The Great Chandragupta

 
The Chandragupta I was the 1st full scale Gupta emperor followed by Samudragupta, Ramgupta, Chandragupta-II (Vikramaditya), Kumaragupta-I, Skandagupta and some less powerful emperors.

Samudragupta and Chandragupta-II r the greatest of the two expanding the empire not only in territorial terms but every walk of human excellence.

Samudragupta had an embition of becoming Chakravarty Ekrat [undisputed ruler]. In the North, he adopted the policy of "Digvijaya" which meant the conquest and annexation of all territories. In the South, his policy was "Dharma Vijaya" which meant conquest but not annexation. Adding to this, there were many suzerainty kingdoms & tributary kingdoms who accepted his dominance. So his entire region of direct rule or indirect dominance covered a region very close to that of the Mauryans.

He was a gr8 musician himself and a gr8 supporter of spiritual activities. He patronaged many artists, notables were Harisena & Vasubandhu.

Though he is called Nepolean of India but the otherwise could b better
Guptas gave India its golden age uniting the major parts of India under one leadership ceneterd at Magadha (Biahr). Carrying forward Indian scientific, cultural & philosophical pursuits, they provided one of the best administrations of the world under which great inventions in every field were made. This period is called the Golden Age of India and was marked by extensive inventions and discoveries in science, technology, engineering, art, dialectic, literature, logic, mathematics, astronomy, religion and philosophy that crystallized the elements of what is generally known as Hindu culture. Chandra Gupta I, Samudra Gupta the Great, and Chandra Gupta II the Great were the most notable rulers of the Gupta dynasty. The 4th century CE Sanskrit poet Kalidasa credits Guptas with having conquered about twenty one kingdoms, both in and outside India, including the kingdoms of Parasikas (Persians), the Hunas, the Kambojas, tribes located in the west and east Oxus valleys, the Kinnaras, Kiratas etc.

The high points of this cultural creativity are magnificent architecture, sculptures and paintings. The Gupta period produced scholars such as Kalidasa, Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Vishnu Sharma and Vatsyayana who made great advancements in many academic fields. Science and political administration reached new heights during the Gupta era. Strong trade ties also made the region an important cultural center and set the region up as a base that would influence nearby kingdoms and regions in Burma, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia.

The earliest available Indian epics are also thought to have been written around this period. The empire gradually declined because of many factors such as substantial loss of territory and imperial authority caused by their own erstwhile feudatories and the invasion by the Huna peoples from Central Asia. After the collapse of the Gupta Empire in the 6th century, India was again ruled by numerous regional kingdoms. A minor line of the Gupta clan continued to rule Magadha after the disintegration of the empire. These Guptas were ultimately ousted by Vardhana ruler Harsha Vardhana, who established an empire in the first half of the 7th century.

Borobudur in Java, Indonesia has been designed in Gupta architecture reflecting India's influence on the region.