The Guptas in MP: Eran and Udayagiri

Cut into a sandstone hill near Vidisha, a colossal relief shows Vishnu in his boar incarnation, Varaha, lifting the earth goddess from the cosmic ocean while rows of sages and gods look on. It was carved in the early fifth century, during the reign of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta II, and it is one of the most powerful sculptures in Indian art. The Udayagiri caves, together with the inscriptions at Eran and the early temples scattered across the state, make Madhya Pradesh one of the richest regions for studying the Gupta age.

The Guptas and Malwa

The Gupta empire was centred in the Ganga plain, but Malwa and central India were crucial to it:

• Samudragupta extended Gupta power into central India; an inscription at Eran records his association with the place.
• Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya) defeated the Western Kshatrapas (Shakas) of Malwa and Gujarat around the late fourth or early fifth century, gaining control of Ujjain and the western trade routes. Tradition links him with Ujjain and with the "nine gems" (navaratnas) of his court, including Kalidasa.

Udayagiri caves (Vidisha)

• About twenty rock-cut caves, mostly Hindu, with one Jain cave.
• The Varaha panel (Cave 5) — the famous boar incarnation of Vishnu.
• Inscriptions record the time of Chandragupta II, including one by his minister Virasena.
• Udayagiri is among the earliest groups of Hindu cave shrines with dated inscriptions.

Eran (Sagar)

Eran, on the Bina river, is one of India's most important sites for Gupta history.

Ramagupta: an elusive ruler

Literary sources speak of Ramagupta, an elder brother of Chandragupta II. His existence was long doubted until copper coins bearing his name were found around Vidisha, and inscriptions on Jain images from Durjanpur near Vidisha also mention him. MP's archaeology thus helped settle a debate in Gupta history.

Early temples

The Gupta period saw the beginnings of the free-standing stone temple. Several early examples are in MP:

Painting: the Bagh caves

The Bagh caves in Dhar district are Buddhist rock-cut caves with paintings from the Gupta period — processions, dancers and musicians — comparable in style and quality to the paintings at Ajanta. Many paintings have deteriorated, and parts have been removed for preservation.

Decline

From the late fifth century, Huna invasions under Toramana and Mihirakula weakened Gupta control in central India. The Eran Varaha inscription shows Toramana's authority in the region. The Aulikara ruler Yashodharman of Mandsaur later claimed victory over Mihirakula, as recorded in his inscriptions at Sondhni (Mandsaur).

Practice

Prelims-style:

1. Where is the famous Varaha panel of the Gupta period?
2. Which inscription is regarded as the earliest record of sati, and where is it?
3. Where were coins of Ramagupta found?
4. In which district is the Tigawa temple?
5. Which ruler of Mandsaur claimed victory over Mihirakula?

Mains-style (short): Why is Eran important for the history of the Gupta period?

Mains-style (long): Discuss the contribution of Madhya Pradesh's Gupta-era monuments to Indian art and architecture.