Cultural Contributions

Scientific Contributions

The Guptan empire is filled with art. You can

see many of the handmade terracotta statues
and works of art in the famous Ellorah temples,
carved from rocks themselves! Artists were
very well respected in the Gupta society, and
although they mostly painted their religious
beliefs, they sometimes got paid to paint for
people. While enjoying the tasty food and ocean
views in Bombay, be sure to stroll along the
Gupta Boardwalk and have an artist paint a
portrait of you, at the bargain price of only two
Chandragupta silver coins! Then take a palanquin
across Gupta to the Kalidasa Theatre in
Calcutta, and see the original production of
Shakuntala written by Kalidasa in Sanskrit
writing, one of the original writing languages.
The next day, hop on a Bullock Cart and travel
through scenic Gupta to the Ajanta caves to
see artists begin painting their masterpieces
that exist to this very day!

Experience the Golden Age of India,

when everything started to become more
advanced, and see how the Guptan people
treated illnesses and started using math in the
past. The Guptas performed surgery and
created medicines to cure the sick, just like we
do today. Visit the Science and Health Center
in Sanchi to see these ancient scientists and
doctors in action. Some people worked as
metallurgists, which is the study of metal, so
they could learn more about them. From these
metals, the Guptan people created an iron that
will never rust, high quality tools, and weapons.
Strolling along the streets in Cambay will offer
you many opportunities to watch these
craftsmen in action, and to buy their hand made
creations. Perhaps the most important creation
of the Gupta people was the Hindu-Arabic
Numerals, which are the numbers that we base
our current mathematics on today. Visit the
Gupta Math Conservatory in Mathura to see the
numbers being drawn for the very first time!

CharlesWittemann&JohnLacebalTravelAgency
PorterRanch,CA

The Gupta Region of India

The Gupta empire is located in India as

far north as Patiala, all the way southwest to
Bombay and southeast to Calcutta.

When the Himalayas snow melts, the

water goes into the Indus river, making it flood.
The flooding of the river made the valleys and
plains fertile for farming. Take a boat ride
down the Indus river all the way to the Arabian
sea, and enjoy the cool mountain breezes along
the way. Remember, monsoons in India made
rainy summers and dry winters, so dress
accordingly!
CharlesWittemann&JohnLacebalTravelAgency
PorterRanch,CA

Government

Religion

Agriculture

The Gupta government consists of a

King, several viceroys appointed by the Royal
family, and a strong central government.
Emperors rule over the courts in Pataliputra,
and you can see them in action as they make
their various rulings and create Gupta law.
Remember, though, the King presides over the
highest court of appeal, and can strike down any
law he wishes. So be sure to obey all the Kings
laws and enjoy the ancient law making process.

The Gupta empire built temples called

stupas that you can visit to learn a lot about
Guptas religions. The Gupta people believed in a
god named Brahma. They believed that when
people die, they get reincarnated into different
creatures depending on their karma. Someone
gets karma by either doing good or bad things.
If someone has good karma, they will be
reincarnated into something good. If someone
had bad karma, they would be reincarnated into
something bad. So visit the many stupas
throughout Gupta, and say your Hindu prayers
so you can come back with some good karma.

The Guptas grew many crops. Their

crops were very flourishing, and included rice,
bamboo, sugarcane, fruit, wheat, and many
others. Stroll through the farmers markets in
Valabhi and purchase some fresh sugarcane to
sweeten your visit.

The government also controls trade, learning,

and the arts. There was also a caste system,
which separated different varnas, or classes, of
people from each other. Dont be shocked when
you dont see any woman government officials remember, women werent able to govern in the
Gupta society. But youll enjoy the beautiful
palaces built for the King on your sightseeing
tour.

The, take a horse driven chariot to

Bharukaccha to see Guptas raising pack animals
and oxen for trade, and have some oxen stew at
the famous Gupta Restaurant, and you can say
that you ate meat Guptan style!