The Gupta Dynasty represented another of India's golden ages, the second after the Mauryan Empire. The numbers that we use, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, are referred to as Arabic Numerals. They were brought to the west during the Abbasid Caliphate, particularly through the "House of Wisdom", in Baghdad. But the numerals actually originated with the Gupta Dynasty. The concept of zero was revolutionary because it is impossible to do complex calculations without it. The ancients could do some calculations with devices, such as the abacus, but the importance of zero wasn't understood.
Alexander had brought knowledge and ideas to India, before the Mauryan Empire. The human form of Buddha is believed to have been adopted from Greek sculpture. There was a continued relationship because there were Indo-Greek, known as Yavana, kingdoms. The Seleucids, the eastern part of Alexander's empire after it broke up, continued the relationship with India.
But it was the Guptas who really added to the knowledge that the Greeks had earlier gained, coming up with the numerals that we use and the absolutely essential concept of zero. My understanding is that the concept of infinity also came from the Guptas.
In contrast with the earlier Mauryan Empire, where the emperor Ashoka converted to Buddhism, the Gupta Dynasty was all about Hinduism. The Gupta capital had been Pataliputra, which had also been the Mauryan capital. But the Guptas renamed a city as Ayodha and moved their capital there. What was called Magadha, in what is now the State of Bihar, was central to both the Mauryan and Gupta Empires. This seems to be the Guptas linking themselves with the earlier greatness of the Mauryan Empire.
ALL IMAGES ARE FROM GOOGLE STREET VIEW
This is a place in Ayodha, called Ram Ki Paidi, where pilgrims can look across the river at the Nagesh Warnath Temple. Notice how the Mughals would later build the Taj Mahal to be similarly looked at from across a river, signifying that they were an Islamic version of the Guptas Golden Age.
Here are some general views of Ayodha.
The focal point of Hinduism today is the city of Varanasi, or Benares. The Ganges River is considered as sacred and there are steps leading down to it. Cows are sacred in Hinduism and are seen in the city.
CHANDRAGUPTA III
India's First Golden Age was the Mauryan Empire, founded by Chandragupta Maurya around 320 BC. About 650 years later another golden age came with the Gupta Dynasty. It's founder took the name of Chandragupta I. His grandson, Chandragupta II, made an inscription on the famous Iron Pillar of Delhi. It is believed to have later been moved to Delhi, and placed in the Qutb Complex, by the Delhi Sultanate, thus linking themselves with the Guptas Golden Age. The Mughals would later move their capital to Delhi, adding themselves to the link.
Another golden age came with the Mughals.
As we saw in the compound posting "India And The West" December 2022, India has a history of entering a golden age about four hundred years after the last one ended. This means that the next golden age should be arriving right about now.
2014 was the year in which India became the first nation to successfully send a spacecraft to Mars on it's first attempt. It was also the year that Narendra Modi became prime minister. Doesn't it seem like Narendra Modi is really Chandragupta III and 2014 was the beginning of another golden age?