Literature: The Gupta age was also the golden age of Sanskrit literature. Guptas were not only warriors, but also patronized literature and science. Harisena’s prasasli as recorded on the Allahabad pillar, is in chaste Sanskrit prose and verse. Itcontains 33 lines and is a remarkable example of the poetry of the Gupta age. Samudragupta himself was a poet and scholar and he got the title of ‘Kaviraja’. Chandragupta-II patronized the ‘Nine Gems’ (navarathnas), the Sanskrit scholars in his court.

They were i) Kalidasa (Poet), ii) Dhanvantari (Physician), iii) Varahamihira (Astronomer), iv) Amarasimha (Lexicographer), v) Shanku (Architect), vi) Kshapanaka (Astrologer), vii) Vararuchi, (Grammarian), viii) Vetalabhatta (Magician) and ix) Ghatakarpara (Poet).

The most outstanding literary figure of that age was Kalidasa. He wrote a number of excellent works like Shakuntala, Malavikagnim’itra, Raghuvamsha, Kumarasambhava, Meghadhoota, Ritusamhara, Vikramorvashiyam etc. Both in drama and poetry, he stands unsurpassed and unrivalled even today. Kalidasa emerged as the King of all poets and hailed as the ‘Indian Shakespeare’.

Bhasa was another Sanskrit dramatist of this period. He was the author of 13 dramas, which are considered as the treasure in Sanskrit literature. The important dramas include Swapnavasava, Charudatta and Urubhanga. Vishakadatta wrote Mudrarakshasa and Devi Chandraguptam. Sudraka wrote Mrichchakatika. Bharavi was the author of Kirathaijuneeyam. Dandi wrote Dashakumaracharita and Kavyadhara, Vishnusimha composed Panchatantra and Amarasimha wrote Amarakosa.

The Nitisara of Kamandaka and the smritis of Yagnavalkya are also noteworthy. Some of the buddhist scholars of this period were Asanga, Vasubandhu, Dignaga, Chandragomin and others, who wrote many works in Sanskrit. The literary standard of this period was high. Sanskrit became the common as well as the official language. Naturally, this led to a renaissance in Sanskrit literature. The development of Sanskrit reached its zenith.

Development of science: The Gupta age made tremendous progress in the field of science, especially in the disciplines of Astronomy, Medicine, Astrology, Mathematics and Metallurgy. Dhanvantri and Vagbhatta were great physicians. Aryabhatta, Varahamihira and Brahmagupta were the great astronomers and mathematicians of that age.

1) Aryabhatta was one of the greatest scientists of the Gupta period. He wrote two great works on astronomy namely, Aryabhata and Suryasiddhanta. His major contributions : i) To find the place value of numbers from 1 to 9, ii) The discovery of the exact value of 22pi (TC) viz or 3.14159, iii) The formula to calculate the area of a triangle, iv) The true 7 cause of why solar and luner eclipses occur, v) The rotation and revolution of Earth on its axis, vi) The decimal system of notation. An indian satellite sent into space has been named Aryabhatta in his honour.

2) Varahamihira wrote Brihathsamhithe, Panchasiddantika, Brihadjataka and Laghujataka. He studied and wrote about the movements of the heavenly bodies. He was an authority on Astronomy, Botany, Mathematics and Geography.

3) Brahmagupta was the great astronomer who wrote the book ‘Brahmaputra Siddhanta’. He declared that all things fall to the Earth, by a law of nature. He showed the importance of zero.

4) Bhaskaracharya was a renowed mathematician.

5) Vridha Vagbhata was the great physician and author of Ashtanga sangraha.

6) Dhanvantari was a great physician and he wrote Ayurveda Nighantu. He is regarded as the ‘Father of Indian medicine’ (Ayurveda).

7) Charaka and Sushrutha were physicians, and wrote samhithes. The iron pillar near the Kutb minar atMeharauli (Delhi) is the best example of the progress in metallurgy achieved by the Guptas. That pillar’s weight is about 6 tonnes, height 23.8 ft and a diameter of 16.4 inches at the base. It is still free from rust, even though it is exposed to the elements, like wind, rain, sun etc., all these years.