Outline Lecture Ten—The Gupta Empire’s Impact on Hindu Ethics
I) The Gupta Empire (320 to mid-5th century C.E.)
a) Founding of the Empire
i) Chandra Gupta I conquests from the state of Magadha
ii) Old Mauryan capital at Pataliputra
b) Expansion of the Empire
i) Samudra Gupta (335-375 C.E.)
(1) Alliances and administrative autonomy to local rulers
ii) Chandra Gupta II (375-415 C.E.)
(1) Image as a “Chakravartin” or “universal sovereign”
c) “Golden Age” of classical India?
i) Promotion of learning
(1) “The Nine Gems”
(2) Great advancements in mathematics and astronomy
ii) Signs of social stability after centuries of tribal warfare
iii) Question of Eurocentric bias?
(1) Prominence of Greek influences in Gupta art
(2) Bias of 18th century European linguists towards Sanskrit
iv) A Chinese Account of Gupta period
(1) Faxian’s travelogue from 405-411 C.E.
II) The Impact of Gupta Culture
a) Gupta Religious Pluralism
i) Tolerance and support for religious traditions
ii) Adoption of Vishnu as their imperial patron god
iii) Impact of Gupta religious patronage in popularizing Hinduism
b) The Dissemination of Hindu Values
i) Patronage of the works of Kalidasa
ii) Models of Hindu ethics
(1) Figure of Shiva
(a) Asceticism and self-denial
(2) Figure of Charm as embodiment of feminine ideals
(a) Sati: “Wife follows mate is the law of nature’s making”
(b) Dharma of a wife
(3) Parvati’s feminine modesty
(a) Vow of celibacy after being rejected by Shiva
(i) “All actions of a holy life/Are rooted in a virtuous wife”
(4) Figure of Kumara in defeating the demon Taraka
(a) “Equipoise” or balance of action and contemplation, power and duty