Before the advent of the Guptas, the most prominent feature of the history of the period beginning from the decline of the Kushans, was the rise, growth and development of the sentiment of nationality which revealed itself in almost every aspect of the life of the nation. It was brought about partly as a reaction against a prolonged political domination by the aliens like Greeks, Parthians, Kushans and Saka Satraps and partly against the Buddhist domination in the realm of religion. This national movement was set on foot by the Nagas was continued by the Vakatakas and was carried to its logical conclusions by the imperial Guptas. The movement was marked by a spirit of revolt against foreign things and by a keen desire for restoring Indian things. It was a nation-wide attempt to revive the Indo-Aryan culture. The foreign rule in the country was, by degrees, replaced by indigenous Indian rule in northern, central and western India; the influence of the foreign art which was completely shake off; Buddhism was brought down from its high pedestal. It was gradually assimilated and absorbed into the parental Brahmanism, the use of Pali and Prakrit languages was discarded in favor of Sanskrit, the tradition of imperial unity was gradually fostered and the ideal of enlightened government was practiced.
The Naga rulers first appeared as the champions of the
national cause early in the third century. They organized a struggle against
the foreigners and swept away the alien Kushan rule from the Gangetic basin and
Mathura and re-established the Hindu rule and the imperial traditions. They played
an important prat in the cultural history of the country by reviving the old Vedic
rites and the study of Sanskrit language and literature. The introduction of
the Devanagari script, in which Sanskrit and Hindi languages are written today,
was the outcome of the Naga patronage.
The cultural revivalist movement was passed on to the new ruling
dynasty of the Vakatakas. The aim of the Vakatakas, like that of the Nagas, was
the establishment of Hindu sovereignty and reviving Hindu religion, Hindu
culture and Sanskrit language – all of which had suffered a serious set back since
the days of Asoke. The restoration of political power under the Vakatakas
provided a strong stimulus and the whole country began to pulsate with new
life.
Under the patronage of the Vakatakas, the seeds of the political,
religious, social and literary revival were freely and widely scattered in the country
and bore a bumper crop under the rule of the benign imperial Guptas. Again it
was through the Vakatakas that the culture of northern India began to penetrate
into the south.
The noble heritage of the revivalist movement was bequeathed
by the Vakatakas to the Guptas. Chandragupta Vikramaditya, by defeating the last
of the Saka Satrapa of Malwa and Saurashtra, swept away the last vestiges of
the foreign rule in India. This had the effect of reviving Hindu imperialism and
confusion and disintegration gave place to unity. The worship of the old Vedic
gods and the revival of the Ashwamedha sacrifices and other Vedic rites which
had been started by the Nagas and Vakatakas found further favor with the Guptas.
The Brahmanical religion reared its head once again. Buddhism lost royal patronage
and the status of being the state religion. Once more it was becoming a mere
sect. The literary and cultural renaissance which began under the Vakataka
princes, flourished luxuriantly under the Guptas. The arts of architecture, sculpture
and painting which had been encouraged by the Vakatakas flourished on large
scale in the time of the Guptas when the whole country enjoyed blessings of
peace and plenty. The master artisans breathed the spirit of the age and shook
off the influence of the Greeco-Buddhist school of Gandhara in the sphere of
fine arts. In place of the scenes and stories of the Hindu Gods and avatars
were used as the subject of skill both by the sculptor and the painter. In short,
Indian intellect and character blossomed forth under the Guptas and the spirit
of the age manifested itself in art, architecture, printing and music. The Gupta
period, during which the Renaissance Movement, attained its full development, accomplishing
great achievements in the realm of art and literature, is rightly called the Golden
Age of Hinduism and the period of Hindu Renaissance.
Apart from this, greater India sprang into existence during the
Gupta Age. Indian culture spread abroad and India now entered her glorious
period of expansion and colonization and her foreign relations which had a setback
were re-established with their former dignity and prestige.
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