write a short note on:1.Examine the fa hsien views on Gupta society? 2.Religious Development during Gupta period?

 Introduction :

common  introduction for Gupta period

The Gupta period has variously been regarded as India's Golden Age or the Classical Age. It lasted for two centuries, beginning from the early 4th century and ending in about the middle of the 6th century CE. It is believed that the political peace secured by the Gupta dynasty and centered in the Gangetic basin, produced an unparalleled urbanity in which art, literature, religion, learning, and science flourished and reached "classical" perfection.

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 Society: From the account of Fa hsien

1.Examine  the fa hsien views on Gupta society?

2.Religious Development during Gupta period?

Fa hsien, the Chinese traveller refers to an idyllic and idealized Indian society in the 5th century. He describes the happy and contented people enjoying a life of peace and prosperity. They did not have to register their households or appear before magistrates.Pataliputra, 

The Gupta capital was the greatest country in the Middle Kingdom where inhabitants were rich and prosperous. Fa hsien describes how a procession of images used to be held every year. These were images of the Buddha and the Bodhisatvas. Interestingly the brahmanas on this occasion used to invite the Buddhas to enter the city. 

Thus he draws a picture of mutual admiration between the Buddhists and the brahmanas which may not have been true in all cases. Fa hsien draws a picture of social harmony as well. He says that the vaishya families establish houses for dispensing charity and medicines. The poor and the needy people used to receive all kinds of help from them.

Fa hsien’s account suggests that vegetarianism was practiced in India. However, there are evidences to suggest meat eating among the elites.

The Dharmasastras of this period elaborately deals with the slaves. It may indicate a greater use of the slaves than in the earlier period. The largest number of them must have been domestic slaves. However, the untouchables were prevented from carrying on domestic works and they formed the category of landless labour. Fa hsien tells us that the untouchables had to sound a clapper in the streets of the town to warn people about their presence.

In literature and arts women were idealized. They had to conform to the male ideals of perfect women and this reduced them to a subordinate position. Upper class women received education but were not permitted to take part in discussion. Their access to property and inheritance was limited. Early marriages, often pre-puberty marriages were advocated by the Sastric authorities. A widow was expected to live in austerity. The kshatriya women were expected to become sati. The earliest evidence of the practice of sati is recorded in the Eran inscription of Bhanugupta of 510 CE.

The royal women are seen on coins and seals. Queens appear on coins together with kings (The Chandragupta Kumardevi type of coin) or taking part in royal sacrifices (The queen of Samudragupta appears on his Asvamedha type of coins with a fly whisk perhaps ready for taking part in the sacrifice. She had to fan and bathe the horse).

Some degree of mobility among the jatis was accepted. A guild of silk weavers moved from Lata in south Gujarat to Mandasor and adopted professions of archer, soldier, bards and scholars. Some of these professions were definitely higher than that of a silk weaver. 

Religious Developments

The period witnessed the developments of a range of religions. Buddhism often had confrontations with Saivism. Being spread out through a vast terrain including India, Central Asia, China and South esat Asia it accommodated the practices current in these regions

Jainism received support from the merchant communities of Western India and the rulers of Karnataka. In the early part of the 6th century the Second Jaina Council was held at Valabhi. The Jainas also developed a series of icons of Mahavira and the Jaina teachers.

Worship of female deities associated with fertility was practiced among the indigenous people since the Harappan times. Female deities became the nucleus of a number of rites that were incorporated within Tantrism at a later period. The cult of Devi became all encompassing. She represented Shakti of Siva. Temples dedicated to Yoginis were popular in Central India

Worship of the consorts of male deities like Lakshmi, consort of Vishnu, Parvati, Kali, Durga, the various consorts of Siva became popular. 

Tantric beliefs also influenced Buddhism. Vajrayana, a new school of Buddhism developed in eastern India. Female counterparts were added to the existing male Buddhist deities. They were known as Tara and were the saviouresses. Buddhism, however, had a diminishing support from some of the rulers of this period. Rulers like Sasanka of Gauda was represented as hostile to Buddhism

Images emerged as the central object of worship and superseded Vedic sacrifice. The loss of importance of the priest in this system of worship as contrasted to his role in the Vedic sacrifices gradually led to the development of bhakti – devotional worship

The Gupta kings developed garuda, the mount of Vishnu as their emblem. They called themselves paramabhagavatas. Pancharatra was an important Vishnava tradition combining devotionalism towards Vishnu with ascetic and yogic elements. Non injury formed its important part.

To summarise, the Gupta period definitely reached a high level in terms of its cultural productions particularly in the field of Sanskrit literature and sculptural art. Still as we know that ‘Classical’ sets the standard for the subsequent ages, this notion regarding the Gupta age has now been regarded as inadequate. The classicism was actually viewed in isolation from the larger process of historical evolution. Besides, in terms of the general life of the common people the label ‘Golden Age’ for the Gupta period is again inappropriate considering the condition of the women and the lower castes in the society