Chapter Overview

Between the fall of the Mauryas (c. 185 BCE) and the end of the Gupta empire (mid-6th century CE), India passed from five centuries of division to a new imperial order and then to its classical age (शास्त्रीय युग). Greeks, Shakas and Kushanas entered from the north-west and became Indian kings; the Satavahanas built the first great Deccan kingdom; the Guptas (गुप्त वंश) reunited north India; and the Vakatakas (वाकाटक वंश) of Vidarbha, tied to the Guptas by marriage, sponsored the finest paintings at Ajanta.

This chapter matters doubly for a Chhattisgarh aspirant. The very first southern king in Samudragupta’s Prayag Prashasti is Mahendra of Kosala, the ruler of Dakshin Kosala, and the Vakatakas fought long wars with the Nalas of Bastar.

What You’ll Learn

By the end of this chapter, you’ll be able to:

Name the dynasties that followed the Mauryas in north India (Shungas, Kanvas) and the rulers who came from the north-west (Indo-Greeks, Shakas, Parthians, Kushanas)
Explain the Satavahanas, Kharavela of Kalinga and the Sangam kingdoms, with Indo-Roman trade
List the Gupta rulers in order with their key inscriptions, and explain Gupta polity: administration, revenue, land grants, coins and society
Trace the Vakataka dynasty and the Gupta–Vakataka alliance, with its links to Chhattisgarh
Describe Gupta-Vakataka art, literature and science: Deogarh, Ajanta, Kalidasa, Aryabhata
Write a balanced Mains answer on the “Golden Age” debate

Prerequisites

Magadha and the Mauryan Empire: the empire whose collapse starts this chapter
Jainism and Buddhism: councils, sects and the rise of Mahayana
Ancient Chhattisgarh: Dakshin Kosala in the same centuries

Learning Path

Follow these topics in order:

graph TD
    A["1. Shungas, Kanvas and the north-western invaders"] --> B["2. Satavahanas, Kharavela, Sangam kingdoms"]
    B --> C["3. Gupta empire: rulers, polity, society"]
    C --> D["4. The Vakatakas"]
    D --> E["5. Gupta-Vakataka art, literature, science"]
    E --> F["Quick Revision"]

Topics in This Chapter

#	Topic	What it covers	Read time
1	Shungas, Kanvas and the Invaders from the North-West	Pushyamitra, Kanvas, Menander, Rudradaman’s Junagadh inscription, Kanishka and the Shaka era, Gandhara and Mathura art	14 min
2	Satavahanas, Kharavela and the Sangam Kingdoms	Gautamiputra Satakarni and the Nasik inscription, land grants, Hathigumpha, Chera-Chola-Pandya, Roman trade	12 min
3	Gupta Empire: Rulers, Polity and Society	Chandragupta I to Skandagupta, Prayag Prashasti, Fa-Hien, administration and revenue, coins, society, Huns and decline	16 min
4	The Vakatakas	Vindhyashakti, Pravarasena I and II, Prabhavatigupta’s regency, Harishena and Ajanta, Nala wars, the Ramagiri debate	12 min
5	Gupta-Vakataka Art, Literature and Science	Deogarh and Bhitargaon, Sarnath, Ajanta and Bagh, Kalidasa and others, Aryabhata and Varahamihira	14 min
—	Quick Revision	Every date, name and term of this chapter on one page	5 min

Where It Is Asked

Exam Focus

Prelims P-I (India GS): one-liners and statement-based questions on inscriptions (Junagadh, Nasik, Hathigumpha, Prayag Prashasti, Eran, Mandsaur), rulers in order, Fa-Hien, Gupta administrative and revenue terms, Kalidasa’s works, temples and Ajanta caves, and Aryabhata. Match-the-following on author and work is a favourite format.
Prelims P-I (Chhattisgarh part): Mahendra of Kosala and Vyaghraraja of Mahakantara, the Gupta era in local grants, and the Nala–Vakataka war are covered from the state’s side in Ancient Chhattisgarh and Regional Dynasties.
Mains P-III GS-I: “Was the Gupta age a Golden Age?”, “Compare Mauryan and Gupta administration”, “Cultural impact of foreign rulers”, “Gupta–Vakataka relations”, “Gupta contribution to science and temple architecture”.

Quick Reference

Fact	Detail
End of the Mauryas	c. 185 BCE: Pushyamitra Shunga kills Brihadratha
First long Sanskrit inscription	Junagadh, Rudradaman I, 150 CE
Shaka era	78 CE (Kanishka, by the usual view); India’s national calendar
Fourth Buddhist Council	Kashmir, Kanishka; Vasumitra and Ashvaghosha
Satavahana capital	Pratishthana (Paithan)
Gupta era	319–320 CE (Chandragupta I)
Prayag Prashasti	Harishena, for Samudragupta; Mahendra of Kosala first among the 12 southern kings
Fa-Hien	c. 399–412 CE, reign of Chandragupta II
Gupta–Vakataka marriage	Prabhavatigupta + Rudrasena II
Vakataka capitals	Nandivardhana (near Ramtek), Pravarapura; Vatsagulma (Washim)
Ajanta (later caves)	Vakataka age; Cave 16 by Varahadeva, Cave 17 by Upendragupta
First sati inscription	Eran, 510 CE
Aryabhata	Aryabhatiya, 499 CE

Start Learning

Ready to begin? Start with the first topic:

→ Shungas, Kanvas and the Invaders from the North-West