Religion in Gupta Era

Religion in Gupta Era

Buddhism was generally prevalent in Northern India including Kashmir, Afghanistan and Swat Valley two centuries prior to Christian era and 2 centuries after it. Jainism was prevailing but did not attain much popularity. Hinduism never ceased to exist and retained the large share of both the popular as well as Royal Favor.  It is evident from the coins of Kadphises II {the Kushana emperor who adopted Hinduism} with such a great deal that he repeatedly put images of Shiva on his coins and described himself as a devotee of Shiva.

The development of the Mahayana School of Buddhism from the time of Kanishka was in itself a testimony to the reviving power of Brahminical Hinduism. This newer Buddhism was very much common to the Hinduism.  The revival of the Sanskrit was first made possible by the western Satraps as evident from the Girnar inscription of Rudradaman, the Saka King who registered his achievements in elaborate Sanskrit. The Gupta Emperors made the Sanskrit fostered by the Satraps in the 4^th and 5^thcentury AD.

In Gupta empire both Buddhism and Hinduism received support and the Gupta Kings were perfectly tolerant about the three religions prevalent at that time, but they were beyond doubt zealous Hindus who were guided by the Brahmin advisors and skilled in the Sanskrit language.

The Jainism remained confined to the merchant communities of western India.  Christianity had also arrived in India but it was confined to the Malabar Region.

Changes in Hinduism

However, Hinduism also underwent some important changes during these times. The sacrifice was replaced by worship (pooja) and mediation of the Brahmins was somewhat replaced by Devotion and Bhakti. The Shakti cult emerged in the Gupta era, which was based upon the fact that the male can be activated only through union with females. Therefore, this was the beginning of worship of wives / consorts of Indian Gods such as Lakshmi, Parvati, Durga, Kali and other goddesses. The worship of Mother Goddess, which was prevalent in the Harappan India, finally got incorporated in the Hinduism by Guptas times.

By the end of 5^th century, Tantrism had also become prominent.

Rise of Occult Practices

The emergence of Tantrism and worship of female deities also led to occult practices, which kept sexual union in the center. The sexual rites started becoming prominent and now they started taking shape of religious sexuality, which reached its zenith in India by the end of the 6^th and 7^th century, as evident from numerous temple arts centered on the religious sexuality in that era.

Rise of six schools

The six schools of Hindu Philosophy viz. Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Sankya, Yoga, Mimansa and Vedanta started taking definitive shape because of the philosophical debates between the Hindu and Buddhists on the question of presence of God, attaining salvation, karma, fate, Birth and Death and rebirth.