Paintings

Painting made great advances in the Gupta period. The most famous painting of the Gupta period are the caves of Ajanta. These painting are known as frescoes. In the caves of Ajanta the artists observed a particular technique for doing their work. The rock walls of the cave were first covered with a mixture of clay, cow dung and smashed rock. On top of this a thin coat of lime plaster was applied. It was then smoothened and kept damp. On this surface the outline of the design was first sketched in dark colors like dark brown or black. After this was done it was filled in, using a variety of colors like white, red, blue, dull green and brown. The theme of these paintings was from the Jataka tales, a collection of stories about the life of the Buddha. The paintings depict the Buddha in various stages of his past and present lives.

Sculptures

The Gupta period developed a form of sculpture that was wholly Indian, the foreign influences that had crept in the Gandhara and Mathura schools of arts disappeared.

• Most of the images are standing and slender.
• The forms become sophisticated and proportionate.
• Halo becomes more refined and decorative.
• The sculptures represent watered transparent draperies.
• Depicts elements of continuity from Kushanas.
• The face is more rounded rather than ovalish as in Mathura.
• Vishnu images are more developed and refined.

All ten incarnation of Vishnu were shown. The most famous are the shayan image of Vishnu at Deogarh and Vraha avtar image at Udayagiri cave nearVidisa.

'Gadda devi' and 'Chakra Purusha' developed during this period.

'Ekavali'-a string of pearls become important decorative ornament.

Images of flying Gandharvas and Mukhalingas were popular.

The seated Buddha from Sarnath and the standing Buddha from Mathura are the best examples.

Temple architecture

The Guptas focused on temples, unfortunately most of them were destroyed by invaders. Guptas were the first to appreciate potentiality of dressed stone for temple construction, hitherto temples were made of timber or other perishable material. A firm foundation of temple architecture was laid in the Gupta period, when the basic characteristic elements of the Indian temples-consisting of square sanctum and a pillared porch-emerged. The Sikhara developed during this period. The ornamentation on the doors and pillars included goblins (ganas), couples(mithunas), flying angels(vidya dharas), doorkeepers(dvarapalas) and a significant figure relief in the centre of the lintel, symbolic of the diety to whom the shrine was dedicated.

Terracottas

The Ganga and Yamuna figures are the finest terracotta of Gupta period. Ganga is identified with crocodile and Yamuna with tortoise. Various other terracotta of this period have been found at Rajghat(Varanasi).

Significance of the Gupta Age

Unification of the country :- Guptas were able , versatile and mighty sovereigns , The reigns of Gupta sovereigns ushered in an Era of a strong , centralized , orderly and uniform government and progress .

Growth of Trade and Commerce :- Internal and external trade flourished eg with Roman Empire , eastern countries . Heaps of foreign gold coins were pouring in the country . India’s ancient foreign relations which receive setback for some years were again established with all grandeur and honour .

Revival and Progress of Sanskrit

The Sanskrit language was revived and the Gupta emperors liberally encouraged its Use . Several literary works of great merit were produced . World renowned poets like Kalidas , grammarians and statesmen like Viren Sab , dramatists like Visakhadatta and Sudrak , celebrated  , Buddhist philosophers and authors like Asanga flourished in the Gupta period .

Establishment of the Hindu Empire: - Guptas are described as the last great Hindu empire builders. Gupta’s powerful patronage gradually and peacefully revived the supremacy of Brahmanism which was temporarily ousted by Buddhism.

Temple Architecture: - The Gupta Period marks the ushering in a new age , which is particularly connected with the growth and development of the temple .”Unfortunately few Gupta temples and buildings have survived the destruction carried on by the Huns and Muslim invaders but the few that exist testify the excellence of the architecture of the times. E.g. dasavatar temple at deogarh in Jhansi district, bhitargaon near Kanpur.

Coins-ancient india

The earliest coins of India have only figures, devices or symbols, and no legends.

Gold Coin=80 Krishnalas Silver currency consisted of Krishnala, Masha, Dharmna, Shatamana.

Copper coin was called karshapna. Abbreviated form of Karshapana was Pana.

Smallest coin was 1/8 Pana. (Age of Dharma Shastras).

6th to 4th century B.C.

Karshapna (or Kahapana) weighed 140 grams.No silver coins were used .No fixing of market price by the government.

Daric: Standard gold coin of Persia.

The Kushan kings issued ‘dinar’ type of gold coins. They did not issue any silver coin. Kadphises I issued copper coins bearing the figure of Heracles. Kadphises II (Verma Kadphises) issued gold coins bearing the figure of Lord Shiva.

Coins of Gupta

The coins of Samudragupta: of 8 different types; all gold. Excepting the Tiger and Lyrist type (free from all traces of foreigh influence), all other coins bear legends. The standard type coins are most numerous. The peaked or conical head-dress of the Kushana is replaced by a close-fitting cap or an Indian turban (in some coins) king is bare headed). In place of Ardochso, Indian goddesses are substituted. He did not issue any silver coins.

Sir Richard Burn found silver coins out of which 9 were those of Sri Pratapasila, 284 of Sri Siladitya and one of Harsha.

The largest number of coins we get are from the post-Mauryan times. However, the Guptas issued the largest number of gold coins.

The punch-market coins, made of silver are the earliest coins (dating form the 5th century B.C.), of India. These are found in Bihar and eastern U.P.

The Greeks were the first rulers in India to issue coins which can be definitely attributed to the kings. They were also the first to issue gold coins in India.

Painting

The frescoes of Ajanta and Ellora caves, The Bagh caves, the Sittanavasal temple in Tamil Nadu and rock cut chambers at Sigiriya in Sri lanka are the most celebrated examples of Gupta paintings.

Ajanta caves

The substantial remains of paintings are available only in caves numbered 1,2,9,10,11,16 and 17.

Cave No.1: Illustration of Boddhisatva Padampani Avalokiteshyara.

Cave No. 16: Scene of the Dying Princess .

Cave No. 17: Mother-and-Child group. This cave is of Vihar type.

Cave No. 19: It is of chaitva type.

There are 30 caves at Aianta: five of them are Chaitya temples and the rest are halls and cells.

Ellora caves

There are 34 caves: 12 Buddhist caves (belonging to the 7th century), 17 Hindu caves and 5 Jain caves. Hindu caves belong to 8th and 9th centuries, and Jain caves to the 10th-13th centuries. Kailash (8th century): It is the largest rock-hewn cave temple in India: 276 feet long and 154 feet wide with a scrap of 107 feet deep at the back; erected by Krishna I Rashtrakuta (758-73).