History & Civics
What role did the Gupta Kings play in promoting religion? Do you think that the religion followed by the rulers gained prominence? Give reasons to support your answer.
Answer
The Gupta king played an important role in promoting Hinduism. They worshipped Lord Vishnu. They built many temples with remarkable details. Dashavatara temple is one of them. They followed the culture of Vedic sacrifices like Ashwamedha Yajna. The Gupta kings remained tolerant towards other religions. Their main aim was development and growth of people and not the religion.
Yes, during the reign of the Gupta Kings, Hinduism gained prominence. The theory of divinity of kings became popular during this period and the Gupta Kings were compared to different Gods such as Yama, Varuna, Indra, Kubera and Vishnu. During Gupta period temples were built with elaborate details which helped in promoting Hinduism. The lack of royal partonage is also cited as one of the reasons for decline of other religions like Buddhism and Jainism.
Related Questions
With reference to the Age of the Guptas, answer the following questions:
(a) Explain the extent of Samudragupta's Empire based on the information given in the Allahabad Pillar Inscription.
(b) Explain how Chandragupta II expanded his empire.
(c) Briefly mention any four observations of Fa-hien about the reign of Chandragupta II's reign.
With reference to the administrative system of the Guptas, answer the following questions:
(a) Explain the position and powers of the king during the Gupta Age.
(b) Describe briefly the administration of villages during the Gupta period.
(c) According to the Allahabad Pillar, how many types of rulers existed during Samudragupta's reign? How did Samudragupta deal with them?
With reference to the picture given alongside, answer the following:
(a) Identify the temple given in the picture. Where is it located? To whom is this temple dedicated?
(b) Mention the architectural features of this temple.
(c) Briefly describe the famous educational institution set up during this period.
Imagine a meeting between Fa-hein and Harisena. Write down the discussion between them about religion in Gupta period. How would they had conversed with each other due to the barrier of language the two had?