The Gupta Empire

The Gupta Empire was an Indian empire of the classical period of the Indian subcontinent, existing from the mid third to the mid sixth century CE and at its peak ruling much of the northern Indian subcontinent. The dynasty was founded by a ruler named Gupta; the empire reached its cultural high points under Samudragupta, Chandragupta II and Kumaragupta I, an era sometimes called Pax Gupta that produced scholars including the poet Kalidasa and the mathematician and astronomer Aryabhata, and during which the Mahabharata and Ramayana were canonised in something close to their present form. Some historians have called the period a golden age of India, though the characterization is disputed by others. The empire declined after losing territory and authority to its own feudatories and to invasions by Huna peoples from Central Asia, and after its collapse India returned to rule by numerous regional kingdoms.