The Guptas came into power in North India around the 3rd century AD, much after the establishment of the Satavahana kingdom. They existed till AD 543 and are considered as one of the most important dynasties of North India. The Gupta kingdom spread over much of the Indian subcontinent and some historians identify this period as the Golden Age of India.
Sri Gupta is the first among the known Gupta kings. He was followed by Ghatotkacha. Though not much is known about their early history, they are assumed to have been minor rulers in east Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, and Chandragupta II, also known as Vikramaditya are the most notable rulers of the Gupta dynasty. Other Gupta rulers including Purugupta, Buddhagupta, Baladitya etc., were weak rulers.
The Gupta Empire gradually went into decline and by AD 543, they had lost all their territories. After the Guptas, the Hunas occupied Malwa and part of central India and the eastern states became independent. The Maitrakas of Valabhi established themselves in western India while the Vardhanas or Pushyabhutis occupied Haryana.
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