Gupta Empire

•320 A.D. - 550 A.D.
•United much of the Indian subcontinent
•Hinduism had a strong impact on Gupta society
-Hindu law required that you marry in your caste
•Government
-Strong, central government
-In the villages there was a headman that made decisions
-Women were allowed to serve on councils, but only for a short period of time
•Society
-Caste system influenced life
-Caste rules and traditions created a stable society
-Cant move out of your social class
-Village was the center if life: houses were built of earth and stone and fields surrounded the village to grow crops
-Wealthier families lived in joint families
-Indian families were patriarchal
-Children learned family trade and worked in the fields
-By the end of the Gupta rule, upper class women were restricted to their homes and had to be covered from head to toe
-Lower class women were expected to work