Gupta Empire, 320–380 CE

Autocracy · Empire · South Asia · Late Antiquity era

The early Gupta empire under Samudragupta – a north Indian imperial power presiding over a classical cultural florescence.

From Pataliputra the early Gupta rulers, notably Samudragupta, built a north Indian empire through conquest and a hierarchy of subordinate kings and feudatories rather than uniform direct rule. The period is associated with a classical florescence in Sanskrit literature, mathematics, astronomy and temple art, and with a revival of Hindu ritual kingship. Paramountcy was expressed through tribute, marriage alliance and the horse sacrifice.

Open Gupta Empire 320–380 CE in the interactive 3D atlas →

Dominant patterns

  • Militarization
  • External Expansion
  • Great-Power Rivalry
  • Imperial Decline
  • Succession Crisis

Political-science factor profile

Each factor 0–100; higher = stronger authoritarian / crisis pole (except institutional stability, where higher = stronger institutions).

Centralization of Power62
Media Control50
Repression40
Nationalism55
Militarization68
Economic Stress35
External Conflict62
Cult of Personality68
Elite Fragmentation55
Institutions62
Social Polarization50
Corruption & Patrimonialism48
Ideological Mobilization60
External Sovereignty95

Economy & society

GDP per capita$750 (intl-$)
Population40.0M people
Share of world population20%
Territory~2.5M km²
Capital population~150k

Closest historical twins

The country-eras whose structural profile most resembles Gupta Empire 320–380 CE, by similarity score (0–100).

  1. Mali Empire, 1235–1300 CE – similarity 97/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Great-Power Rivalry, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis
  2. Songhai Empire, 1464–1528 CE – similarity 97/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Great-Power Rivalry, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis
  3. Ghana Empire, 950–1050 CE – similarity 93/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Great-Power Rivalry, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis
  4. France, 1461–1483 CE – similarity 93/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Great-Power Rivalry, Imperial Decline, Succession Crisis
  5. Chola Empire, 985–1070 CE – similarity 92/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Great-Power Rivalry, Imperial Decline
  6. Empire of Nicaea, 1204–1261 CE – similarity 88/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Great-Power Rivalry, Imperial Decline
  7. France, 1226–1270 CE – similarity 87/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Great-Power Rivalry
  8. Fatimid Caliphate, 969–1071 CE – similarity 87/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Great-Power Rivalry, Imperial Decline

What followed

  • The Gupta classical age of art, science and letters.
  • Paramountcy over much of the subcontinent.