Gupta Empire - Administration, Founder, Rulers, Period | Ancient History for UPSC Prelims & Mains

Summary

This educational video script delves into the Gupta Empire's administrative structure, highlighting its unique blend of centralized and decentralized governance. It explores the significance of the land grant system in fostering feudalistic tendencies, the rise of local power centers, and the core-periphery model of administration. Key rulers and their impact on the empire's expansion are mentioned, alongside the various levels of provincial and central administration, emphasizing the complexity and adaptability of Gupta rule.

Takeaways

• 📚 The Gupta Empire is a significant topic in Indian history, with a unique administration system that's not commonly covered in standard books.
• 🏛 The Gupta administration had a decentralized structure with a core area and a periphery, where the core was under direct control and the periphery was managed through local power centers.
• 🕰 Understanding the Guptas requires knowledge of the post-Mauryan period and the timelines of North and South India, which includes various dynasties like the Shungas, Indo-Greeks, Sakas, and Kushanas in the North, and the Satavahanas in the South.
• 💼 The land grant system played a crucial role in the Gupta period, initially given to Brahmins and Buddhists for appeasement and later to officers as a form of salary, leading to the rise of landed intermediaries and localization of power.
• 🌐 The concept of suzerainty emerged from the land grant system, creating a feudalistic tendency where power was decentralized and local power centers, such as maharajas and mahabhajas, gained significant influence.
• 🛡️ The Gupta Empire's core area was around Patliputra and Koshambi, while the periphery extended to the northwestern sector, controlled by local power centers rather than direct governance.
• 👥 The provincial administration was divided into levels, starting from the highest level of 'Uparika' or governor, followed by 'Vishapati' for subdivisions, and 'Gramika' for village-level administration.
• 🏢 Central administration in the Gupta Empire involved various departments overseen by 'Kumara Matyas', high-ranking officials equivalent to ministers or department heads, and 'Amateurs' who were ground-level officers.
• 🔑 The rise of the Guptas was facilitated by the weakening of the Kushana Empire, where the Guptas, originally feudatories, took over power as the central rule declined.
• 🗺️ The Gupta Empire's administration was complex, with a mix of centralized control in the core areas and a suzerain-based model in the periphery, reflecting a feudalistic but not feudal system.
• 📈 The Gupta period was not only administratively significant but also marked a golden age of cultural and scientific development, although the focus of this script is on administration.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the video script provided?

The primary focus of the video script is to discuss the Gupta administration, including its structure, the concept of provincial and central administration, and the development of feudalistic tendencies during the Gupta period in ancient India.

What is the significance of the Gupta Empire in the context of the video script?

The Gupta Empire is significant in the script as it represents a period of cultural and administrative development, with the script emphasizing the unique aspects of its administration that are not commonly found in standard books.

What are the two major dynasties mentioned in the script that were contemporaneous with the Guptas?

The two major dynasties mentioned in the script that were contemporaneous with the Guptas are the Kushanas in the northern sector and the Satavahanas in the southern sector.

What is the 'land grant system' discussed in the script, and why was it important?

The 'land grant system' refers to the practice of granting tax-free lands to Brahmins and Buddhists, which later extended to land grants in lieu of service to officers. It was important because it led to the decentralization of power and the rise of feudalistic tendencies, creating landed intermediaries and local power centers.

How did the Guptas rise to power according to the script?

The Guptas rose to power by emerging as one of the feudatories of the Kushanas. As the central rule of the Kushanas weakened, the Guptas, along with other feudal lords, overtook power and established their own empire.

What is the 'suzerain-based model' mentioned in the script, and how does it relate to the Gupta administration?

The 'suzerain-based model' refers to a decentralized structure of power where the king exercises control over local power centers or intermediaries, rather than having direct control over the entire empire. This model is related to the Gupta administration as it reflects the core-periphery concept where the core area had direct control, while the periphery was managed through local intermediaries.

What is the difference between the core area and the periphery in the Gupta Empire as discussed in the script?

The core area of the Gupta Empire, which was near Patliputra and Koshambi, had direct control and centralized administration. In contrast, the periphery was controlled by local power centers or intermediaries, reflecting a more decentralized form of administration.

What were the different levels of administration in the Gupta Empire as outlined in the script?

The different levels of administration in the Gupta Empire included the highest level of 'desha' or 'bhukti' under an 'uparika' (similar to a governor), the 'vishya' under a 'vishapathi' (akin to a district magistrate), an intermediary level under an 'ayukta', and the village level under a 'gramika' or 'grama'.

What role did the 'kumaramatiya' and 'amatya' play in the central administration of the Gupta Empire?

The 'kumaramatiya' and 'amatya' were high-ranking officials who headed different departments of the central administration. They were equivalent to ministers or secretary-level officials in modern terms, overseeing various aspects of governance such as foreign affairs, military, police, and taxation.

How does the script describe the relationship between the Gupta administration and the cultural developments of the Gupta period?

The script mentions that while the Gupta period is known as a golden age of cultural and scientific development, the focus of the script is specifically on the administrative aspects of the Gupta Empire, not its cultural or scientific achievements.

Outlines

00:00

📘 Introduction to Gupta Administration

The script introduces the topic of Gupta administration, emphasizing its significance and uniqueness not typically covered in standard books. It outlines the course structure for Baiju's exam prep, including a blend of current affairs and static content, exclusive to the app, and mentions the importance of the Gupta era within the broader historical context of North and South Indian timelines. The script also sets the stage for a detailed discussion on the Guptas' rise to power and their administrative strategies.

05:00

🏛 Feudalistic Tendencies and Land Grant System

This paragraph delves into the post-Mauryan period's feudalistic tendencies, particularly focusing on the land grant system prevalent during the Satavahana and Kushana periods. It explains how tax-free land grants were given to Brahmins and Buddhists, leading to the rise of landed intermediaries and the decentralization of power. The paragraph also discusses how these grants contributed to the emergence of the Guptas as a powerful dynasty, highlighting the shift from a centralized to a more feudalistic and decentralized power structure.

10:01

🌏 Core and Periphery in Gupta Empire

The script introduces the concept of core and periphery within the Gupta Empire, explaining how direct control was maintained in the core areas, while the periphery was managed through local power centers. It discusses the territorial extent of the Gupta Empire, the importance of the Kushanas and Satavahanas in the rise of the Guptas, and the administrative challenges posed by the feudalistic tendencies that characterized the period.

15:02

🛣️ Provincial Administration Structure

This paragraph outlines the structure of provincial administration in the Gupta Empire, detailing the hierarchical levels of governance from the highest level of 'deshas' and 'buktis' managed by 'uparikas' to the intermediate levels of 'vishyas' under 'vishapatis', and down to the village level under 'gramikas' or 'gramas'. It also touches upon the unique administrative setup for cities, governed by 'nigama sabhas', which were controlled by merchants due to the commercial nature of urban centers.

20:04

🏛️ Central Administration and Departments

The script describes the central administration of the Gupta Empire, focusing on the roles of 'kumara matyas' who acted as heads of various departments, such as foreign affairs, military, and finance. It also mentions 'amateurs' who were ground-level officers working under the 'kumara matyas'. The paragraph highlights the importance of understanding these administrative roles for historical and exam preparation contexts.

25:04

🌟 Gupta Empire's Cultural and Scientific Golden Age

While primarily focusing on administration, the script briefly acknowledges the Gupta period as a golden age of cultural and scientific development, with significant advancements in various fields. It mentions the emergence of Sanskrit and major developments in science and technology, noting that these topics, although important, are beyond the scope of the current lecture.

30:05

📚 Conclusion and Understanding Feudalistic Tendencies

The script concludes by summarizing the key points about Gupta administration, emphasizing the importance of understanding the provincial, central, and suzerain-based periphery administration. It distinguishes between the feudalistic tendencies in the Gupta Empire and the concept of feudalism, highlighting the unique characteristics of the Gupta administrative system and its impact on the political landscape of the time.

Keywords

💡Gupta Administration

The Gupta Administration refers to the governance structure of the Gupta Empire, an ancient Indian civilization known for its contributions to art, science, and culture. The video emphasizes the complexity of its administrative system, which included both centralized and decentralized elements. The term is central to understanding the video's theme of how the Gupta Empire was governed, with examples provided of the different levels of administration, such as the provincial and central levels.

💡Feudalistic Tendencies

Feudalistic tendencies in the video refer to the emerging patterns of decentralization and the rise of local power centers during the Gupta period. This concept is crucial for understanding the shift from a centralized to a more localized and suzerain-based power structure, where local rulers or intermediaries held significant autonomy. The script mentions this in the context of the land grant system and how it contributed to the rise of the Guptas as a powerful dynasty.

💡Land Grant System

The Land Grant System is a significant concept in the video that describes how land was given to individuals, particularly Brahmins and Buddhists, as a form of appeasement or in lieu of monetary salary. This system led to the creation of landed elites and intermediaries, which in turn introduced feudalistic tendencies and contributed to the decentralization of power. The script uses this term to illustrate the economic and administrative shifts that took place during the Gupta period.

💡Core and Periphery Concept

The Core and Periphery Concept in the video highlights the division within the Gupta Empire between the central, directly controlled regions (core) and the more distant, indirectly controlled regions (periphery). This concept is vital for understanding the varying degrees of control and autonomy within the empire's vast territories. The script explains that while the core areas experienced direct governance, the periphery relied on local power centers.

💡Suzerainty

Suzerainty, as discussed in the video, is a political relationship where a suzerain (the king) exercises control over a vassal (local power centers), who in turn has authority over smaller territories. This term is key to understanding the decentralized nature of the Gupta Empire's administration, where local rulers had considerable autonomy but recognized the suzerain's higher authority.

💡Brahmanical Resurgence

Brahmanical Resurgence refers to the period of renewed influence and power of the Brahmin caste during the Gupta era. The script mentions this in the context of the land grant system, where Brahmins were significant beneficiaries, which helped to solidify their social and economic status. This concept is important for understanding the religious and social dynamics of the Gupta period.

💡Kushanas

The Kushanas were a dynasty that preceded the Guptas and played a crucial role in the political landscape of ancient India. The video script uses the term to illustrate the historical context in which the Guptas rose to power, as the Guptas were initially feudatories of the Kushanas. Understanding the Kushanas helps to contextualize the Guptas' administrative and political strategies.

💡Satavahanas

The Satavahanas, also known as the Andhras, were a significant dynasty in South India during the same period as the Kushanas in the North. The script mentions the Satavahanas as an important regional power that contributed to the political and cultural tapestry of ancient India. Their mention in the video helps to provide a broader perspective on the Gupta Empire's place within the larger historical context.

💡Chola and Pandya

The Chola and Pandya are mentioned in the script as part of the Sangam polities in South India, which existed before the rise of the Satavahanas. These terms are relevant for understanding the regional powers and political entities that coexisted with the Gupta Empire, highlighting the diversity of political structures in ancient India.

💡Samantha/Maharathi/Mahabhoja

Samantha, Maharathi, and Mahabhoja are terms used in the script to refer to local power centers or intermediaries in the Gupta Empire's periphery. These terms are crucial for understanding the administrative structure of the empire, where these local rulers held significant authority within their territories but were under the suzerainty of the Gupta king.

💡Bhakti Movement

Although not the primary focus of the video, the Bhakti Movement is mentioned as a topic for a future lecture. The Bhakti Movement was a significant religious and cultural development in medieval India, emphasizing devotion and personal connection with the divine. Its mention in the script suggests the broader scope of the series, which includes cultural and religious aspects alongside administrative history.

Highlights

Introduction to the Gupta Empire's administration, emphasizing its unique aspects not commonly found in standard books.

Announcement of a new course starting tomorrow for mains preparation, integrating current affairs and static knowledge.

The course will be exclusive to the Baiju's Exam Prep app, with the first two sessions available on YouTube.

The importance of understanding the Gupta administration within the context of the post-Mauryan period and the rise of regional dynasties.

Explanation of the two different timelines for North and South India, crucial for understanding the Gupta period.

The role of the Satavahanas and Kushanas in the land grant system, leading to the rise of landed intermediaries and localization of power.

The concept of suzerainty and feudalistic tendencies in the Gupta Empire, marking a shift from centralized to decentralized power structures.

The Guptas' rise to power as a result of the weakening of the Kushana Empire and the increasing influence of local power centers.

The core and periphery concept in Gupta administration, distinguishing between areas of direct control and those governed by local intermediaries.

The structure of provincial administration, detailing the hierarchy from uparika to gramika.

The significance of the land grant system in the emergence of feudalistic tendencies and the rise of the Guptas.

The central administration's organization, with departments headed by kumara matyas and their subordinates, the amateurs.

The distinction between core administration in areas like Patliputra and Mathura, and periphery administration controlled by local power centers.

The importance of understanding the Gupta Empire's administrative structure for UPSC exam preparation, especially with recent exam trends.

The cultural and scientific significance of the Gupta period, considered India's golden age, though beyond the scope of this lecture.

The process of local powers emerging through land grants given to officers and brahmins, leading to the establishment of maharati and mahabhaja.

The difference between the Gupta administration's feudalistic tendencies and the concept of feudalism, highlighting the absence of serfdom.

Recommendation of Satish Chandra's book as a comprehensive resource for understanding the Gupta period and medieval Indian history.

Transcripts

hello and welcome to baiju's exam prep

iis as part of your knowledge series

today we'll be discussing a very

important concept which is the gupta

administration the gupta empire in

itself is a very big topic but we chose

a topic which we think is important and

you will not find it in standard books

whilst you will find a lot of material

related to maybe the cultural dimensions

or the cultural golden age of gupta when

we come to the administration itself it

is a peculiar phase and it is important

to understand what is the basic contours

of provincial administration and central

administration before i begin itself

we are starting our target mains

tomorrow a very important course for you

it will help you to current affairs and

static together so it is exclusive to

the baiju's exam prep app

and you need to download it through the

link given in the description below more

than that the first two sessions will

also happen on youtube thereafter that

we will fish we will totally migrate to

the buyers exam web app but the point

which i'm trying to say is this is a

very important course because it has

both two sessions on static two sessions

on current affairs and one session

specifically for ethics and one day on

sundays we'll be giving you five

questions which you can practice and

send us for evaluation so it's a

comprehensive course for your target

mains if you're giving the exam you

should be joining if you're still giving

it in the next year you should see what

the mains preparation looks like so the

first thing which i wanted to tell you

now let's move to what we have to

discuss today which is guptas and gupta

administration

now in order to understand gupta's

obviously you need to understand the

postmodern period because there is a

timeline in which everything is

happening and when it comes to ancient

or medieval timelines become important

because they give you a specific period

in which they work

so first thing is

there are two different timelines which

we which we with which we are working

first is

the north indian

and the second is

the south india

whilst the north indian works at

184 bce and we have to come till 100 to

200 ce

on the other hand when south indian we

will talk about from 300 bce

to 300

ce

see or ad same thing bc and bc same

thing the nomenclature has changed

in the north indian sector y is 184 bc

which is the basic date which we will

see for more and decline and in north

india we have a flurry of different

dynasties which come coming

where we have first the shungas

then the indo-greeks

thereafter the sagas

and then we have the kushanas

this is the basic timeline of north

india in south india till the rise of

shaakas we actually have the sangam

polities

and it is after the sangam politics that

we see that these

sativahanas rise in south india

shaakas are in between they are in this

deccan sector we have the shungas here

the indo-greeks this area shaka's used

to actually extend like this and then we

have these satvahanas in this sector but

as i told you there is a time gap

meaning when the shunga indo greeks and

sakhas are there at this point of time

we rather have chola cherapanda the the

satwana's have not risen the satwanas

when they will rise the whole of north

india will get consolidated under the

kushanas

so the point is where our story starts

today the kushanas and the satvahanas

are the two major dynasties which are

there at this point of time in northern

sector the kusanas in southern sector we

have the satmanas this is the basic

timeline which you need to know because

there are two different ones when i mean

sangam politics what i mean by that is

chola pandya remember

that this period is important because

after the shakas we have consolidation

so where we talk about the guptas we

already have the kushanas who are

predominantly there in north india and

in southern sector we have the

satavahanas along with the reminiscence

of whatever is left of the chora chela

pandya

now

a very important concept which you need

to understand first to move on to

gupta administration or anything related

to the guptas is what are the tendencies

which had developed during the post post

mauryan period because these tendencies

will become a reason why the guptas

themselves will rise because the guptas

were technically feudatories of the

kushanas for that i need to explain to

you what a feudatory would mean

so

the satwanas

specifically the satwanas are credited

for two very important things

along with the kushanas but more the

satwanas because satwanas were more

aggressive in this kushanas did have

this tendency which is what is called

the land grant system

which is that the satwana's because it

was the period of brahmanical resurgence

were very very aggressive in giving what

are called tax

free

land

grants

and these tax free land grants are are

the ones which you need to remember one

thing is these tax free land grants are

given to brahmins

and are also given to the next most

important the buddhists

so though these

were a brahmanical dynasty they also

gave it to buddhists but these tax-free

land grants what they actually do is

they create a chain they create a chain

in the concept of what we call as the

concept of

localization of power

the land-grant system initially starts

as brahmin and buddhist tax-free

land-grants but these classes these

varnas now start to become what are

called landed intermediaries and landed

elites

so

this tax-free land-grant tendency became

very very common during the satwahana

period and thereafter thereafter the

satavahanas

in this attendancy was inherited by the

guptas also

the kushanas did the same thing

but in a less aggressive way the point

is what the land grant system does is

these tax free land grants to brahms

buddhists and the corollary which is the

extension of this is that these tax-free

land grants start to go as land grants

in

lieu

of service

in lieu of service

means that once the state does not have

money they start to give their officers

land grants in their services meaning

for example you're an is officer now the

government of india does not have money

to give you so the government of india

rather says that you take 100 acres of

land in in and near mathura

and that is your salary itself so

initially they have the money to give to

the services or the officers of the of

the empire itself once they don't have

that what they do is that they start to

give land grants now what these two

processes are doing which are happening

simultaneously as the guptas are rising

is that first that the brahms

emerge as a very important landed

intermediary at the same time now

officers

have a lot of leverage because there is

localization of power localization of

power means is that because these are

tax free land grants these villages this

area used to come directly under the

officer or the brahmin so there is no

intervention of the state itself

all this land grant to brahms and land

grant in lieu of service what they do is

they introduce feudalistic tendencies in

india what do i mean by feudalistics and

tendencies it means decentralization of

power

and the word which we technically use is

called suzerainity

suzerainity is the concept of what we

call as decentralized structure of power

we have a centralized system in which

the king controls the officer the

officer gets a salary and the

officer is then answerable to the king

this is a centralized system in which

the king is directly controlling the

officer who is then directly controlling

the

the villages

on the other hand we have what is called

a decentralized structure which now is

becoming more and more common in the

uh post-mortem period which is called

the consular society in which the king

only exercises control

two local

power centers

the word sometimes we

were called maharatis and mahabhajas the

local power centers are nothing but

intermediaries

who actually were exercising the real

power on the

villages

so what this relationship is called is

called a relationship of suzerain

meaning

says between this the sovereignty does

not lie with the king itself it's a

system based on decentralization and

susanity so this society model is

developing or what we call as

feudalistic tendencies so reality itself

is feudalistic tendencies is developing

because these local power centers are

actually coming up because of this whole

land grant system so what you need to

understand is that whilst culturally it

is a very very important period the

gupta period administratively we see

that in the gupta period also we have

what is called the core and periphery

concept

so if any map you will see of the guptas

you will have a core area

wherein the core area would be near

partly putra near koshambi that whole

eastern sector but under samudra gupta

gupta empire had expanded till the

northwestern sector but that was totally

the periphery the periphery is always

controlled by the the local power

centers it is only the core area where

they actually have real control this

concept needs to be totally clear in

your mind because the question

which comes is that was it a centralized

administration no it was not a

centralized administration because it

was a way of having provincial and a

periphery based decentralized model so

we also we had sovereignty areas also

susannah t areas also but it was a

decentralized structure of

administration so land grant system one

thing given to the brahmins as a form of

appeasement for the the punya concept

and given to officers when the state

does not have money itself and it starts

to bankrupt itself this leads to over a

period of time feudalistic tendencies

rising in the indian subcontinent and

that feudalist tendency is very very

important because localization of power

creates local power centers and herein

lies the origin of the guptas

the guptas were actually one of the few

territories of the kushanas meaning

on the ruins of the kushana empire arose

a new empire that established its way

over substantial part of the empire

itself the guptas were possibly few day

trees of the kushanas in up and seem to

have succeeded without any considerable

time gap coming to power what do i mean

by that is see this means that in the

kusana empire

the guptas themselves were a small

feudatory were given either land grant

or were getting land grants from the

king this in turn what it did was that

these guptas once the kusana main rule

became very very the center became weak

the

periphery or the feudal tree overtook or

captured power this is a very important

tendency this will become a tendency in

the gupta pose gupta throughout the

period that is why

if during when gory will come when

ghazni was here there was total

political disarray because of the fact

that feudalistic tendencies had totally

taken over so what we see is that the

kushanas

had a very important core once in in

remember in a decentralized model

because it is based on dispersion of

power as soon as the king becomes weak

it is very easy for the feudatories to

break the ties so until unless the king

seems very very powerful the local power

centers

obey the over lordship this was ran off

or the society of the king once this

center becomes weak

they start to use our power so these

sativanas will have what are called

the wakatakas coming to rise again few

directories of the satwanas and in north

india we will have the guptas rising out

of the ashes of the kushana empire so

which are the important rulers who

actually

were instrumental in expanding the gupta

empire so we have shri gupta who's the

founder then chandragupta one samudrupta

the most important i've not given you

dates because you don't have to go into

dates that becomes too much and that

will become too much to understand also

so you only have to remember the basic

sequence

more or less were working with the same

model giving land grants to the officers

for their services so when we look at

the map of the guptas itself there's a

reason why we don't give a specific area

what we believe is

that from mathura

till the

gangatic valley or the gangatic area in

the west bengal sector

this was the core area

this was the core area

where there is centralized control

this centralized control is the way in

which the king

is working through his officers and we

will see they were called kumar

outside this zone however

the

gupta empire was actually quite big

the areas which you see other than what

we see as here the concept

this is the periphery

that though they have the area under the

gupta empire what we see here is that

this area which i'm marking as

horizontal lines

is part of the gupta empire

but they technically don't have direct

control

so in this core area the king has direct

control

while on the other hand in this

periphery

what we see is that there is

only

control over

local

power

centers

or intermediaries

and a word which rs sharma use is

samantha's

and you will also find the word

maha

bhoja

or

maha

rathi these are three words which are

used generally in inscriptions for these

local power centers the point is within

the core area they are having direct

control outside the core area in the

periphery they only have control over

these intermediaries and in a way that

would technically dictate how the

empire was working so in the gupta

empire itself when we're talking about

administration there are two things

which are working at the same time first

which is

the core area and second the periphery

area so there's centralized

administration also decentralized

administration also

under samudra gupta the core area would

be the biggest

but under vishnugupta it will shrink

down

the point is this changes with the power

of the king itself

maybe chandragupta one would be a little

bit less of the highest then comes down

as i told you that these samanthas maha

bhojas maharatis they actually wait for

the king to become weak

once they become weak they start to

parcel the whole empire itself

so before i go into the administrative

part which is the structure itself two

things i want you to be clear about

first is this timeline which we

discussed which is the two timelines

which we are working the north india and

south indian

then

how kusanas and satwana arise

out of the kushanas come out the guptas

but we needed to understand the land

grant system and the futuristic

tendencies which is rising out of it tax

free land grants given for given to

brahmins and buddhist for appeasement

and later to the officers because there

is no money there is no physical

currency to be given to the officers

that in turn leads to what we call as

feudalistic tendencies rising

one of the federatories of the kushanas

were guptas they came out of the kushana

empire and were able to use up that area

the major rulers are this but remember

gupta have two different types of power

one a centralized the other is

decentralized now let's look at their

administrative section and what are

these basic things which you need to

remember for the exam

i have a whole flow chart for this also

but let's first read it and understand

it

this is what is called provincial

administration meaning

how the whole empire

was divided

so the biggest so you remember that core

administration the king has officers

which we are going to discuss later but

right now what you need to understand is

that provincial administration there

would be levels of control so at the

highest level what we have is

this has

or

bhis

this is the whole empire was divided

into provinces called deshas and buktis

who was the officer who is to look after

it like a governor

the one is

uparikas

so he is the officer

so he's like the governor of the

province this is the first or the

highest level of

highest level of administration

then

the provinces were further divided into

vishyas meaning

one province would then further be

divided into

vishyas and here it's very easy visha

under a vishapathi

so this is the

first level

second level or the highest then second

highest

thereafter

we have the administration of the

district level

and there are different words which have

been used so we technically believe that

desha bhukti would be state level this

is technically district level

so when you want to become an ice

officer you want to become a vishyapathi

and under that you have an intermediary

zone the lowest would be the village

the village would be under a grammika

or a grammar and here there is an

intermediary level which works for which

we have a lot of different words such as

viti patta bhumi pataka and peta so we

let's would use the word peta

and it was then under an official called

ayukta

so if you actually look at it properly

what we see is the whole empire

is divided into provinces and bhuktas or

what under an uparika this to give you a

modern example would be like a state

and governor

that is the equivalence to it

then you have vishyas under a vishapati

this would be like a district

and it's magistrate dm

so what you want to become

then under that you have the vita pata

bhumi whatever you want to use under

ayukta or with maharata

so this is an intermediate level

and the lowest level would be the

village

under the grama or gramika

both words are used

now

cities had a separate administration

under the

nigamba sabhas meaning the nigama sabhas

were actually merchant control because

cities have commercial aspect so the

merchants used to actually control the

sabha the niga

so this is what is called the provincial

empire level administration

empire level administration this is the

basic structure and with the upsc asking

questions such as parganasuba sarkar in

2021 these type of questions become

important because they are based on a

basic concept of how the whole empire is

divided so you need to remember this is

the smallest unit this is the biggest

unit and you need to remember their

offices i've given you modern day

examples to give you a certain reference

points to understand what we're actually

doing

now

the next thing is

i have done provincial administration in

the periphery zones maybe this will also

not work this is mostly in the core

areas

in the periphery what would happen was

that the king would just control the

samantha

and that would be it the samantha would

have his own administration at the

village level the point is the kill king

did not have direct control to the

village only control to the samantha so

we are still in the core administrative

area then comes what are called the

central administration

central administration

is equally important because this is in

the core area of the core area of the

gupta empire

which is technically partly putra

mathura very core area

so

gupta kings assumed imperial titus such

as maharaja raja parambharthaka or

parmeshwara

what is more important to us is there

are seals and inscriptions will tell us

about different offices with different

ranks

in that we find two very important words

what we believe is

kumar

amatyah

is like a

ministerial

head meaning he's a head of the

department because the whole

administration was divided into

departments for example the land

department the finance department and

i'll show you that also and under him he

had amateurs

so to understand this you would like to

understand it like you have what is

called a secretary of a ministry and

then under him you have a lot of

additional secretaries

or joint secretaries so it is like both

are iis officers but actually there is

rank difference so kumara matia would be

ahead of the department on the other

hand amateurs would nothing be the

officers which do the administration on

the ground level so the term kumara

mathya occurs in the six vaishali seals

which have been found and they refer to

high ranking officers with an office adi

karna under them the designation of

ahmadiyya is

they are maybe officers under the

kumaramathyas kumara mathyas could be

equivalent to the royal blood also

princes of royal blood meaning a lot of

times

the princes used to be kumara mathias

and individuals of rank of kumara mata

sometimes had additional designations

also so the now when we summarize what

we are technically doing so we have the

uparika vishapati concept which is the

provincial administration

in central administration the king then

had

a lot of different departments through

which he used to actually work and all

these departments then used to have what

are called kumara mathyas as in charge

and then these kumara matayas then had

amateurs under them to give you an

example

the fact is that there are various

departments under which the guptas used

to operate under so for example kumara

matia we know is nothing but a high

official we have an in charge of foreign

affairs

the point is this is a department

for example you can think it off as the

foreign affairs

this is ministry of external affairs and

this person is the

in charge of that same way you have maha

bala

which is the commander of military

forces so this would be the defense

ministry

then you have the commander of cavalry

specifically bhattaswati which is

nothing but horses a very important

department

then you have the kutka or bilupata

which is the the elephant tree so these

three technically are like the different

chief of staffs meaning he would be the

commander-in-chief of everything then

you have cavalry and elephant both very

very important departments with two

different officers so these are kumara

mathyas

then you have the head of police

department the dhandapa shikharana which

is danda would technically be always be

referred to the police itself then you

have the shoal kika customs officer gst

officer then you have the hiranika and

the auriga which is the tax collector so

this is like the interim cash department

and then you have the

mahadandanayaka who's the chief justice

what do i mean by this is that the king

for example samudragupta would operate

all the different aspects such as

justice

revenue

the concept of

taxes in the form of because it's a

customs officer it is related to trade

police

military

and external affairs the basic

the king operates through these kumara

mathyas

so

before i end this session i would like

to give you a summary and before i take

the questions itself

a very simple concept is see

there is provincial

there is central

and there would be

a

periphery

suzer

zanity

based

administration the three types of

administration

in the provincial level we already saw

it

uparika

the vishapathi

the

we could use the petha's level and then

the gramika

then

at the central level

we have kumara

then the amatyah

and here we only have the king

and the maha

rati

maha

bhoja

or whatever you want to call him

samantha

this is the

core area

of the empire

and this is only where there is only

feudalistic

control

as i said this will vary from time to

time

but basically this is how the whole

administration was divided this

important concept uparika vishwapathi

then you can ayukta we can add it here

ayukita

and

then this is the basic way the whole

administration is done

then we have the different departments

so if you look at this

we actually see three different levels

of administration so gupta

administration is a little bit

complicated that is why you will not

find it in standard books you need to

understand that the whole empire was

actually divided into two parts which is

core area and periphery area in the core

area we have this whole

vishya

vishwapathi

and in the partly putra sector we have

kumara matyas

but in this periphery area

we technically have no direct control

they only control the maharati and

mahabhaja the maratha may have their own

administration so

this

is the easiest way to understand gupta

administration and i hope that now it is

clear basically provincial

administration remember the levels then

central administration remember the

levels the departments this box becomes

very very important for you because

these words have come in the exam in the

context of ancient indian history they

can ask you anything they can also ask a

question related to gupta administration

itself and the fact that you also need

to understand this feudalistic tendency

which will become too much because the

pushy booty dynasty harshwardhan was

again a feudatory of the guptas he will

come out like that this is a very

standard process which will be done

begin and by the early medieval period

we will have this properly

ingrained and institutionalized so with

this the main part is over let's look at

the questions which have been asked

land grants were only given to brahmins

in any office no land grants were mostly

given to brahmins and

the buddhist sometimes also to jains

initially it was that system it was

based on appeasement later it will be

given to officers when they are not able

to pay off their salaries okay

yes gupta empire was extremely important

when it comes to field of science and

technology but that is beyond the scope

of this lecture because we wanted to

concentrate on administration maybe

we'll have a separate video for that

gupta period is the golden age of

culture meaning you have sanskrit which

will emerge as very important from

arabata to varamira we have a major

development in science and technology

meaning the gupta period is considered

the golden age of cultural and

scientific development but as i said

that is a separate video altogether the

point is that we wanted to concentrate

here on administration

again

there's a good question how these local

powers emerged and how these local

centers or offices are the same there

are two ways see

one would be that

the king has already an officer

he was he was

first given a salary but then the salary

was not been the the state does not have

the capacity to give it so what they do

is they start to give land grants to him

that creates the first type of maharati

mahabharata the other would be

that the king gave a brahmin

a land grant

and that land grant in his generosity

was 100 villages now this brahman

himself can become a maharati

so the officer and the maharati mabuja

there are two types there could be one

which are directly created by land

grants one which could be created via

the salary and maharati or the land

grant concept

okay

kumara

is a generic rank it's a generic concept

it's like additional secretary what are

your additional secretary of secretary

of finance secretary of defense so

kumara mata mate are basic words which

are there they are not specific to

anything

dc this officer

for encouraging

itself his

basic designation is sol giga but he's a

kumara

also

okay

uh

uh it is important core periphery

concept is important to understand

because decentralization of publicity

remember

federalism and decentralization is very

different federal structure is not based

on this concept of over lordship while

society is based on overlordship a very

simple example is that when you're

preparing alone you have sovereignty

whatever you do in your room outside

your room it's totally on you you accept

you have sovereignty within outside also

internal external freedom both when you

prepare with your family with your

parents within your room you have your

own internal freedom which would be

sovereignty but outside that you accept

the over lordship of your mother or

father so that is the suzerain-based

model that your suzerain is your mother

father

outside the door of your room you have

to abide to the rules and regulations

and the basic with your parents want you

to conduct yourself but within your room

you have internal freedom society is

this only the marathi bhabhas have

internal freedom externally they will

accept the power of the king

okay

medievalistic best book is

any day satish chandra very good book

has everything related to this

uh we can say that we can say that

peripheries are weak areas can be one

easily in a way yes because these

maharati's mahabhutas don't have the

capacity to ward off invaders sure

very different gupta administration we

call it feudalistic tendencies but we

don't call it feudalism itself feudalism

is nothing it's a very different concept

with the king

then the knight

then the vassal and then the surf

here there is no concept of serfdom or

surf this is the way feudalism actually

works knight having control over the

vassal vassal having control over the

bonded labor king only having control

over the night this is not like that we

have feudalistic tendencies in the wing

in the in the way that the king acts

through local intermediaries it shows a

reminiscence but it technically isn't so

with this i would like to end this

session thank you so much i hope that

you learned something today with gupta

administration something new and you

understood the feudalistic concept i

will see you tomorrow at 3pm with bhakti

movement thank you see you take care bye

you