Draft:Gupta empire origins and homeland was Bengal

The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire on the Indian subcontinent which existed from the early 4th century CE to early 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent.[6] This period has been considered as the Golden Age of India by historians,[7] although this characterisation has been disputed by some other historians.[note 1][note 2][10] The ruling dynasty of the empire was founded by Gupta and the most notable rulers of the dynasty were Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, Chandragupta II, Kumaragupta I and Skandagupta. The origins were Bengali: 1.In the origins of Gupta empire page of Wikipedia it theories that it originated in present day Utter Pradesh or 'BENGAL' based on numistic,epigraphic and literary evidence. 2.Gupta empire had influence in Bengal. 3.Bengal was a important province in Gupta empire. 4.Bengal was a part of the Gupta empire from its start 5.Guptas ruled on Bengal for some centuries. 6.The Later Gupta dynasty also ruled on Bengal. 7.Even in its weak time the Gupta empire still had Bengal. 8.Bengal is associated with being Gupta empire homeland. 9.There are 10 copper plate charters issues during Gupta rule.All of them are dated back in the Gupta era ranging from 113 to 224(432/433-543 ad).They record transfer of land in Pundravardhanabhukti and neighbouring lands.This included the included the Dinajpur district of West Bengal and Rajshahi division of Bangladesh, Including the districts of present Dinajpur,Naogaon,Natore etc.Situated to the north of Bhagirathi and Padma this has been regarded as one of the important sub-regions of Bengal through which effective lineages through the mid-ganga valley was established since the Maurya period(source:'Gupta rule in Bengal' pdf written by Sayantani Pal) 10.According to Allahabad prasasti, The kingdoms laying on the Eastern side of Samudragupta's empire were Nepal,Kartrpura,Kamarupa,Devaka(Assam or 'DHAKA'), and Samatata(Southeast 'Bengal') which were made 'tributary' states. 11.Several historians have identified the location of Mrghasikavana in present day Bengal situated to the East of Nalanda. 12.According to D.C Ganguly the location of Mi-li-kia-si-kia-po-no was in 'Murshidabad' of 'West Bengal'. 13.S.Chattopadhyaya identified Mi-Li-Kia-Si-Po-No as a place in Malda district of West Bengal. 14.a prominent theory locates the Gupta homeland in the present day Bengal region in the Ganges basin,based on the account of the 7th century Chinese Buddhist Monk Yijing. 15.According to Yijing,King Che-Li-Ki-To(identified with the Gupta dynasty founder Sri Gupta) built a temple for Chinese pilgrims near Mi-li-kia-si-kia-po-no.Yijing states that this temple was located more than 40 yojanas east of Nalanda,which would mean it was situated somewhere in the modern day Bengal region. 16.D.R Ganguly concludes that the original homeland of the Guptas were in Bengal not Magadha 17.It is a valid presumption that parts of North Bengal were included in the territory ruled over by the founder of the Gupta family.it is based on a tradition recorded by a Chinese pilgrim four centuries later. 18.According to a 1015 CE Manuscript,Margasthapana was name of a stupa located in the historical Varendra region,which is now a part of Bengal. 19.According to historian R.C Mujamder, Mi-Li-Kia-Si-Po-No was either in Malda district of West Bengal or Rajshahi district of Bangladesh. 20.to support his identification of Mi-Li-Kia-Si-Po-No as a place of Bengal,R.C Mujamder read interpreted the word as a transcription of Mriga-Sthapana rather than Mriga-Shikha-Vana. 21.On the basis of the copper plates discovered till now,it is proven that North Bengal was directly ruled by Gupta kings. 22.At that time Bengal had trading link with Southeast Asia and China.The discovery of a large number of imitation Gupta coins from different places of Bengal prove that Bengal enjoyed the benefit of money economy. 23.The Gupta school inspired the Bengal school of sculptural art distinctly in the Pala period. 24.Gold and silver coins were brought into entire currency in Bengal. 25.Introduction of a large number of gold coins proves economic prosperity of Bengal of that time 26.During Gupta era,Betel nut,Silk,Cotton,Coconut,Salt and Sugar etc were probably exported from Bengal. 27.Bengal was one of the strongholds of Indian Buddhism in the medieval period.Most of the Hindu temples were built in 'Gupta era',Shashanka,Pala and Sena Dynasty(source is Wikipedia itself). 28.It is evident that Guptas started their rule from a small province in Bengal, probably as subordinates of Kushanas(source is google). 29.According to another theory,the original capital of the Gupta empire was located in present day Bengal region.According to the proponents of this theory,the dynasties founder Gupta probably ruled a small area in Bengal and his descendants captured a larger area in Bengal and Ganges Bassin which is described by the Puranas. 30.It is very likely that the region of Varendra was already under the Gupta rule of SriGupta in the late third century ad. 31.According to many other groups the original homeland of the Gupta empire was in Varendri/Varendri Bhumi of Bengal. 32.Bengali historians like RC Ray Choudhury theories that the Gupta empire originated in the Varendri region which is now present day Rajshahi and Rangpur Bangladesh. 33.Chandragupta II successfully quelled the revolt of the allied chiefs of Bengal and brought them under his sway(source is Wikipedia). 34.Gupta coins have been discovered at Bengal also. 35.Guptas spread their religion in Bengal. 36.Guptas visited Bengal. 37.Guptas liked Bengal. 38.History believes Guptas came from Magadha or 'NORTHERN BENGAL' which was the original nucleus of their empire. 39.Bengal Gupta Viharas pdf. 40.The Gupta governors who seemed to have became independent after about 550 AD,occupied the North part of Bengal. 41.An Iron plate inscription at Mehrauli in Delhi indicates that Gupta empire included Bengal. 42.Gupta land grand records from Bengal. 43.5 Gupta inscriptions has been found in Bengal. 44.Two hoards of golden coin have been found in Bengal. 45.R.C Mujamder dismisses the epigraphic evidence cited in support of Gupta empire being Utter Pradesh theory,pointing out that the earlier Maurya kings ruled in present day Bihar but most of their inscriptions have been found outside this area. Which gives a disadvantage to the theory of Gupta empire being Utter Pradesh and gives an advantage to the theory of Gupta empire being Bengal. 46.The Guptas used Kaushambi style which was used by the king Chandravarman,who ruled in present day Bengal and whose territory did not include present day Utter Pradesh. 47.A number of Gupta coins have been discovered in West Bengal and few have been discovered in Bangladesh.among them two were found at Mohammadpur in Magura district in 1853 and the other two has been found in Comilla district in 1957. 48.Inscription on one of the Gupta coins found in Bengal indicates that the entire Vanga kingdom-Greater Bangla was most likely part of the Gupta empire during the reign of Chandragupta I. 49.One of the Gupta coins found in Bengal indicates that Samudragupta advanced further during his reign and conquered the whole of Vanga upto Dhaka. 50.the discovery of a Gupta coin in Kotalipara upazila in Gopalganj clearly indicates the rise of Varakamandala as a political and trade centre during Gupta era.Dr Sharif said, adding that the discovery of Gupta coins at Mohammadpur in Magura further indicates that it was quite close to Kotalipara. 51.The impact of the Gupta rule in Bengal was very profound and far-reaching. 52.In the subsequent periods,the administration of Bengal was developed following the local administration and land system established by the Guptas. 53.Dr Sharif said,the Gupta coins discovered might reconstruct the history of Bengal. 54.We have evidence,from pre-Gupta crafts and artefacts that these land around the Delta were far from uncivilized.indeed museum collections around Bangladesh reveal the advanced skills of sculptors,jewellers,metal workers and terracotta workers, amongst others who have left enduring traces.We can not forget the literature that originates in Bengal during Gupta era. 55.Scientific and engineering skills of Gupta period are manifested in the enduring lost wax sculptural and casting work,still practiced largely as a tourist craft in Bangladesh. 56.during the era of the Later Gupta dynasty,Krishnagupta's grandson Jivitagupta carried out military expeditions in the Himalayan region and Southwestern Bengal. 57.The later Gupta ruler Adityasena became the sovereign ruler of a large kingdom extending from Ganges in the North to the Chotta Nagpur in the South;and from Gomati river in the east to 'BAY OF BENGAL' in the west(source is Wikipedia) 58.Nalrajar Garh fortification wall in Chilapata forests in the 'WEST BENGAL', is one of the last surviving fortification remains from the 'GUPTA' period. 59.some other pdfs about Guptas in Bengal 60.some other websites about Guptas in Bengal 61.An expert from the Bangladesh National Museum have deciphered the inscriptions on 17 coins dated back to the times of the Gupta dynasty, in the hope of unearthing more information about the era as well as ancient Bengal. 62.Of the seven types of gold coins issued by Samudragupta three viz. Standard, Archer and Ashvamedha are known to be from Bengal. 63.Only two types of coins of Chandragupta II, who incorporated vanga in the Gupta Empire, are known from Bengal 64.64.Two types-Archer (Faridpur, Bogra, Hughli, Burdwan) and King and Queen (Midnapore) - of the four known types of Skandagupta, have been found in Bengal. The latter depicts a king and a queen (identified as goddess Laksmi by some) standing facing each other on the obverse and a goddess seated on a lotus and the legend Sri Skandaguptah on the reverse. Archer type coins of Kumaragupta II (Kalighat, North and South 24-Parganas, Midnapore), Vainyagupta (Kalighat and Hughli) Narasinghagupta (Kalighat, Hughli, Murshidabad, Birbhum and Nadia), Kumaragupta III (Hughli and Burdwan) and Visnugupta (Kalighat, Hughli and 24-Parganas, North) have been found in Bengal. Most have metrical legends inscribed in chaste Sanskrit, highlighting the issuer's achievements on the obverse of the coins. A symbol in geometrical design is usually found on the reverse of Gupta coins and a large number bear a Garuda standard on the obverse. 65.A coin of Skandagupta has been reported from chandraketugarh. Apart from these coins, no other specimens of silver coins are known from Bengal but reference to them in the Gupta epigraphs from Bengal definitely indicate their prevalence in the country. They were issued on the weight standard of 32 grains and referred to as rupaka in the inscriptions. No copper issues of the Guptas have been reported from Bengal. [Ashvini Agrawal] 66.DC Ganguly considers Murshidabad as the early home of the Guptas and not Magadha. The view is based on the tradition recorded by i-tsing. 67.In an illustrated Cambridge Manuscript, dated 1015 AD, there is a picture of a stupa, with the label 'Mrgasthapana Stupa of Varendra'. It would, therefore, follow that the 'Temple of China' was near the Mrgasthapana Stupa in varendra, and must have been situated either in Varendra, or not far from its boundary, on the bank of the Bhagirathi or the padma. So it could be assumed that the original home of the Guptas was most probably Murshidabad in West Bengal or Varendra in North Bengal. 68.is likely that on the eve of the eastward expansion of the Guptas Bengal was divided into a number of small but powerful independent states. A record engraved on the Susunia hill, about 12 miles to the northwest of Bankura town in West Bengal, mentions Puskaranadhipa Maharaja chandravarman, son of Maharaja Singhavarman.