rudradaman I; Sudarshana lake | Sanskrit (first long one) |
| Rabatak | Afghanistan | Kanishka’s genealogy | Bactrian |
| Allahabad pillar | Prayagraj | Samudragupta, by Harishena | Sanskrit |
| Mehrauli iron pillar | Delhi | King “Chandra” (Chandragupta II) | Sanskrit |
| Bhitari | Ghazipur, UP | Skandagupta vs Hunas | Sanskrit |
| Junagadh (Skandagupta) | Gujarat | Sudarshana lake repaired | Sanskrit |
| Eran (510 CE) | Madhya Pradesh | Earliest epigraphic sati | Sanskrit |
Post-Mauryan Rulers
| Dynasty | Ruler | Remember |
|---|---|---|
| Shunga | Pushyamitra | Killed Brihadratha; Bharhut; Patanjali |
| Satavahana | Gautamiputra Satakarni | Defeated Nahapana; matronymics; land grants |
| Indo-Greek | Menander | Sakala; Milindapanho |
| Shaka | Rudradaman I | Junagadh; Sanskrit |
| Kushana | Kanishka | 78 CE; Fourth Council; Ashvaghosha |
Art Schools
| School | Stone | Patron | Themes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gandhara | Grey-blue schist | Kushanas | Buddhist; Hellenistic |
| Mathura | Spotted red sandstone | Kushanas | Buddhist, Jain, Brahmanical |
| Amaravati | White limestone | Satavahanas | Buddhist narratives |
Sangam Age
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| Grammar | Tolkappiyam |
| Ethics | Tirukkural (Tiruvalluvar) |
| Epics | Silappadikaram (Ilango Adigal); Manimekalai (Sittalai Sattanar) |
| Chera / Chola / Pandya | Bow / tiger / fish; Muziris / Puhar / Korkai |
| Roman trade | Arikamedu; Periplus; Roman coin hoards in the south |
High-yield facts
- Gupta era 319–320 CE; Saka era 78 CE; Vikram Samvat 57 BCE.
- Aryabhatiya — 499 CE; Varahamihira — Pancha Siddhantika, Brihat Samhita.
- Fa-Hien — Chandragupta II; Hiuen Tsang — Harsha.
- Deogarh (Dashavatara, stone) and Bhitargaon (brick) — early shikhara temples.
- Later Ajanta caves — Vakataka patronage.
Gupta Literature
| Work | Author |
|---|---|
| Abhijnanashakuntalam, Meghaduta, Raghuvamsha | Kalidasa |
| Mudrarakshasa | Vishakhadatta |
| Mrichchhakatika | Shudraka |
| Amarakosha | Amarasimha |
Traps to Avoid
- Satavahana matronymics ≠ matrilineal succession.
- Allahabad pillar: Ashoka’s edicts in Prakrit, Samudragupta’s prashasti in Sanskrit.
- Kumaragupta I — Nalanda, not Chandragupta II.
- Gandhara is mainly Buddhist; Mathura covers all three religions.
Related Topics
- Post-Mauryan Kingdoms and the Sangam Age
- The Gupta Age
- Post-Mauryan and Gupta Age — practice questions
- Early Medieval India
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