AMAZING FACTS ABOUT MADHYA PRADESH

INTERESTING INFORMATION

Mowgli was real life-character: Pench Tiger Reserve is the real land of Mowgli, " The Kipling country " and the area of the famous ''The Jungle Book". Rudyard Kipling was awarded the first noble prize for literature in 1907 for his brilliant work, which includes the jungle book. There existed a real human child who was nurtured by wolves. This child was caught by Leut. John Moor under the guidance of Col. William Sleeman in 1831. Rudyard Kipling took the clue from Willium Sleeman's writing on Wolf nurturing childrens and a book on "Camp life of Seoni" by R.A. Sterendale .

Mumtaz Mahal's death: Famous UNESCO World Heritage Site Taj Mahal is a Marble mausoleum, located in Agra city at Uttar Pradesh state is of Mumtaz Mahal. She was wife of Mughal emperor Shahjahan. She died in Burhanpur town on 1631 AD. This town is in south-west of Madhya Pradesh where she intially burried for next 06 months. Later here remains were shifted from Burhanpur to Agra. 

Pandit Ravi Shankar: Famous sitarist Pandit Ravi Shankar and the sarod player Ali Akbar Khan learned music in Holy city Maihar under Ustad Allauddin Khan. Maihar is about 40 km. from Satna city, 65km. away from Katni city, and 157 km. from Jabalpur city. 

Col. William Henary Sleeman: Britisher responsible for cracking down Thugee gangs (road-side robbers) of India during British rule in India in 18th century. There are some Thugs (dacoits) who had strangled to death more than 700 peoples using their turban. About 1300 persons were hanged till death on the charge of Thugee. At that time Jabalpur was headquarter of Thugee department. Sleeman also worked for restricting Sati ritual in local area in which widow jumps into bonfire to end her life on death of his husband. There is a small town called ‘Sleemanabad’ on the name of Sleeman, now a days gaining popularity due to presence of marble mines in area. Sleeman wrote many books also on local kingdoms, intelligence service etc. still referred by researchers, intelligence wings etc. His Descendents still use to visit India. 

Narmada river: Narmada river is much older then holy river Ganges. River Ganga came into existence after formation of Himalaya mountain ranges where as Narmada River was in existence when himalaya mountains were not present in earth. It is said that once in a year Ganga takes bath in river Narmada to purify itself which means Narmada River is considered superior than Ganga river. 

Narmada river valley This river valley is rich fossils. Here fossils of Dinosaurs, egg-shells of Dinosaurs, stone-age tools etc were found. Many fossils are dated about 60 million years old. Many fossils are yet to be discovered. 

Highest Tribal Population: Madhya Pradesh have highest tribal population in compare to any other state of India.

Marble mines: In Madhya Pradesh, mines of export quality marbles are present at Sleemnabad near Jabalpur city. 

School of Lord Krishna: Lord Krishna did his schooling from Sandipani Ashram in Ujjain. Here he met Sudama and became friends. 

Geographical Central Point of India: Geographical central point of India lies in Karondi village of Madhya Pradesh near by Katni District. 

Opium production: Madhya Pradesh is a prominent producer of Opium and Marijuana. It is produced in Mandsaur district 

Emperor Ashoka: Ashoka The Great was governor of Ujjain District of Madhya Pradesh before becoming king. He was married to the daughter of a businessman of Vidisha District. As she is not from Royal family, she was not given status of Queen and she spend her life away from palace. She has two children from Ashoka in which one is boy and another one is girl. Both the child spend their life is spreading message of Buddhism around the world. They visited Sri-lanka to spread the message of Buddhism their.

POPULAR PERSONALITIES

Some of the famous personalities from Madhya Pradesh are as follows:
Tansen: Father of Hindustani classical music, Tansen was from Behat near Gwalior. He was born in Brahmin Pandey family. In his childhood he use to scare people by producing voice of various animals. Her learned music from teacher named Swami Haridas. 

Baiju Bawra: One who managed to defeat Tansen in music competition. Baiju Bawra was born in Chanderi District of Madhya Pradesh. He was from Brahmin Mishra family. He was crazy in love with a dancer due to which “Bawra” means crazy word was added in his name. His teacher was also same Swami Haridas. 

Lata Mangeshkar: Unmatched legendry playback singer Lata Mangeshkar was born in Indore city of Madhya Pradesh. 

Trio brothers: Popular figures in Indian Film Industry Ashok Kumar, Anoop Kumar & Kishore Kumar were from Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh. They spend their childhood and initial days of youth in Khandwa town of state and till their death remain deeply attached with their home town. 

Jaya Bachchan: Senior film actress Jaya Bachchan was born in Jabalpur city of Madhya Pradesh. Her schooling was done in Bhopal, capital of State of Madhya Pradesh. 

Osho alias Acharya Rajneesh: Spiritual leader Osho was also born and grown up in Narsingpur district of Madhya Pradesh. He did his initial meditational practices in hills of Jabalpur. 

Chandrasekher Azad: Chandrasekher azad was born in Bhavra village in Jhabua District of Madhya Pradesh. He was from Brahmin Tiwari family and created history in Indian freedom struggle. 

Actor Sharat Saxena: Famous bollywood villain and now character artist Sharat Saxena was also from Satna town in Madhya Pradesh. His schooling & college was done from Jabalpur city.

Actor Arjun Rampal: Famous model turned bollywood actor Arjun Rampal was born in Jabalpur city of Madhya Pradesh. For sometime he studied here in Model High School. Here he spend intial days of his childhood and later moved to other place. 

Ajai Choudhry (Co-founder of HCL Infosystem): Father of Mr. Ajai Choudhry joined Indian Administrative Service of Madhya Pradesh cadre in year 1955. When he was posted in Jabalpur, Ajai Choudhry studied in Christ Church School in city and later studied Electronics & Tele-communications engineering in Jabalpur Engineering College in city. 

Ashutosh Rana: Famous character artist Mr. Ashutosh Rana in bollywood had roots in Madhya Pradesh state. Gadarwara was his native place and he studied in Chirst Church School in Jabalpur city. His college life is also associated from Madhya Pradesh(Sagar University) later he moved to Mumbai in Film Industry. 

Javed Akhtar: Famous story writer and lyricist in Indian Film Industry Javed Akhtar was born in Gwalior city of Madhya Pradesh. Later his studied in Aligarh & Lucknow. 

Adesh Srivastava: Famous music composer in Mumbai film industry Mr. Adesh Srivastava was also from Jabalpur city of Madhya Pradesh. He studied here in Model High School and often visits his native place to recall the memories.

INDIA AT A GLANCE

India Timeline

Indian timeline takes us on a journey of the history of the subcontinent. Right from the ancient India, which included Bangladesh and Pakistan, to the free and divided India, this time line covers each and every aspect related to the past as well as present of the country. Read on further to explore the timeline of India:

Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (9000 BC to 7000 BC)
The earliest records of the Indian history exist in the form of the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka. These shelters are situated on the southern edge of the central Indian plateau, in the foothills of the Vindhyan Mountains. There are five groups of rock shelters, each of them adorned with paintings that are believed to date from the Mesolithic Period right through to the historical period.

Mehrgarh Culture (7000 BC to 3300 BC)
Mehrgarh is one of the most significant sites belonging to the Neolithic Age. At the same time, it is one of the oldest sites that indicate the introduction of the concept of farming and herding. Situated on the Kachi plain of Baluchistan (Pakistan), it lies to the west of the Indus River valley. The site of Mehrgarh, spread over an area of 495-acre, was discovered in the year 1974.

Indus Valley Civilization (3300 BC to 1700 BC)
The Indus Valley Civilization was discovered in the 1920s. The major events in the timeline of the Indus Valley are given below:

Early Harappan Phase (3300 BC to 2600 BC)
The early Harappan Phase lasted for approximately 700 years, starting with the Ravi Phase. It is one of the three earliest urban civilizations and made use of an early form of the Indus script, known as Harappan script, for writing purposes. Around 2800 BC, the Kot Diji phase of the Indus Valley Civilization started.

Mature Harappan Phase (2600 BC to 1700 BC)
The Mature Harappan Phase started around 2600 BC. Large cities and urban areas started emerging and the civilization expanded to over 2,500 cities and settlements. Urban planning, excellent sewage and drainage system, system of uniform weights and measures, knowledge of proto-dentistry, etc are some of the other elements that characterize the mature phase.

Late Harappan Phase (1700 BC to 1300 BC)
The Late Harappan Phase began around 1700 BC and came to an end around 1300 BC. However, one can find many elements of the Indus Valley Civilization in later cultures.

Vedic Period/Age (1700 BC to 500 BC)
The Vedic Period or the Vedic Age refers to the time of the compilation of the sacred Vedic Sanskrit texts in India. Situated on the Indo-Gangetic Plain, the Vedic Civilization formed the basis of Hinduism and the sIndian culture. The Vedic Period can be divided into the following two phases:

Early Vedic/Rig Vedic Period (1700 BC to 1000 BC)
Early Vedic Period represents the time period when the Rig Veda was compiled. During this period, the king was believed to be the protector of the people, who took an active part in the government. The caste system started becoming rigid and the families started becoming patriarchal. The major events of this time are:

• 1700 BC - Late Harappan and Early Vedic period coincide
• 1300 BC - The end of Cemetery H culture
• 1000 BC - Iron Age of India

Later Vedic Age (1000 BC to 500 BC)
The emergence of the later Vedic period was marked with agriculture becoming the dominant economic activity and a decline in the significance of cattle rearing. The political organization changed completely, with the reduction in the involvement of people in the administration. The major events are:

600 BC - The formation of Sixteen Maha Janapadas (Great Kingdoms)
599 BC - The birth of Mahavira, founder of Jainism
563 BC - The birth of Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha), founder of Buddhism
538 BC - Cyrus the Great conquered parts of Pakistan
500 BC - Earliest written records in Brahmi
500 BC - Panini standardized grammar and morphology of Sanskrit, converting it
into Classical Sanskrit. With this, the Vedic Civilization came to an end.

Ancient India (500 BCE - 550 AD)

Rise of Jainism and Buddhism
Jainism or Jain Dharma is the religious philosophy that originated in the Ancient India. The religion is based on the teachings of the Tirthankaras. The 24th Tirthankara, Lord Mahavira, is credited with propagating the religion in the various parts of the world. Buddhism is based on the teachings of Lord Buddha, who was born as Prince Siddhartha Gautama. After attaining Enlightenment, Lord Buddha set on a task of teaching others how to achieve nirvana. His teachings were later propagated throughout the world by Emperor Asoka. The other major events of the Ancient Indian period are:

333 BC - Darius III was defeated by Alexander the Great. The Macedonian Empire was established
326 BC - Ambhi, King of Taxila surrendered to Alexander, Battle of the Hydaspes River
321 BC - Chandra Gupta Maurya established the Maurya Empire
273 BC - Emperor Ashoka took over the Maurya Empire
266 BC - Ashoka conquered most of South Asia, Afghanistan and Iran
265 BC - The battle of Kalinga, after which Emperor Ashoka embraced Buddhism
232 BC: Ashoka died and was succeeded by Dasaratha
230 BC - Satavahana Empire was established
200 to 100 BC - Tholkappiyam standardized grammar and morphology of Tamil
184 BC - Collapse of Maurya Empire with the assassination of Emperor Brihadrata, Establishment of the Sunga dynasty
180 BC - Establishment of the Indo-Greek kingdom
80 BC - Establishment of the Indo-Scythian kingdom
10 BC - Establishment of the Indo-Parthian kingdom
68 AD - Establishment of the Kushan Empire by Kujula Kadphises
78 AD - Gautamiputra Satkarni took over Satavahana Empire and defeated Scythian king Vikramaditya
240 AD - Establishment of the Gupta Empire by Sri-Gupta
320 AD - Chandragupta I took over the Gupta Empire
335 AD - Samudragupta took over the Gupta Empire and started expanding it
350 AD - Establishment of the Pallava Empire
380 AD - Chandragupta II took over the Gupta Empire
399 to 414 AD - Chinese scholar Fa-Hien traveled to India

Medieval Period (550 AD to 1526 AD)
The medieval period can be divided into the following two phases:

Early Medieval Period (Upto 1300 AD)
606 AD - Harshavardhana became the King
630 AD - Hiuen Tsiang traveled to India
761 AD - First Muslim invasion by Mohammed Bin Qasim
800 AD - The birth of Shankaracharya
814 AD - Nripatunga Amoghavarsha I became Rashtrakuta king
1000 AD - Invasion by Mahmud of Ghazni
1017AD - Alberuni traveled to India
1100s AD - Rule of the Chandelas, Cholas, Kadambas, and Rashrakutas
1120 AD - Kalyani Chalukya Empire attained peak, Vikramaditya VI introduced Vikrama Chalukya Era
1191 AD - First battle of Tarain between Mohammed Ghori & Prithivi Raj Chauhan III
1192 AD - Second battle of Tarain between Ghauri and Prithivi Raj Chauhan III
1194 AD - Battle of Chandawar between Ghauri and Jayachandra
1288 AD - Marco Polo came to India

Late Medieval Period (1300 AD to 1500 AD)
1300 AD - Establishment of the Khilji Dynasty
1336 to 1565 AD - Vijayanagar Empire
1498 AD - First voyage of Vasco-da-Gama to Goa

Post-Medieval Era (1526 AD to 1818 AD)
The major events in the post medieval era are:

1526 AD - Babur, the Mughal ruler of Kabul, invaded Delhi and Agra and killed Sultan Ibrahim Lodi
1527 AD - Battle of Khanwa, in which Babur annexed Mewar
1530 AD - Babur died and was succeeded Humayun
1556 AD - Humayun died and was succeeded by his son Akbar
1600 AD - East India company was formed in England
1605 AD - Akbar died and was succeeded by Jehangir
1628 AD - Jehangir died and was succeeded by Shah Jahan
1630 AD - Shivaji was born
1658 AD - Shah Jahan built Taj Mahal, Jamia Masjid and Red Fort.
1659 AD - Shivaji defeated Adilshahi troops at the Battle of Pratapgarh
1674 AD - Maratha Empire was established
1680 AD - Shivaji died
1707 AD - Aurangzeb died and was succeeded by Bahadur Shah I
1707 AD - Maratha Empire broke into two divisions
1734 AD - Pamheiba invaded Tripura
1737 AD - Bajirao I conquered Delhi
1740 AD - Bajirao I died and was succeeded by Balaji Bajirao
1757 AD - Battle of Plassey was fought
1761 AD - Third battle of Panipat ended the expansion of Maratha Empire
1766 AD - First Anglo-Mysore War
1777 AD - First Anglo-Maratha War
1779 AD - Battle of Wadgaon
1780 AD - Second Anglo-Mysore War
1789 AD - Third Anglo-Mysore War
1798 AD - Fourth Anglo-Mysore War
1799 AD - Tipu Sultan died, Wodeyar dynasty was restored
1803 AD - Second Anglo-Maratha War
1817 AD - Third Anglo-Maratha War begins
1818 AD - End of the Maratha Empire and British control over most of India

Colonial Era (1818 AD to 1947 AD)
The Colonial Era started with the British taking control over almost all the parts of India and ended with the freedom of India in 1947. The major events that took place during the Colonial Era are:

1829 AD - Prohibition of Sati
1857 AD - First Indian war of Independence, known as Indian Mutiny
1885 AD - Indian National Congress was formed
1930 AD - Dandi Salt March, Simon Commission, First Round Table Conference
1915 AD - Home Rule League was founded by Annie Besant

1919 AD - Massacre at Jallianwalabagh
1931 AD - Bhagat Singh was hanged by the British, Second Round Table Conference, Gandhi-Irvin Pact
1919 AD - Khilafat Movement, Jalianwala Bagh Massacre, Rowlat Act
1937 AD - Congress won power in many states, World War II broke out
1921 AD - Civil Disobedience Movement
1928 AD - Murder of Lala Lajpat Rai
1942 AD - Quit India Movement, Rise of Subhash Chandra Bose
1922 AD - Quit India Movement suspended after the Chauri-Chura violence
1946 AD - Muslim League adamant about the formation of Pakistan
1947 AD - India gained independence and witnessed partition

Free and Modern India (1947 onwards)
In 1947, India became independent and from that year onwards, started India's struggle to become one of the leading nations of the world. Today, the country is regarded as one of the fastest growing economies of the world.

GUPTA DYNASTY-THE GOLDEN AGE OF INDIA

Gupta Empire

The Gupta Empire was one of the largest political and military empires in ancient India. It was ruled by the Gupta dynasty from around 320 to 550 CE and covered most of northern India.

Origins 

The origins of the Guptas are shrouded in obscurity. The Chinese traveller I-tsing provides the first evidence of the Gupta kingdom in Magadha. He came to India in 672 CE and heard of 'Maharaja Sri-Gupta' who built a temple for Chinese pilgrims near Mrigasikhavana. I-tsing gives the date for this event merely as '500 years before'. This does not match with other sources and hence we can assume that I-tsing's computation was a mere guess.

The most likely date for the reign of Sri-Gupta is c. 240-280 CE His successor Ghatotkacha ruled probably from c. 280-319 CE In contrast to his successor, he is also referred to in inscriptions as 'Maharaja' .

At the beginning of the 4th century the Guptas established and ruled a few small Hindu kingdoms in Magadha and around modern-day Uttar Pradesh.

The Guptas ascendant

The Gupta dynasty ruled India north of the Vindhya Range during the 4th and 5th centuries. Though not as vast as Mauryan empire, The Gupta era left a deep and wide cultural impact not only in the subcontinent but on the adjacent Asian countries as well. We get plenty of information about this illustrious dynasty through coins, inscriptions, monuments and Sanskrit classics.

The Gupta rulers were great conquerors and good administrators. They checked the infiltration of foreign tribes like Sakas and Hunas and established political stability. Economic prosperity followed and led to cultural expansion.

Sanskrit language and literature were reached its peak during the Gupta era. Poets Kalidasa, Dandi, Visakhadatta, Shudraka, and Bharavi all belong to this period. Many puranas and shastras were composed and famous commentaries on sacred works appeared. Buddhist and Jain literature, which was produced earlier in Pali, Ardhamagadhi and other Prakrit languages, began to appear in Sanskrit. The practice of dedicating temples to different deities came into vogue followed by fine artistic temple architecture and sculpture. Of the twenty-eight Ajanta caves, most of them were constructed during this period. Gupta inscriptions, some of them on "victory pillars" provide first hand information not only about royalty but society in general.

Books on medicine, veterinary science, mathematics, astronomy and astrophysics were written. The famous Aryabhata and Varahamihira belong to this age. Overseas trade and commerce flourished. Hindu and Buddhist mythology, architecture, along with religion took root in Burma, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia and other countries. The Chinese monk Lui Kang who was in India and Sri Lanka between 399 and 414 noticed general prosperity and peace-loving nature of the people.

This period is regarded as the golden age of Indian culture. The high points of this cultural creativity are magnificent and creative architecture, sculpture, and painting. The wall-paintings of Ajanta Caves in the central Deccan are considered among the greatest and most powerful works of Indian art. The paintings in the cave represent the various lives of the Buddha, but also are the best source we have of the daily life in India at the time.

The Gupta established a strong central government which also allowed a degree of local control. Gupta society was ordered in accordance with Hindu beliefs. This included a strict caste system, or class system. The peace and prosperity created under Gupta leadership enabled the pursuit of scientific and artistic endeavors.

The Gupta Dynasty declined due to weak rulers and a series of invasions, but many of their cultural and intellectual achievements were saved and transmitted to other cultures and live on today. The Gupta period is considered something of a golden age, marked by great achievements in literature, music, art, architecture, and philosophy. Lui Kang wrote of beautiful cities, fine hospitals and universities, and described a content and prosperous people.

Main Gupta rulers

Chandragupta

Ghatotkacha (c. 280–319) CE, had a son named Chandragupta. In a breakthrough deal, Chandragupta was married to Kumaradevi, a Lichchhavi—the main power in Magadha. With a dowry of the kingdom of Magadha (capital Pataliputra) and an alliance with the Lichchhavis, Chandragupta set about expanding his power, conquering much of Magadha, Prayaga and Saketa. He established a realm stretching from the Ganga (Ganga) river to Prayaga (modern-day Allahabad) by 320. Chandragupta was the first of the Guptas to be referred to as 'Maharajadhiraja' or 'King of Kings'.

Samudragupta

Chandragupta died in 335 and was succeeded by his son Samudragupta, a tireless conqueror. He took the kingdoms of Shichchhatra and Padmavati early in his reign. He then took the Kingdom of Kota and attacked the tribes in Malvas, the Yaudheyas, the Arjunayanas, the Maduras and the Abhiras. By his death in 380, he had incorporated over twenty kingdoms into his realm, his rule extended from the Himalayas to the river Narmada and from the Brahmaputra to the Yamuna. He gave himself the titles King of Kings and World Monarch. He performed Ashwamedha yajna (horse sacrifice) to underline the importance of his conquest.

Samduragupta was not only a warrior but also a great patron of art and literature. The important scholars present in his court were Harishena, Vasubandhu and Asanga. He was a poet and musician himself. He was a firm believer in Hinduism and is known to have worshipped Lord Vishnu. He was considerate of other religions and allowed Sri Lanka's buddhist king to build a monastery at Bodh Gaya.

He was succeeded by his son Ramagupta, who was captured by the Saka Satraps (Kshatrapas) and was soon succeeded by his brother Chandragupta II.

Chandragupta II

Chandragupta II, the Sun of Power (Vikramaditya), ruled until 413. He married his daughter Prabhavatigupta to Rudrasena II, the Vakataka king of Deccan, and gained a valuable ally. Only marginally less war-like than his father, he expanded his realm westwards, defeating the Saka Western Kshatrapas of Malwa, Gujarat and Saurashtra in a campaign lasting until 409, but with his main opponent Rudrasimha III defeated by 395, and crushing the Bengal (Vanga) chiefdoms. This extended his control from coast-to-coast, established a second (trading) capital at Ujjain and was the high point of the empire.

Despite the creation of the empire through war, the reign is remembered for its very influential style of Hindu art, literature, culture and science, especially during the reign of Chandra Gupta II. Some excellent works of Hindu art such as the panels at the Dashavatara Temple in Deogarh serve to illustrate the magnificence of Gupta art. Above all it was the synthesis of the sacred and sensual elements that gave Gupta art its distinctive flavour. During this period, the Guptas were supportive of thriving Buddhist and Jain cultures as well, and for this reason there is also a long history of non-Hindu Gupta period art. In particular, Gupta period Buddhist art was to be influential in most of East and Southeast Asia. Much of advances was recorded by the Chinese scholar and traveller Fa-hsien.

The court of Chandragupta was made even illustrious by the fact that it was graced by the navaratna, a group of nine who excelled in the literary arts. Amongst these men was the immortal Kalidasa whose works dwarfed the works of many other literary geniuses, not only in his own age but in the ages to come. Kalidasa was particularly known for his fine exploitation of the sringara (erotic) element in his verse.

Kumaragupta I

Chandragupta II was succeeded by his son Kumaragupta I. Known as the Mahendraditya, he ruled until 455. Towards the end of his reign a tribe in the Narmada valley, the Pushyamitras, rose in power to threaten the empire.

Skandagupta

Skandagupta is generally considered the last of the great rulers. He defeated the Pushyamitra threat, but then was faced with invading Hephthalites or "White Huns", known in India as Indo-Hephthalites or Hunas, from the northwest. He repulsed a Huna attack c. 455, But the expense of the wars drained the empire's resources and contributed to its decline. Skandagupta died in 467 and was succeeded by his son Narasimhagupta Baladitya.

Military organization

The Imperial Guptas could not have achieved their successes through force of arms without an efficient martial system. Historically, the best accounts of this comes not from the Hindus themselves but from Chinese and Western observers. However, a contemporary Indian document, regarded as a military classic of the time, the Siva-Dhanur-veda, offers some insight into the military system of the Guptas. Like Indian kings before them, and centuries afterwards, the Guptas would have utilized war elephants. These thick hided beasts, supplemented by additional armour and the soldiers that they carried, would have provided a powerful offensive and psychological weapon against an unprepared foe. Another advantage was that they could cause the horses of enemy cavalry to panic from their scent, as the Macedonians discovered. However, their use carried the grave risk of the elephants panicking and stampeding, which more clever opponents used to their advantage.

The use of chariots had heavily declined by the time of the Guptas, having already proved their uselessness against the Macedonians, Scythians, and other invaders. In response, the Guptas seemed to have utilized heavy cavalry clad in mail armour and equipped with maces and lances, who would have used shock action to break the enemy line, much like the clibanarii of the Sassanids and Byzantines in the same era. It is unclear whether they were used to the extent of elephants.

The Guptas seem to have relied heavily on infantry archers, and the bow was one of the dominant weapons of their army. The Hindu version of the longbow was composed of metal, or more typically bamboo, and fired a long bamboo cane arrow with a metal head. Unlike the composite bows of Western and Central Asian foes, bows of this design would be less prone to warping in the damp and moist conditions often prevalent to the region. Iron shafts were used against armored elephants, and fire arrows were also part of the bowmen's arsenal. Archers were frequently protected by infantry equipped with shields, javelins, and longswords.

The Guptas also had knowledge of siegecraft, catapults, and other sophisticated war machines.

The Guptas apparently showed little predilection for using horse archers, despite the fact these warriors were a main component in the ranks of their Scythian, Parthian, and Hepthalite (Huna) enemies. However, the Gupta armies were probably better disciplined. Able commanders like Samudragupta and Chandragupta II would have likely understood the need for combined armed tactics and proper logistical organization. Gupta military success likely stemmed from the concerted use elephants, armored cavalry, and foot archers in tandem against both Hindu kingdoms and foreign armies invading from the Northwest. Guptas also maintained a navy, allowing them to control regional waters.

The collapse of the Gupta Empire in the face of the Huna onslaught was due not directly to the inherent defects of the Gupta army, which after all had initially defeated these barbarians under Skandagupta. More likely, internal dissolution sapped the ability of the Guptas to resist foreign invasion, as was simultenously occurring in Western Europe and China.

Huna invasions and the end of empire

Narasimhagupta (467-473) was followed by Kumaragupta II (473-476) and Buddhagupta (476-495?). In the 480's the Hephthalite king Toramana broke through the Gupta defenses in the northwest, and much of the empire was overrun by the Hunas by 500. The empire disintegrated under the attacks of Toramana and his successor, Mihirakula; the Hunas conquered several provinces of the empire, including Malwa, Gujarat, and Thanesar, broke away under the rule of local dynasties. It appears from inscriptions that the Guptas, although their power was much diminished, continued to resist the Hunas, and allied with the independent kingdoms to drive the Hunas from most of northern India by the 530's. The succession of the sixth-century Guptas is not entirely clear, but the last recognized ruler of the dynasty's main line was Vishnugupta, reigning from 540 to 550.

The Guptas of Magadha

A minor line of the Gupta clan continued to rule Magadha after the disintegration of the empire. These Guptas were ultimately ousted by the Vardhana king Harsha, who established an empire in the first half of the seventh century that, for a brief time, rivalled that of the Guptas in extent.

Arts during Guptas

Some of India's most magnificient works of art were produced during the Gupta era. The famous cave paintings at Ajanta, the Sarnath Buddha, the Deogarh Dashavatara Temple panels and the Udaygiri Varaha Cave are some marvellous products of the Gupta age. Also, during the Gupta Empire, metal work and various sculptures were made.