1. The Gupta Empire320-550 CE By: Matt Boebinger, Sarah Cherry, Nirav Patel, Lauren Sibille

2. Preconditions of the Gupta Empire • Regional kingdoms tried to unite India but were unsuccessful until the Guptas. • The clearing of jungle lands provided fertile lands. • Northern empire at the foothills of the Himalayas in the Ganges River Valley. The southern empire was made up of river valleys and jungles. • After the decline of the Kushan empire, many regional kingdoms fought for power before the emergence of the guptas • The one advantage that the Guptas had was their knowledge of sophisticated war weapons such as siegecraft and catapults.

3. Ideology for the Guptas • Chandra Gupta allied himself with powerful families in the Ganges region. • While Samudra Gupta and Chandra Gupta II did conquer regional kingdoms, they also allied themselves with those who elected not to fight.

4. Characteristics of a well-run empire • The Guptas built roads to further the trade between the Silk roads empires. • Known as the Golden Age of India when science, mathematics, astronomy, religion, and philosophy flourished. • Bureaucracy was run by regional allies • Sanskrit was the official language

5. Major results of the Gupta Empire • In the Gupta empire, there was stability and prosperity during the late fourth and early fifth centuries c.e. • The long distance trade on the Silk road brought wealth and knowledge from the other regions of the world.

6. The fall of the Guptas • Gupta Administrative techniques were not enough for their military short comings against mainly the White Huns. • They successfully blocked the invasion but severely depleted resources and weakened their state. • The Gupta dynasty continued only in name as regional governors usurped imperial rights and powers until the Mughal dynasty.