India Culture, Business, Sports and Food. Get all the buzz in India now

Announcement Suspense ended on Sunday when Election Commission of India announced the dates of the assembly elections in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The elections will we held in seven phases for the 87 assembly seats in the state. The first phase of the polls will be held on November 17 and it will be followed by next six phases on November 23, November 30, December 7, December 17 and December 24. The votes will be counted on December 28 and the results will be announced on the same day. Earlier EC had announced the dated of the five state assembly elections except elections in J&K.

Political Situation Amarnath land row had lead to the premature downfall of he congress led government in the state. After it,political situation in the state had become very tense and more than 50 people have lost their lives in both parts of the state. Because of the tense situation in the Kashmir region, most of the political parties were not enthusiastic about the elections but they had not said openly against or in favor of the elections. Earlier it was being said that elections in the present situation will lead to a poor turnout in the Kashmir region. But state political parties also feared that delay in election will give an upper hand to separatists. In such circumstance EC had to take some ‘ bold decision’ otherwise it will have to wait for next six month to hold the election only after the winter season.

Necessity Earlier, PDP was against the early elections in the state but NC had favored the elections. Congress had left the decision to the EC while BJP wanted immediate announcement of elections in the state. In the initial two phases, elections will be held in Leh and Kargil regions as these areas are snow bound. Earlier elections used to be held in four or five phases in the state but EC has decided to hold them in seven phases because of the political instability in the state. In recent months, separatist Hurriyat leaders have exploited the public anger against New Delhi and had projected it as freedom struggle. In such circumstances, further delay in the elections could have given more time to the separatist for ‘free play’. EC has taken an important and necessary decision and it will push the separatists on back foot.

Golden Age After the downfall of Maurya Dynasty India, especially north-India, was divided in small kingdoms. But in the South some dynasties continued to rule for centuries but they could not unite India as Mauryans had done. It was the Gupta Dynasty that emerged as a major power in the early years of fourth century and united India into a nation. Gupta Empire’s time is also considered to be the golden age of India as India was at its peak in the fields of science, mathematics, astronomy,religion, Indian philosophy and literature during their reign. Kalidasa and Aryabhatta are the two famous figures of that time. It was Aryabhatta who had first claimed that earth revolves around the sun. He also gave the concept of Zero to the world. He had contributed a lot to mathematics also. He has been discovered that he knew about the concept of pie(22/7) also. Kalidasa was a playwright who had written ‘Shakuntala’. Indian literature of that age has influenced the Greek literature a lot.

Origin Gupta Dynasty was at its prime from 300 to 600 AD centuries. Huns conquered Guptas and had took over northern India. But some inscriptions indicate that some Guptas ruled during the 12^th and 13^th  century AD though in small states. Nothing concrete has been found about the origin of the Guptas. Only Chinese traveler I-tsing(Hieun-Tsang) has once mentioned name of ‘Maharaja Sri-Gupta’ who had built a temple for Chinese travelers 500 hundred years before. He had visited Indian during the seventh century. No concrete evidence is available but we can assume that Sri Gupta was the first Gupta ruler who might have been the ruler or present Bengal. A copper  inscription has been found in Poona in which Prabhavati Gupta (Daughter of Chanrdragupta-II) has described that Sri Gupta was the first Gupta ruler who probably ruled around 240-280 century AD. His successor was Ghatotkhacha who probably ruled around 280-319 century AD. Only Prabhavati Gupta has mentioned his name by describing him as the Gupta King.

Rise To Power Guptas emerged as a major political power with their marital relationship with Lichchhavi rulers of Magdha. Chandragupta, the successor of Gatotkhacha,  received capital Patliputra as in dowry. From this point we can say that Chandragupta has risen to power because of his connection with the Lichchhivies. He took advantage of his marital alliance with the Lichchhivies and added the whole fertile Gangetic valley into his kingdom. He also won some more northern parts of India. He could rule only for 15 years probably from 320-335 AD. He was succeeded by Samudragupta in 335 AD. He is also called the ‘India Napoleon’ because when he died he had won more than 20 kingdoms and had incorporated them into his kingdom. Padmavati, Malwas, Yeaudheyas, Arjunayanas, Maduras and Abhiras were some of his neighboring kingdoms that he had won. He was not only a warrior but also a patron of art and literature. He was a staunch Hindu but he never interfered the matters of others religions. He had good relations with he neighboring and remote countries. He performed Aashvamadha Yajna and assumed the title of Maharahadhiraja( The King of Kings). He showed great nobility towards defeated king and gave back their territories to them. This pattern was followed by Moguls after centuries. He ruled for 45 years and was succeeded by Chandragupta-II also known as Vikramaditya in 380 AD.

Territory It is said that he had conquered most of Ashoka’s territory except modern Afghanistan and some north-Indian parts. He spent most of his life military campaigns. He started his military campaign by winning Shichchhatra and then Padmavati. Then he conquered some Kingdoms of the  modern Nepal, Bengal and Assam. After it he defeated the tribal states of north that included Malvas, the Yaudheyas, the Arjunayanas, the Abhiras and the Maduras. Kushanas and Sakas had also accepted his authority. He issued seven different type of coins. He himself was a poet and musician. It is said that only Indra was equal to him in playing veena.