Golden Age of India

Certain time periods have been named "golden ages" where development in the Indian subcontinent flourished.[1][2]

Ancient India
The Gupta Empire under Chandragupta II (ruled 375-415).

Gupta Empire

The period between the 4th and 6th centuries CE is known as the Golden Age of India because of the considerable achievements that in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, science, religion and philosophy during the Gupta Empire.[3] The decimal numeral system, including the concept of zero, was invented in India during this period.[4] The peace and prosperity created under the leadership of the Guptas enabled the pursuit of scientific and artistic endeavors in India.[5][6] The Golden Age of India came to an end when the Hunas invaded the Gupta Empire in the 6th century CE. The gross domestic product (GDP) of ancient India was estimated to be 32% and 28% of the global GDP in 1 AD and 1000 AD respectively. Also, during the first millennium of common era the Indian population comprised around 30.3% and 27.15% of the total world population.[7]

Medieval India

Chola Empire
Chola Empire under Rajendra Chola I c. 1030 CE.

South India in the 10th and 11th century CE under the imperial Cholas is considered as another Golden Age.[8] The period saw extensive achievements in architecture, Tamil literature, sculpture and bronze working, maritime conquests and trade. During Cholas the major South East Asian countries practiced Hinduism, Chola’s influence was as far as Vietnam. Chola GDP constituted the world's largest GDP at that time.

Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire
Territory under Tughlaq dynasty of Delhi Sultanate, 1330-1335 AD
Mughal Empire under Aurangzeb in early 18th century

In the 13th and early 14th century CE under the Delhi Sultanate and in the 16th and 17th century CE under the Mughal Empire are considered Golden Ages, both economically and culturally.[9] The periods saw extensive achievements in Indo-Islamic architecture, Indo-Persian culture, monuments, mosques, calligraphy, conquests, manufacturing and trade. During the Mughal era, the GDP of India in 1600 was estimated at 22% of the world economy, the second largest in the world, behind only Ming China but larger than Europe. By 1700, the GDP of Mughal India had risen to 24% of the world economy, the largest in the world, larger than both Qing China and Western Europe. The Mughal empire was producing about 25% of the world's industrial output up until the 18th century.[10]

References
  1. The Mughal World, p. 386, Abraham Eraly, Penguin Books
  2. Cultural Sociology of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa p. 29, Andrea L. Stanton, SAGE
  3. Building Bridges Among the BRICs, p. 125, Robert Crane, Springer, 2014
  4. "THE GUPTA EMPIRE OF INDIA 320-720".
  5. Padma Sudhi. Gupta Art: A Study from Aesthetic and Canonical Norms. Galaxy Publications. p. 7-17.
  6. Lee Engfer (2002). India in Pictures. Twenty-First Century Books. ISBN 9780822503712.
  7. Angus Maddison (2007). Contours of the World Economy, 1–2030 AD. Essays in Macro-Economic History. Oxford University Press. p. 69. ISBN 978-0-19-922721-1.
  8. The First Spring Part 1: Life in the Golden Age of India. Penguin UK. 2014. p. 102. ISBN 9789351186458. The period of the 'imperial' Cholas was the golden age of South India.
  9. India in the Persianate Age: 1000-1765. Penguin. 2020. ISBN 0141985399.
  10. Maddison, Angus (2003). Development Centre Studies The World Economy Historical Statistics: Historical Statistics. OECD Publishing. pp. 256–. ISBN 978-92-64-10414-3.
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