🏺 Maurya & Gupta Empires in UP

The Maurya Empire and UP (322 — 185 BCE)

The Maurya Empire, founded by Chandragupta Maurya around 322 BCE, was India's first pan-subcontinental empire. While the capital was at Pataliputra (modern Patna, Bihar), the Ganga-Yamuna region of present-day Uttar Pradesh formed an important core zone of the empire.

Chandragupta Maurya's Connection

• Chandragupta overthrew the Nanda dynasty with the guidance of Chanakya (Kautilya)
• UP's major cities — Varanasi, Mathura, Kaushambi — became important administrative centres
• Trade routes through the Ganga-Yamuna Doab connected the Maurya capital to the northwest frontier

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Ashoka's Pillars and Edicts in UP

Emperor Ashoka (269-232 BCE) left the most visible Maurya legacy in UP through inscribed pillars and Buddhist commemorative sites. UP is one of the most important states for studying Ashokan pillar traditions.

Pillar Location	District	Special Feature
Sarnath	Varanasi	Four-lion capital = National Emblem of India
Prayagraj (Allahabad)	Prayagraj	Now inside Allahabad Fort; later inscribed by Samudragupta and Jahangir
Meerut / Delhi	Meerut	Originally from Meerut, moved to Delhi by Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Sankassa / Sankisa tradition	Farrukhabad	Associated with an elephant-capital tradition
Kaushambi	Kaushambi region	Pillar and inscriptional association with Ashokan memory
Sarnath Minor Pillar Edict	Varanasi	Warning against schism in the Sangha

The Queen's Edict is famous because it contains the best-known inscriptional reference to Ashoka's queen Karuvaki, mother of Prince Tivara.

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Ashoka's Major Rock Edicts

Ashokan inscriptions and pillar traditions promoted a moral-political message known as Dhamma. The main ideas students should remember are:

• Dhamma (moral law) — non-violence, respect for all religions
• Ban on animal sacrifice
• Medical facilities for humans and animals
• Planting of trees along roads

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The Gupta Empire — Golden Age of India (320 — 550 CE)

The Gupta Empire is often called the "Golden Age of India" because of major achievements in science, art, literature, and philosophy. Many of the most important Gupta inscriptions, temples, sculptures, and urban centres are linked with present-day UP.

Key Gupta Rulers

Ruler	Period	UP Connection
Chandragupta I	320-335 CE	Married Licchavi princess Kumaradevi; Prayagraj region under control
Samudragupta	335-380 CE	Prayagraj Prashasti — major record of imperial expansion
Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya)	380-415 CE	Patron of Kalidasa; Mathura as second capital
Kumaragupta I	415-455 CE	Founded Nalanda University
Skandagupta	455-467 CE	Repelled Huna invasions; Junagadh inscription

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The Prayagraj Prashasti (Allahabad Pillar Inscription)

The Prayagraj Prashasti is one of the most important inscriptions in Indian history. Key facts:

• Composed by Harisena, court poet of Samudragupta
• Inscribed on the same Ashokan pillar at Prayagraj (now in Allahabad Fort)
• Written in Sanskrit, Gupta Brahmi script
• Records Samudragupta's military conquests across India — lists defeated kings by name
• Later historians such as V.A. Smith described him as the "Indian Napoleon"

Exam Tip: The Prayagraj pillar has three inscriptions from three eras: Ashoka's edicts (3rd century BCE), Samudragupta's Prashasti (4th century CE), and Jahangir's inscription (17th century CE).

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Chinese Traveller Fa-Hien in UP

Fa-Hien (Faxian) visited India during the reign of Chandragupta II (399-414 CE). His observations about UP:

• Visited Mathura — described it as a prosperous city with many Buddhist monasteries
• Visited major Ganga plain centres and Buddhist sites associated with the region
• Visited Shravasti and Kapilvastu — found them in decline compared to their earlier glory
• Described parts of the Ganga plains as prosperous and relatively orderly from his perspective
• His account should be read as a Buddhist pilgrim's travel narrative, not as a perfect statistical report

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Art and Architecture of the Gupta Period in UP

Deogarh Dashavatara Temple (Lalitpur)

The Dashavatara Temple at Deogarh (Lalitpur district) is a masterpiece of Gupta architecture:

• Dedicated to Vishnu and his ten avatars
• Built around the 6th century CE
• Features exquisite relief panels: Sheshashayi Vishnu (reclining on Shesha), Gajendramoksha, Nara-Narayana
• One of the earliest examples of the North Indian Nagara-style temple

Bhitargaon Brick Temple (Kanpur Dehat)

Bhitargaon temple is the oldest surviving brick Hindu temple in India:

• Built during the Gupta period (5th century CE)
• Located in Kanpur Dehat district
• Remarkable terracotta panels depicting Vishnu, Shiva, and river goddesses
• Demonstrates advanced Gupta-era brick construction techniques

Monument	Location	Period	Distinction
Dashavatara Temple	Deogarh, Lalitpur	6th century CE	Finest Gupta sculpture panels
Bhitargaon Temple	Kanpur Dehat	5th century CE	Oldest surviving brick Hindu temple in India
Mathura School	Mathura	1st-6th century CE	Produced iconic Buddha and Vishnu statues

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Gupta Achievements Connected to UP

Field	Achievement	UP Link
Literature	Kalidasa's Meghdootam, Shakuntala	Gupta court culture influenced the wider north Indian region, including UP
Science	Aryabhata — astronomy and mathematics	Part of the broader intellectual flowering of the Gupta age
Art	Mathura School of Art	Indigenous red sandstone Buddha statues
Medicine	Sushruta Samhita compilations	Varanasi tradition of medical learning
Coins	Gold coins (Dinara)	Found across UP sites

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Summary Cheat Sheet

Feature	Detail
Sarnath Pillar	Lion Capital = National Emblem (Ashoka)
Prayagraj Pillar	Three inscriptions: Ashoka + Samudragupta + Jahangir
Queen's Edict	Best-known inscriptional reference to Queen Karuvaki
Prayagraj Prashasti	By Harisena; later linked with the title "Indian Napoleon"
Fa-Hien	Visited under Chandragupta II (399-414 CE)
Deogarh Temple	Vishnu panels, Nagara-style, 6th century CE
Bhitargaon	Oldest surviving brick Hindu temple, 5th century CE
Mathura School	Red sandstone, indigenous style Buddha statues