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Gupta Empire
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ancient Indian empire
"Golden age of India" redirects here. For that of Shah Jahan also known as the Golden age, see Mughal Empire.
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Gupta Empire
320 CE–650 CE
Approximate extent of the Gupta territories (purple) in 375 CE.
Approximate extent of the Gupta territories (purple) in 450 CE.
Capital Pataliputra
Languages Sanskrit (literary and academic); Prakrit (vernacular)
Religion
Hinduism
Buddhism
Jainism
Government Monarchy
Maharajadhiraja
• 240s–280s Sri-Gupta
• 319–335 Chandragupta I
• 335-380 Samudragupta
• 380–415 Chandragupta II
• 540–550 Vishnu Gupta
Historical era Ancient India
• Established 320 CE
• Disestablished 650 CE
Area
• 400 3,500,000[1] km2 (1,400,000 sq mi)
Preceded by Succeeded by
Mahameghavahana dynasty
Kanva dynasty
Kushan Empire
Bharshiva dynasty
Western Satraps
Later Guptas
Maukhari
Maitraka
Pushyabhuti
Mathara dynasty
Varman dynasty
Kalachuris
Today part of
India
Pakistan
Bangladesh
Nepal
The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire, existing from approximately 240 to 590 CE. At its zenith from approximately 319 to 550 CE it covered much of the Indian subcontinent.[2] This period is called the Golden Age of India.[3][note 1] The ruling dynasty of the empire was founded by Sri Gupta; the most notable rulers of the dynasty were Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, and Chandragupta II. The 5th-century CE Sanskrit poet Kalidasa credits the Guptas with having conquered about twenty-one kingdoms, both in and outside India, including the kingdoms of Parasikas, the Hunas, the Kambojas, tribes located in the west and east Oxus valleys, the Kinnaras, Kiratas, and others.[5][non-primary source needed]
The high points of this period are the great cultural developments which took place during the reign of Chandragupta II. All literary sources, such as Mahabharata and Ramayana, were canonised during this period.[6] The Gupta period produced scholars such as Kalidasa, Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Vishnu Sharma and Vatsyayana who made great advancements in many academic fields.[7][8] Science and political administration reached new heights during the Gupta era. The period gave rise to achievements in architecture, sculpture, and painting that "set standards of form and taste [that] determined the whole subsequent course of art, not only in India but far beyond her borders".[9] Strong trade ties also made the region an important cultural center and established the region as a base that would influence nearby kingdoms and regions in Burma, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia.[10][unreliable source?] The Puranas, earlier long poems on a variety of subjects, are also thought to have been committed to written texts around this period.[9]
The empire eventually died out because of many factors such as substantial loss of territory and imperial authority caused by their own erstwhile feudatories, as well as the invasion by the Huna peoples (Kidarites and Alchon Huns) from Central Asia.[11][12] After the collapse of the Gupta Empire in the 6th century, India was again ruled by numerous regional kingdoms. A minor line of the Gupta clan continued to rule Magadha after the disintegration of the empire. These Guptas were ultimately ousted by the Vardhana ruler Harsha, who established his empire in the first half of the 7th century.[citation needed]
Contents
[hide]
1 Origin
1.1 Original homeland of the Guptas
2 History
2.1 Srigupta and Ghatotkacha
2.2 Chandragupta I
2.3 Samudragupta
2.4 Ramagupta
2.5 Chandragupta II "Vikramaditya"
2.5.1 Chandragupta II's Campaigns against Foreign Tribes
2.5.2 Faxian
2.6 Kumaragupta I
2.7 Skandagupta
2.8 Decline of the empire
3 Military organization
4 Religion
5 Gupta administration
6 Legacy of the Gupta Empire
7 Art and architecture
8 See also
9 Notes
10 References
11 External links
Origin[edit]
Main article: Origin of the Gupta dynasty
Gupta Empire
320 CE–550 CE
Sri Gupta (240 – 280)
Ghatotkacha (280 – 319)
Chandragupta I (320 – 335)
Kachagupta (335)
Samudragupta (335 – 380)
Ramagupta
Chandragupta II (380 – 413/415)
Kumaragupta I (415 – 455)
Skandagupta (455 - 467)
Purugupta (467 – 473)
Kumaragupta II (473 - 476)
Budhagupta (476 – 495)
Narasimhagupta (495 – ?)
(Bhanugupta) (circa 510)
Vainyagupta (circa 507)
Kumaragupta III (circa 530)
Vishnugupta (540 – 550)
v
t
e
According to many scholars and historians, the Gupta Dynasty was of Vaishya origin.[13][14] Historian Ram Sharan Sharma asserts that the Vaishya Guptas "appeared as a reaction against oppressive rulers".[15] A.S. Altekar, a historian and archaeologist, who has written several books on Gupta coinage,[16] also regarded the caste of the Guptas as Vaishya on the basis of the ancient Indian texts on law, which associate the Gupta name suffix with a member of the Vaishya caste. According to historian Michael C. Brannigan, the rise of the Gupta Empire was one of the most prominent violations of the caste system in ancient India.[14]
However Gupta Empire records and Chinese records provided by the later I-Tsing, furnished the names of the first three rulers of the Gupta Dynasty: Maharaja Sri Gupta, Maharaja Sri Ghatotkacha and Ghatotokacha's son, and Maharajadhiraja Sri Chandragupta, who is considered the first Gupta emperor. Recently, the historian Ashvini Agarwal, on the basis of the matrimonial alliances of the Guptas with the Vakataka, assumed that they belong to the Brahmin caste.[17] Another modern historian, S. Chattopaddhyaya, has put forth a different theory about the ancestry of the Guptas. According to him, in the Panchobh Copper Plate, some kings bearing the title Guptas and related to the imperial Gupta Dynasty, claimed themselves as Vaishyas. Nepalese historian D. R. Regmi says that the imperial Guptas were descendants of Abhira Guptas who had ruled the Kathmandu valley in present-day Nepal.[18][19]
Original homeland of the Guptas[edit]
There is controversy among scholars about the original homeland of the Guptas. Jayaswal has pointed out that the Guptas were originally inhabitants of Prayaga (Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh, in north India, as the vassal of the Nagas or Bhaarshivas. Thereafter they rose in prominence. Another scholar, Gayal supported the theory of Jayaswal, suggesting that the original home of the Guptas was Antarvedi and embracing the regions of Oudh and Prayag. These historians have derived their theory from several Gupta Dynasty coins found in those regions, and this study of numismatic evidence led to the theory that the Guptas were the original inhabitants of that region of northeastern India. However, another historian of this time in Indian history, D. K. Ganguly, has offered a different view about the original Gupta homeland. According to him the Guptas' homeland is further south, the Murshidabad region of Bengal, and not Magadha in Bihar. He based his theory on the statement of the Chinese Buddhist monk, Yijing (I-Tsing), who visited India during 675 and 695 CE. J. F. Fleet and other historians, however, criticize Ganguly's theory because Sri Gupta ruled during the end of the 3rd century, but Yijing placed him at the end of the 2nd century. Hence the theory of historians, who have provided their views based on the accounts of Yijing, are considered less valid than theories based on other sources such as coinage.
From these theories, several conflicting opinions about the original homeland and the Empire of the Guptas are available. According to John Allan and a few other scholars, the Guptas were initially concentrated in the region of Magadha and from there they extended their sway to Bengal. According to other groups, the original homeland of the Guptas was Varendri or the Varendra Bhumi in Bengal, wherefrom they extended their Empire to Magadha. Whatever the theory is, the rule of the Guptas initiated the Golden Age in history of ancient India and with passage of time they became the sole authority of entire Northern India.
Bengali historians like HC Raychoudhuri the Guptas originated from the Varendri region which is now part of Rangpur and Rajshahi Division of modern-day Bangladesh. D.C. Ganguly, on the other hand, considers the surrounding region of Murshidabad as the original home of the Guptas.[20]
History[edit]
Srigupta and Ghatotkacha[edit]
The most likely time for the reign of Sri Gupta is c. 240–280.[21] The Murundas, who were feudal lords of Kushans, provided or granted land to Sri Gupta. He can be considered the first person of Gupta's empire, but not the founder of the empire. His son and successor Ghatotkacha ruled presumably from c. 280–319. He challenged other feudal lords and conquered their lands. In contrast to his successor, Chandragupta I, who is mentioned as Maharajadhiraja, he and his son Ghatotkacha are referred to in inscriptions as Maharaja.[22] At the beginning of the 4th century, the Guptas established and ruled a few small Hindu kingdoms in Magadha and around modern-day Bihar.
Yijing[23] also mentioned Sri Gupta in his writings. He was succeeded by his son Ghatotkacha.
Chandragupta I[edit]
Main article: Chandragupta I
Queen Kumaradevi and King Chandragupta I, depicted on a coin of their son Samudragupta, 335–380.
Ghatotkacha reigned from about 280 CE to 319 CE, and had a son named Chandragupta (reigned c. 320–335 CE) His son is not to be confused with Chandragupta Maurya (322–298 BCE), founder of the Mauryan Empire. In a breakthrough deal, Chandragupta was married to Kumaradevi, a Lichchhavi princess—the main power in Magadha. With a dowry of the kingdom of Magadha (capital Pataliputra) and an alliance with the Licchavis of Nepal, Chandragupta set about expanding his power, conquering much of Magadha, Prayaga, and Saketa. Unlike most other classical empires, Gupta India failed to build fortresses to shore up these vulnerable regions, which led in part to letting them fall out of Guptan hands.[24] He established a realm stretching from the Ganges River to Prayaga (modern-day Allahabad) by 321. He assumed the imperial title of Maharajadhiraja. He expanded his empire through marriage alliances.
Samudragupta[edit]
Main article: Samudragupta
Coin of Samudragupta, with Garuda pillar. British Museum.
Samudragupta, Parakramanka succeeded his father in 335, and ruled for about 45 years, until his death in 380. He took the kingdoms of Ahichchhatra and Padmavati early in his reign. He then attacked the Malwas, the Yaudheyas, the Arjunayanas, the Maduras and the Abhiras, all of which were tribes in the area. By his death in 380, he had incorporated over twenty kingdoms into his realm and his rule extended from the Himalayas to the river Narmada and from the Brahmaputra to the Yamuna. He gave himself the titles King of Kings and World Monarch. Historian Vincent Smith described him as the "Indian Napoleon".[25] He performed Ashwamedha Yajna in which a horse with an army is sent to all the nearby territories of friends and foes. These territorial kings on arrival either accept the king's alliance, who is performing this Yajna, or fight if they do not. The stone replica of the horse, then prepared, is in the Lucknow Museum. The Samudragupta Prashasti inscribed on the Ashokan Pillar, now in Akbar’s Fort at Allahabad, is an authentic record of his exploits and his sway over most of the continent.
Samudragupta was not only a talented military leader but also a great patron of art and literature. He conquered what is now Kashmir and Afghanistan, enlarging the empire.[26] The critical scholars present in his court were Harishena, Vasubandhu, and Asanga. He was a poet and musician himself. He was a firm believer in Hinduism and is known to have worshipped Lord Vishnu. He was considerate of other religions and allowed Sri Lanka's Buddhist king Sirimeghvanna to build a monastery at Bodh Gaya. That monastery was called by Xuanzang as the Mahabodhi Sangharama.[27][unreliable source?] He provided a gold railing around the Bodhi Tree.
Ramagupta[edit]
Head of Tirthankara, Mathura Museum
Main article: Ramagupta
Although, the narrative of the Devichandragupta is not supported by any contemporary epigraphical evidence, the historicity of Rama Gupta is proved by his Durjanpur inscriptions on three Jaina images, where he is mentioned as the Maharajadhiraja. A large number of his copper coins also have been found from the Eran-Vidisha region and classified in five distinct types, which include the Garuda,[28] Garudadhvaja, lion and border legend types. The Brahmi legends on these coins are written in the early Gupta style.[29] In the opinion of art historian Dr. R. A. Agarawala, D. Litt., Rama Gupta may be the eldest son of Samudragupta. He became king because of being the eldest. It is possible that he was dethroned because of being considered unfit to rule, and his younger brother Chandragupta II took over.
Chandragupta II "Vikramaditya"[edit]
Main article: Chandragupta II
Krishna fighting the horse demon Keshi, 5th century
According to the Gupta records, amongst his sons, Samudragupta nominated prince Chandragupta II, born of queen Dattadevi, as his successor. Chandragupta II, Vikramaditya (the Sun of Power), ruled from 375 until 415. He married a Kadamba princess of Kuntala and of Naga lineage (Nāgakulotpannnā), Kuberanaga. His daughter Prabhavatigupta from this Naga queen was married to Rudrasena II, the Vakataka ruler of Deccan.[30] His son Kumaragupta I was married to a Kadamba princess of the Karnataka region. Chandragupta II expanded his realm westwards, defeating the Saka Western Kshatrapas of Malwa, Gujarat and Saurashtra in a campaign lasting until 409. His main opponent Rudrasimha III was defeated by 395, and he crushed the Bengal chiefdoms. This extended his control from coast to coast, established a second capital at Ujjain and was the high point of the empire.
Gold coins of Chandragupta II.
Despite the creation of the empire through war, the reign is remembered for its very influential style of Hindu art, literature, culture and science, especially during the reign of Chandragupta II. Some excellent works of Hindu art such as the panels at the Dashavatara Temple in Deogarh serve to illustrate the magnificence of Gupta art. Above all it was the synthesis of elements that gave Gupta art its distinctive flavour. During this period, the Guptas were supportive of thriving Buddhist and Jain cultures as well, and for this reason there is also a long history of non-Hindu Gupta period art. In particular, Gupta period Buddhist art was to be influential in most of East and Southeast Asia. Many advances were recorded by the Chinese scholar and traveller Faxian (Fa-hien) in his diary and published afterwards.
The court of Chandragupta was made even more illustrious by the fact that it was graced by the Navaratna (Nine Jewels), a group of nine who excelled in the literary arts. Amongst these men was the immortal Kālidāsa whose works dwarfed the works of many other literary geniuses, not only in his own age but in the years to come. Kalidasa was mainly known for his subtle exploitation of the shringara (romantic) element in his verse.
Chandragupta II's Campaigns against Foreign Tribes[edit]
The 4th century Sanskrit poet Kalidasa credits Chandragupta Vikramaditya with conquering about twenty one kingdoms, both in and outside India. After finishing his campaign in East and West India, Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II) proceeded northwards, subjugated the Parasikas, then the Hunas and the Kambojas tribes located in the west and east Oxus valleys respectively. Thereafter, the king proceeded into the Himalaya mountains to reduce the mountain tribes of the Kinnaras, Kiratas, as well as India proper.[5][non-primary source needed]
The Brihatkathamanjari of the Kashmiri writer Kshemendra states, King Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II) had "unburdened the sacred earth of the Barbarians like the Sakas, Mlecchas, Kambojas, Yavanas, Tusharas, Parasikas, Hunas, and others, by annihilating these sinful Mlecchas completely".[31][non-primary source needed][32][33][unreliable source?]
Faxian[edit]
Faxian (or Fa Hsien etc.), a Chinese Buddhist, was one of the pilgrims who visited India during the reign of the Gupta emperor Chandragupta II. He started his journey from China in 399 and reached India in 405. During his stay in India up to 411, he went on a pilgrimage to Mathura, Kannauj, Kapilavastu, Kushinagar, Vaishali, Pataliputra, Kashi, and Rajagriha, and made careful observations about the empire's conditions. Faxian was pleased with the mildness of administration. The Penal Code was mild and offenses were punished by fines only. From his accounts, the Gupta Empire was a prosperous period. And until the Rome-China trade axis was broken with the fall of the Han dynasty, the Guptas' did indeed prosper. His writings form one of the most important sources for the history of this period.
Kumaragupta I[edit]
Main article: Kumaragupta I
Silver coin of the Gupta King Kumaragupta I (Coin of his Western territories, design derived from the Western Satraps).
Obv: Bust of king with crescents, with traces of corrupt Greek script.[34][35]
Rev: Garuda standing facing with spread wings. Brahmi legend: Parama-bhagavata rajadhiraja Sri Kumaragupta Mahendraditya.
Chandragupta II was succeeded by his second son Kumaragupta I, born of Mahadevi Dhruvasvamini. Kumaragupta I assumed the title, Mahendraditya.[36] He ruled until 455. Towards the end of his reign a tribe in the Narmada valley, the Pushyamitras, rose in power to threaten the empire. The Kidarites as well probably confronted the Gupta Empire towards the end of the rule of Kumaragupta I, as his son Skandagupta mentions in the Bhitari pillar inscription his efforts at reshaping a country in disarray, through reorganization and military victories over the Pushyamitras and the Hunas.[37]
He was the founder of Nalanda University which on July 15, 2016 was declared as a UNESCO world heritage site.[38]
Skandagupta[edit]
Main article: Skandagupta
Skandagupta, son and successor of Kumaragupta I is generally considered to be the last of the great Gupta rulers. He assumed the titles of Vikramaditya and Kramaditya.[39] He defeated the Pushyamitra threat, but then was faced with invading Kidarites (sometimes described as the Hephthalites or "White Huns", known in India as the Sweta Huna), from the northwest.
He repelled a Huna attack around 455 CE, but the expense of the wars drained the empire's resources and contributed to its decline. The Bhitari Pillar inscription of Skandagupta, the successor of Chandragupta, recalls the near-annihilation of the Gupta Empire following the attacks of the Kidarites.[40] The Kidarites seem to have retained the western part of the Gupta Empire.[40]
Skandagupta died in 467 and was succeeded by his agnate brother Purugupta.[41]
Decline of the empire[edit]
The Alchon Huns under Toramana and his son Mihirakula (here depicted) gravely weakened the Gupta Empire.
Following Skandagupta's death, the empire was clearly in decline.[42] He was followed by Purugupta (467–473), Kumaragupta II (473–476), Budhagupta (476–495), Narasimhagupta (495—?), Kumaragupta III (530—540), Vishnugupta (540—550), two lesser known kings namely, Vainyagupta and Bhanugupta.
In the 480's the Alchon Huns under Toramana and Mihirakula broke through the Gupta defenses in the northwest, and much of the empire in the northwest was overrun by the Huns by 500. The empire disintegrated under the attacks of Toramana and his successor Mihirakula. It appears from inscriptions that the Guptas, although their power was much diminished, continued to resist the Huns. The Hun invader Toramana was defeated by Bhanugupta in 510.[43][44] The Huns were defeated and driven out of India in 528 by king Yashodharman from Malwa, and possibly Gupta emperor Narasimhagupta.[45]
The much-weakened Late Guptas, circa 550 CE.
These invasions, although only spanning a few decades, had long term effects on India, and in a sense brought an end to Classical Indian civilization.[46] Soon after the invasions, the Gupta Empire, already weakened by these invasions and the rise of local rulers such as Yashodharman, ended as well.[47] Following the invasions, northern India was left in disarray, with numerous smaller Indian powers emerging after the crumbling of the Guptas.[48] The Huna invasions are said to have seriously damaged India's trade with Europe and Central Asia.[46] In particular, Indo-Roman trade relations, which the Gupta Empire had greatly benefited from. The Guptas had been exporting numerous luxury products such as silk, leather goods, fur, iron products, ivory, pearl, and pepper from centers such as Nasik, Paithan, Pataliputra, and Benares. The Huna invasion probably disrupted these trade relations and the tax revenues that came with them.[49]
Furthermore, Indian urban culture was left in decline, and Buddhism, gravely weakened by the destruction of monasteries and the killing of monks, started to collapse.[46] Great centers of learning were destroyed, such as the city of Taxila, bringing cultural regression.[46] During their rule of 60 years, the Alchons are said to have altered the hierarchy of ruling families and the Indian cast system. For example, the Hunas are often said to have become the precursors of the Rajputs.[46]
The succession of the 6th-century Guptas is not entirely clear, but the tail end recognized ruler of the dynasty's main line was king Vishnugupta, reigning from 540 to 550. In addition to the Hun invasion, the factors, which contribute to the decline of the empire include competition from the Vakatakas and the rise of Yashodharman in Malwa.[50]
The last known inscription by a Gupta emperor is from the reign of Vishnugupta (the Damodarpur copper-plate inscription),[51] in which he makes a land grant in the area of Kotivarsha (Bangarh in West Bengal) in 542/543 CE.[52] This follows the occupation of most of northern and central India by the Aulikara ruler Yashodharman circa 532 CE.[52]
Military organization[edit]
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Gold coin of Gupta era, depicting Gupta king Kumaragupta holding a bow.
Sculpture of Vishnu (red sandstone), 5th century CE
The Imperial Guptas couldn't have achieved their successes through force of arms without an efficient martial system. Historically, the best accounts of this not only come from Indian sources themselves but from Chinese and Western observers. However, a contemporary Indian document, regarded as a military classic of the time, the Siva-Dhanur-veda, offers some insight into the military system of the Guptas.[citation needed]
The Guptas seem to have relied heavily on infantry archers, and the bow was one of the dominant weapons of their army. The Indian version of the longbow was composed of metal, or more typically bamboo, and fired a long bamboo cane arrow with a metal head.[citation needed] Unlike the composite bows of Western and Central Asian foes, bows of this design would be less prone to warping in the damp and moist conditions often prevalent to the region. The Indian longbow was reputedly a powerful weapon capable of great range and penetration and provided an effective counter to invading horse archers. Iron shafts were used against armored elephants and fire arrows were not part of the bowmen's arsenal, contrary to popular belief. India historically has had a prominent reputation for its steel weapons. One of these was the steel bow. Because of its high tensility, the steel bow was capable of long range and penetration of exceptionally thick armor. These were less common weapons than the bamboo design and found in the hands of noblemen rather than in the ranks. Archers were frequently protected by infantry equipped with shields, javelins, and longswords. The Guptas also had knowledge of siegecraft, catapults, and other sophisticated war machines.[citation needed]
The Guptas apparently showed little predilection for using horse archers, despite the fact these warriors were a primary component in the ranks of their Scythian, Parthian, and Hepthalite (Huna) enemies. However, the Gupta armies were probably better disciplined. Able commanders such as Samudragupta and Chandragupta II would have likely understood the need for combined armed tactics and proper logistical organization. Gupta military success likely stemmed from the concerted use of elephants, armored cavalry, steel bow and foot archers in tandem against both Hindu kingdoms and foreign armies invading from the Northwest. The Guptas also maintained a navy, allowing them to control regional waters.[citation needed]
The collapse of the Gupta Empire in the face of the Huna onslaught was due not directly to the inherent defects of the Gupta army, which after all had initially defeated these people under Skandagupta. More likely, internal dissolution sapped the ability of the Guptas to resist foreign invasion, as was simultaneously occurring in Western Europe and China.[citation needed]
During the reign of Chandragupta II, Gupta Empire maintained a large army consisting of 500,000 infantry, 50,000 cavalry, 20,000 charioteers and 10,000 elephants[citation needed] along with a powerful navy with more than 1200 ships[citation needed]. Chandragupta II controlled the whole of the Indian subcontinent;[2] the Gupta empire was the most powerful empire in the world during his reign, at a time when the Roman Empire in the West was in decline.[citation needed]
Religion[edit]
Meditating Buddha from the Gupta era, 5th century CE.
The Guptas were traditionally a Hindu dynasty.[53] They were orthodox Hindus, but did not force their beliefs on the rest of the population, as Buddhism and Jainism also were encouraged.[54] Sanchi remained an important center of Buddhism.[54] Kumaragupta I (c. 414 – c. 455 CE) is said to have founded Nalanda.[54]
Some later rulers however seem to have especially favoured Buddhism. Narasimhagupta Baladitya (c. 495-?), according to contemporary writer Paramartha, was brought up under the influence of the Mahayanist philosopher, Vasubandhu.[53] He built a sangharama at Nalanda and also a 300 ft (91 m) high vihara with a Buddha statue within which, according to Xuanzang, resembled the "great Vihara built under the Bodhi tree". According to the Manjushrimulakalpa (c. 800 CE), king Narasimhsagupta became a Buddhist monk, and left the world through meditation (Dhyana).[53] The Chinese monk Xuanzang also noted that Narasimhagupta Baladitya's son, Vajra, who commissioned a sangharama as well, "possessed a heart firm in faith".[55]:45[56]:330
Gupta administration[edit]
A study of the epigraphical records of the Gupta empire shows that there was a hierarchy of administrative divisions from top to bottom. The empire was called by various names such as Rajya, Rashtra, Desha, Mandala, Prithvi and Avani. It was divided into 26 provinces, which were styled as Bhukti, Pradesha and Bhoga. Provinces were also divided into Vishayas and put under the control of the Vishayapatis. A Vishayapati administered the Vishaya with the help of the Adhikarana (council of representatives), which comprised four representatives: Nagarasreshesthi, Sarthavaha, Prathamakulike and Prathama Kayastha. A part of the Vishaya was called Vithi.[57] There were also trade links of Gupta business with the Roman empire.
Legacy of the Gupta Empire[edit]
Later image of Krishna and Radha playing chaturanga on an 8 × 8 Ashtāpada
Scholars of this period include Varahamihira and Aryabhata, who is believed to be the first to come up with the concept of zero, postulated the theory that the Earth moves round the Sun, and studied solar and lunar eclipses. Kalidasa, who was a great playwright, who wrote plays such as Shakuntala, and marked the highest point of Sanskrit literature is also said to have belonged to this period. The Sushruta Samhita, which is a Sanskrit redaction text on all of the major concepts of ayurvedic medicine with innovative chapters on surgery, dates to the Gupta period.
Chess is said to have originated in this period,[58] where its early form in the 6th century was known as caturaṅga, which translates as "four divisions [of the military]" – infantry, cavalry, elephantry, and chariotry – represented by the pieces that would evolve into the modern pawn, knight, bishop, and rook, respectively. Doctors also invented several medical instruments, and even performed operations. The Indian numerals which were the first positional base 10 numeral systems in the world originated from Gupta India. The ancient Gupta text Kama Sutra by the Indian scholar Vatsyayana is widely considered to be the standard work on human sexual behavior in Sanskrit literature.
Aryabhata, a noted mathematician-astronomer of the Gupta period proposed that the earth is round and rotates about its own axis. He also discovered that the Moon and planets shine by reflected sunlight. Instead of the prevailing cosmogony in which eclipses were caused by pseudo-planetary nodes Rahu and Ketu, he explained eclipses in terms of shadows cast by and falling on Earth.[59]
Art and architecture[edit]
A tetrastyle prostyle Gupta period temple at Sanchi besides the Apsidal hall with Maurya foundation, an example of Buddhist architecture. 5th century CE.
The Gupta period is generally regarded as a classic peak of North Indian art for all the major religious groups. Although painting was evidently widespread, the surviving works are almost all religious sculpture. The period saw the emergence of the iconic carved stone deity in Hindu art, as well as the Buddha figure and Jain tirthankara figures, the latter often on a very large scale. The two great centres of sculpture were Mathura and Gandhara, the latter the centre of Greco-Buddhist art. Both exported sculpture to other parts of northern India. Unlike the preceding Kushan Empire there was no artistic depiction of the monarchs, even in the very fine Guptan coinage,[60] with the exception of some coins of the Western Satraps, or influenced by them.
The current structure of the Mahabodhi Temple dates to the Gupta era, 5th century CE. Marking the location where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment.
The most famous remaining monuments in a broadly Gupta style, the caves at Ajanta, Elephanta, and Ellora (respectively Buddhist, Hindu, and mixed including Jain) were in fact produced under later dynasties, but primarily reflect the monumentality and balance of Guptan style. Ajanta contains by far the most significant survivals of painting from this and the surrounding periods, showing a mature form which had probably had a long development, mainly in painting palaces.[61] The Hindu Udayagiri Caves actually record connections with the dynasty and its ministers,[62] and the Dashavatara Temple at Deogarh is a major temple, one of the earliest to survive, with important sculpture.[63]
Vishnu reclining on the serpent Shesha (Ananta), Dashavatara Temple 5th century
Buddha from Sarnath, 5–6th century CE
The Colossal trimurti at the Elephanta Caves
Rock-cut temples at Ellora
Painting of Padmapani Cave 1 at Ajanta
See also[edit]
Later Gupta dynasty
Empire of Harsha
Notes[edit]
Jump up ^ Turchin, Peter; Adams, Jonathan M.; Hall, Thomas D (December 2006). "East-West Orientation of Historical Empires". Journal of world-systems research. 12 (2): 223. ISSN 1076-156X. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
^ Jump up to: a b Gupta Dynasty – MSN Encarta. Archived from the original on 1 November 2009.
Jump up ^ N. Jayapalan, History of India, Vol. I, (Atlantic Publishers, 2001), 130.
Jump up ^ Jha, D.N. (2002). Ancient India in Historical Outline. Delhi: Manohar Publishers and Distributors. pp. 149–173. ISBN 81-7304-285-3.
^ Jump up to: a b Raghu Vamsa v 4.60–75
Jump up ^ Gupta dynasty (Indian dynasty) Archived 30 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine.. Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2011-11-21.
Jump up ^ Mahajan, p. 540; Keay, 132, 145-154
Jump up ^ Gupta dynasty: empire in 4th century Archived 30 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine.. Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2011-11-21.
^ Jump up to: a b Harle, 87
Jump up ^ Trade | The Story of India – Photo Gallery Archived 28 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine.. PBS. Retrieved on 2011-11-21.
Jump up ^ Agarwal, Ashvini (1989). Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas, Delhi:Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-0592-5, pp.264–9
Jump up ^ Grousset, Rene (1970). The Empire of the Steppes. Rutgers University Press. p. 69. ISBN 0-8135-1304-9.
Jump up ^ Nehra, R.K. Hinduism and Its Military Ethos. Lancer Publishers,2010. Retrieved 2012-08-25.
^ Jump up to: a b Brannigan, Michael C. Striking a Balance: A Primer in Traditional Asian Values. Rowman & Littlefield, 2010. Retrieved 2012-08-25.
Jump up ^ Sharma, R.S. Early Medieval Indian Society: A Study in Feudalisation. Orient Blackswan. Retrieved 2012-06-06.
Jump up ^ List of Altekar's publications in the Open Library.
Jump up ^ Agarwal, Ashvini (1989). Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas, Delhi:Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-0592-5, pp.82-4
Jump up ^ Human rights in the Hindu-Buddhist tradition By Lal Deosa Rai, Page no.155 [1]
Jump up ^ "Inscriptions of Ancient Nepal: Inscriptions". google.com.
Jump up ^ "Gupta Rule". banglapedia.org. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016.
Jump up ^ Agarwal, Ashvini (1989). Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas, Delhi:Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-0592-5, pp.84–7
Jump up ^ Majumdar, p. 474
Jump up ^ "Founder of the Gupta Empire Maharaja Sri Gupta". theindianhistory.org. Archived from the original on 2 May 2015.
Jump up ^ Chaurasia, Radhey S. (2014). History of Ancient India: Earliest Times to 1000 A.D. Atlantic. p. 177.
Jump up ^ Smith, Vincent A. (1999). The Early History of India: From 600 B.C. to the Muhammadan Conquest. Atlantic. p. 289. ISBN 81-7156-618-9.
Jump up ^ The Gupta Polity, pp.199
Jump up ^ Mahajan, p. 487
Jump up ^ Agarwal, Ashvini (1989). Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. pp. 153–9. ISBN 81-208-0592-5.
Jump up ^ Bajpai, K.D. (2004). Indian Numismatic Studies. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications. pp. 120–1. ISBN 81-7017-035-4.
Jump up ^ Raychaudhuri, p. 489
Jump up ^ ata shrivikramadityo helya nirjitakhilah Mlechchana Kamboja. Yavanan neechan Hunan Sabarbran Tushara. Parsikaanshcha tayakatacharan vishrankhalan hatya bhrubhangamatreyanah bhuvo bharamavarayate (Brahata Katha, 10/1/285-86, Kshmendra).
Jump up ^ Kathasritsagara 18.1.76–78
Jump up ^ Cf:"In the story contained in Kathasarit-sagara, king Vikarmaditya is said to have destroyed all the barbarous tribes such as the Kambojas, Yavanas, Hunas, Tokharas and the, National Council of Teachers of English Committee on Recreational Reading – Sanskrit language.
Jump up ^ Prasanna Rao Bandela (1 January 2003). Coin splendour: a journey into the past. Abhinav Publications. pp. 112–. ISBN 978-81-7017-427-1. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
Jump up ^ "Evidence of the conquest of Saurastra during the reign of Chandragupta II is to be seen in his rare silver coins which are more directly imitated from those of the Western Satraps... they retain some traces of the old inscriptions in Greek characters, while on the reverse, they substitute the Gupta type (a peacock) for the chaitya with crescent and star." in Rapson "A catalogue of Indian coins in the British Museum. The Andhras etc...", p.cli
Jump up ^ Agarwal, Ashvini (1989). Rise and Fall of the Imperial Guptas, Delhi:Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-0592-5, pp.191–200
Jump up ^ History of Civilizations of Central Asia, Ahmad Hasan Dani, B. A. Litvinsky, Unesco p.119 sq
Jump up ^ "Nalanda University Ruins | Nalanda Travel Guide | Ancient Nalanda Site". Travel News India. 5 October 2016. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
Jump up ^ Raychaudhuri, p. 510
^ Jump up to: a b The Huns, Hyun Jin Kim, Routledge, 2015 p.50 sq
Jump up ^ Raychaudhuri, p. 516
Jump up ^ Sachchidananda Bhattacharya, Gupta dynasty, A dictionary of Indian history, (George Braziller, Inc., 1967), 393.
Jump up ^ Ancient Indian History and Civilization by Sailendra Nath Sen p.220
Jump up ^ Encyclopaedia of Indian Events & Dates by S. B. Bhattacherje p.A15
Jump up ^ Columbia Encyclopedia
^ Jump up to: a b c d e The First Spring: The Golden Age of India by Abraham Eraly p.48 sq
Jump up ^ Ancient Indian History and Civilization by Sailendra Nath Sen p.221
Jump up ^ A Comprehensive History Of Ancient India p.174
Jump up ^ Longman History & Civics ICSE 9 by Singh p.81
Jump up ^ Singh, Upinder (2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. New Delhi: Pearson Education. p. 480. ISBN 978-81-317-1677-9.
Jump up ^ Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum Vol.3 (inscriptions Of The Early Gupta Kings) p.362
^ Jump up to: a b Indian Esoteric Buddhism: Social History of the Tantric Movement by Ronald M. Davidson p.31
^ Jump up to: a b c A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India by Upinder Singh p.521
^ Jump up to: a b c The Gupta Empire by Radhakumud Mookerji p.133 sq
Jump up ^ Sankalia, Hasmukhlal Dhirajlal (1934). The University of Nālandā. B. G. Paul & co.
Jump up ^ Sukumar Dutt (1988) [First published in 1962]. Buddhist Monks And Monasteries of India: Their History And Contribution To Indian Culture. George Allen and Unwin Ltd, London. ISBN 81-208-0498-8.
Jump up ^ Mahajan, pp. 530–1
Jump up ^ Murray, H. J. R. (1913). A History of Chess. Benjamin Press (originally published by Oxford University Press). ISBN 0-936317-01-9. OCLC 13472872.
Jump up ^ Thomas Khoshy, Elementary Number Theory with Applications, Academic Press, 2002, p. 567. ISBN 0-12-421171-2.
Jump up ^ Harle, 87-89
Jump up ^ Harle, respectively 118-122, 123-126, 129-135
Jump up ^ Harle, 92-97
Jump up ^ Harle, 113-114
References[edit]
Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Gupta.
Harle, J.C. (1994). The Art and Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent, 2nd ed., Yale University Press Pelican History of Art, ISBN 0300062176
Keay, John, India, a History, 2000, HarperCollins, ISBN 0002557177
Majumdar, R.C. (1977). Ancient India, New Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-0436-8
Mahajan, Vidya Dhar, A History of India, 1990, State Mutual Book & Periodical Service, ISBN 0785511911, 9780785511915
Raychaudhuri, H.C. (1972). Political History of Ancient India, Calcutta: University of Calcutta, ISBN 1-4400-5272-7
Tej Ram Sharma (1978). Personal and geographical names in the Gupta inscriptions. Concept Publishing Co., Delhi.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gupta Empire.
Jump up ^ An idea contested by D. N. Jha.[4]
Coins of Gupta Empire
Photo Feature on Gupta Period Art
Preceded by
Kanva dynasty Magadha dynasties
CE 240–550 Succeeded by
possibly Pala dynasty
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Culture Late-Classical Hinduism (ca. AD 650-1100)[h]
Advaita Vedanta - Tantra
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7th century Indo-Sassanids Vakataka dynasty
Empire of Harsha Mlechchha dynasty Adivasi (tribes) Pandyan Kingdom(Under Kalabhras)
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Pallava
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hide
References and sources for table
References
Jump up ^ Samuel
Jump up ^ Samuel
Jump up ^ Michaels (2004) p.39
Jump up ^ Hiltebeitel (2002)
Jump up ^ Michaels (2004) p.39
Jump up ^ Hiltebeitel (2002)
Jump up ^ Micheals (2004) p.40
Jump up ^ Michaels (2004) p.41
Sources
Flood, Gavin D. (1996), An Introduction to Hinduism, Cambridge University Press
Hiltebeitel, Alf (2002), Hinduism. In: Joseph Kitagawa, "The Religious Traditions of Asia: Religion, History, and Culture", Routledge
Michaels, Axel (2004), Hinduism. Past and present, Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press
Samuel, Geoffrey (2010), The Origins of Yoga and Tantra. Indic Religions to the Thirteenth Century, Cambridge University Press
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Wild West shows
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"Wild West Show" redirects here. For the 2004 Big & Rich single, see Wild West Show (song).
Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World - Poster showing cowboys rounding up cattle and portrait of Col. W.F. Cody on horseback. c.1899.
Wild West shows were traveling vaudeville performances in the United States and Europe that existed around 1870–1920. The shows began as theatrical stage productions and evolved into open-air shows that depicted the cowboys, Native American Indians, army scouts, outlaws, and wild animals that existed in the American West. The shows introduced many western performers and personalities, and romanticized the American frontier to a wide audience.
Contents
1 History
2 Buffalo Bill's Wild West
2.1 Show content
3 Other shows
4 Performers
5 Influence and legacy
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
History[edit]
Buffalo Bill Cody, Ned Buntline, Texas Jack Omohundro in The Scouts of the Prairie, 1872.
In the 19th century, following the American Civil War, stories and inexpensive dime novels depicting the American West and frontier life were becoming common. In 1869, author Ned Buntline wrote a novel about the buffalo hunter, U.S. Army scout and guide William F. Buffalo Bill Cody called Buffalo Bill, the King of Border Men after the two met on a train from California to Nebraska. In December 1872, Buntline’s novel turned into a theatrical production when The Scouts of the Prairie debuted in Chicago. The show featured Buntline, Cody, Texas Jack Omohundro, and the Italian-born ballerina Giuseppina Morlacchi and toured the American theater circuit for two years.[1]
Buntline left the show and in 1874 Cody founded the Buffalo Bill Combination, in which he performed for part of the year, while scouting on the prairies the rest of the year.[2] Wild Bill Hickok joined the group to headline in a new play called Scouts of the Plains. Hickok did not enjoy acting and was released from the group after one show when he shot out a spotlight that focused on him.[3]
Texas Jack parted ways with Cody, and in 1877 and formed his own acting troupe in St. Louis, known as the 'Texas Jack Combination' and in May of that year he debuted Texas Jack in the Black Hills.[4] Other plays the combination performed included The Trappers Daughter and Life on the Border.
In 1883, Cody founded Buffalo Bill's Wild West, an outdoor attraction that toured annually.[5] The new show contained a lot of action including wild animals, trick performances, theatrical reenactments, and all sorts of characters from the frontier were all incorporated into the show’s program. Shooting exhibitions were also in the line up with extensive shooting displays and trick shots. Rodeo events, involving rough and dangerous activities performed by cowboys with different animals. It was the first and prototypical Wild West show lasting until 1915 and featured theatrical reenactments of battle scenes, characteristic western scenes, and even hunts.[6]
Buffalo Bill's Wild West[edit]
Poster showing Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World battling Cuban insurgents, c. 1898.
Main article: Buffalo Bill
In 1883, Buffalo Bill's Wild West was founded in North Platte, Nebraska when Buffalo Bill Cody turned his real life adventure into the first outdoor western show.[7] The show's publicist Arizona John Burke employed innovating techniques at the time, such as celebrity endorsements, press kits, publicity stunts, op-ed articles, billboards and product licensing, that contributed to the success and popularity of the show.[8]
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West toured Europe eight times, the first four tours between 1887 and 1892, and the last four from 1902 to 1906.[9] The first tour was in 1887 as part of the American Exhibition, which coincided with the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria.[10] The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, requested a private preview of the Wild West performance; he was impressed enough to arrange a command performance for Queen Victoria. The Queen enjoyed the show and meeting the performers, setting the stage for another command performance on June 20, 1887, for her Jubilee guests. Royalty from all over Europe attended, including the future Kaiser Wilhelm II and the future King George V.[11] Buffalo Bill’s Wild West closed its successful London run in October 1887 after more than 300 performances, with more than 2.5 million tickets sold.[12] The tour made stops in Birmingham and Manchester before returning to the United States in May 1888 for a short summer tour.
In 1893, Cody changed the title to Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders of the World and the show performed at the Chicago World’s Fair to a crowd of 18,000. This performance was a huge contributor to the show’s popularity. The show never again did as well as it did that year. That same year at the Fair, Frederick Turner, a young Wisconsin scholar, gave a speech that pronounced the first stage of American history over. “The frontier has gone”, he declared.[13]
Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill, 1885
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West returned to Europe in December 1902 with a fourteen-week run in London, capped by a visit from King Edward VII and the future King George V. The Wild West traveled throughout Great Britain in a tour in 1902 and 1903 and a tour in 1904, performing in nearly every city large enough to support it.[14] The 1905 tour began in April with a two-month run in Paris, after which the show traveled around France, performing mostly one-night stands, concluding in December. The final tour, in 1906, began in France on March 4 and quickly moved to Italy for two months. The show then traveled east, performing in Austria, the Balkans, Hungary, Romania, and the Ukraine, before returning west to tour in Poland, Bohemia (later Czech Republic), Germany, and Belgium.[15]
By 1894 the harsh economy made it hard to afford tickets. It did not help that the show was routed to go through the South in a year when the cotton was flooded and there was a general depression in the area. Buffalo Bill lost a lot of money and was on the brink of a financial disaster. Soon after, and in an attempt of recovery of monetary balance, Buffalo Bill signed a contract in which he was tricked by Bonfil and Temmen into selling them the show and demoting himself to a mere employee and attraction of the Sells-Floto Circus. From this point, the show began to destroy itself. Finally, in 1913 the show was declared bankrupt.[16]
Show content[edit]
Re-enactment of Custer’s Last Stand. c.1905
The shows consisted of reenactments of history combined with displays of showmanship, sharp-shooting, hunts, racing, or rodeo style events. Each show was 3–4 hours long and attracted crowds of thousands of people daily. The show began with a parade on horseback. The parade was a major ordeal, an affair that involved huge public crowds and many performers, including the Congress of Rough Riders.
Events included acts known as Bison Hunt, Train Robbery, Indian War Battle Reenactment, and the usual grand finale of the show, Attack on the Burning Cabin, in which Indians attacked a settler’s cabin and were repulsed by Buffalo Bill, cowboys, and Mexicans. Also included were historical scenes such as the Battle of the Little Bighorn or the charge on San Juan Hill. The reenactment of the Battle of Little Bighorn also known as “Custer’s Last Stand” featured Buck Taylor starring as General George Armstrong Custer. In this battle, Custer and all men under his direct command were killed. After Custer is dead, Buffalo Bill rides in, the hero, but he is too late. He avenges Custer by killing and scalping Yellow Hair (also called Yellowhand) which he called the “first scalp for Custer”.[17]
Shooting competitions and displays of marksmanship were commonly a part of the program. Great feats of skill were shown off using rifles, shot guns, and revolvers. Most people in the show were all good marksmen but many were experts.
Animals also did their share in the show through rodeo entertainment. In rodeo events, cowboys like Lee Martin would try to rope and ride broncos. Broncos are unbroken horses that tend to throw or buck their riders. Other wild animals they would attempt to ride or deal with were mules, buffalo, Texas steers, elk, deer, bears, and moose. The show also demonstrated hunts which were staged as they would have been on the frontier, and were accompanied by one of the few remaining buffalo herds in the worlds.[18]
Races were another form of entertainment employed in the Wild West show. Many different races were held, including those between cowboys, Mexicans, and Indians, a 100 yd foot race between Indian and Indian pony, a race between Sioux boys on bareback Indian ponies, races between Mexican thoroughbreds, and even a race between Lady Riders.
Other shows[edit]
Texas Jack's Wild West show toured South Africa with Will Rogers
Main article: List of Wild West shows
Over time, various Wild West shows were developed. They included Bee Ho Gray's Wild West, Texas Jack's Wild West, Pawnee Bill's Wild West, Jones Bros.' Buffalo Ranch Wild West and "Buckskin Joe" Hoyt.[19]
The 101 Ranch Wild West Show featuring African Americans such as Bill Pickett, the famous bulldogger and his brother Voter Hall who billed as a "Feejee Indian from Africa".[20]
The Esquivel Brothers from San Antonio.[20]
Performers[edit]
Poster for The Great Pawnee Bill Shows, 1903.
Wild West shows contained as many as 1,200 performers at one time (cowboys, scouts, Indians, military, Mexicans, and men from other heritages), and a large number of many animals including buffalo and Texas Longhorns. Some of the recognizably famous men who took part in the show were Will Rogers, Tom Mix, Pawnee Bill, James Lawson, Bill Pickett, Jess Willard, Mexican Joe, Capt. Adam Bogardus, Buck Taylor, Ralph and Nan Lohse, Antonio Esquibel, Capt. Waterman and his Trained Buffalo, and Johnny Baker. Johnny Baker was nicknamed the “Cowboy Kid” and considered to be Annie Oakley’s boy counterpart. Some notable cowboys who participated in the events were Buck Taylor (dubbed “The First Cowboy King”), Bronco Bill, James Lawson ("The Roper"), Bill Bullock, Tim Clayton, Coyote Bill, and Bridle Bill.
Women were also a large part of Wild West shows and attracted many spectators. One such performer was Annie Oakley who first gained recognition as a sharpshooter when she defeated Frank Butler, a pro marksman at age 15, in a shooting exhibition. She became an attraction of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show for 16 years. Annie was billed in the show as “Miss Annie Oakley, the Peerless Lady Wing-Shot”.[21]
Calamity Jane was another distinguished woman performer. Calamity Jane was a notorious frontierswoman who was the subject of many wild stories- many of which she made up herself. In the show, she was a skilled horsewoman and expert rifle and revolver handler. Calamity Jane appeared in Wild West shows until 1902, when she was reportedly fired for drinking and fighting.[22]
A large group of Native Americans mounted on horseback during a Wild West show at the Pan-American Exhibition, Buffalo, N.Y. c.1901
Other notable females in the business were Tillie Baldwin, May Lillie, Lucille Mulhall, Lillian Smith, Bessie and Della Ferrel, Luella-Forepaugh Fish,[23] the Kemp Sisters,and Texas Rose as an announcer.[24]
Native Americans were also a part of Wild West shows.[25] They participated in staged "Indian Races" and historic battles, and often appeared in attack scenes attacking whites in which their savagery and wildness was played up. They also performed talented dances, such as the Sioux Ghost Dance. In reality the performance of the ghost dance meant that trouble was brewing and about to break out, but it wasn’t portrayed as such in the show.[26]
Chief Sitting Bull joined Cody's Wild West show for a short time and was a star attraction alongside Annie Oakley. During his time at the show, Sitting Bull was introduced to President Grover Cleveland, which he thought proved his importance as chief. He was friends with Buffalo Bill and highly valued the horse that was given to him when he left the show. [27]
Other familiar Native Americans names who performed in the show were Red Cloud,[20][28] Chief Joseph, Geronimo, and the Modoc War scout Donald McKay.
Influence and legacy[edit]
Western shows generated interest for Western entertainment. This is still evidenced in western films, modern rodeos, and circuses.[18] Western Films in the first half of the 20th century filled the gap left behind by Wild West shows. The first real western, The Great Train Robbery was made in 1903, and thousands followed after. In the 1960s Spaghetti Westerns a genre of movies about the American Old West made in Europe were common.
Native peoples have a modern pow-wow culture.
Contemporary rodeos also still exist today, still employing the same events and skills as cowboys did in Wild West shows. Wild Westers still perform in movies, pow-wows, pageants and rodeos. There remains an interest in Native peoples through much of the United States and Europe in pow-wow culture of native people. Some events are open to outside tourist who are able to observe traditional Native American skills; horse culture, ceremonial dancing, food, art, music and crafts.
There are several on-going national projects that celebrate Wild Westers and Wild Westing. The National Museum of American History's Photographic History Collection at the Smithsonian Institution preserves and displays Gertrude Käsebier's photographs, as well as many others by photographers who captured the displays of Wild Westing.
The Carlisle Indian School Resource Center of the Cumberland County Historical Society in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, houses an extensive collection of archival materials and photographs from the Carlisle Indian School. In 2000, the Cumberland County 250th Anniversary Committee worked with Native Americans from numerous tribes and non-natives to organize a pow-wow on Memorial Day to commemorate the Carlisle Indian School, the students and their stories.[29]
See also[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wild West shows.
Buffalo Girls (1995 film), depicts Buffalo Bill's Wild West show
Circus
Georgian horsemen in Wild West Shows
Hippodrama
Rodeo
Sideshow
Trick roping
Variety show
Vaudeville
Wild Westing
References[edit]
Jump up ^ Gallop (2001), pp. 24; 29–31.
Jump up ^ Johnson, Geoffrey. "Flashback: 'Buffalo Bill' Cody wowed Chicago with his 'Wild West' shows". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
Jump up ^ Burns, Walter Noble (November 2, 1911). "Frontier Hero - Reminiscences of Wild Bill Hickok by his old Friend Buffalo Bill". The Blackfoot Optimist. (Blackfoot, Idaho). Retrieved 16 May 2017.
Jump up ^ "Wood's Theater". The Cincinnati Daily Star. May 15, 1877. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
Jump up ^ "William "Buffalo Bill" Cody". World Digital Library. 1907. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
Jump up ^ Utley (2003), p. 254.
Jump up ^ Pendergast (2000), p. 49.
Jump up ^ Gazette Staff (Apr 12, 2017). "Grave of Buffalo Bill's promoter will finally get headstone". Billings Gazette. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
Jump up ^ Griffin (1908), p. xviii.
Jump up ^ "William F. Cody Archive: Documenting the Life and Times of Buffalo Bill".
Jump up ^ Russell (1960), pp. 330–331.
Jump up ^ Gallop (2001), p. 129.
Jump up ^ Sonneborn (2002), p. 137.
Jump up ^ Russell (1960), p. 439.
Jump up ^ Moses (1996), p. 189.
Jump up ^ Sonneborn (2002), p. 117.
Jump up ^ Sorg (1998), p. 26.
^ Jump up to: a b Swanson (2004), p. 42.
Jump up ^ "Buckskin Joe". Arkansas City Republican. 1878–1888.
^ Jump up to: a b c Fees, Paul - Former Curator. "Wild West shows: Buffalo Bill's Wild West". Buffalo Bill Museum. Missing or empty |url= (help)
Jump up ^ "Biography: Annie Oakley". WGBH American Experience. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
Jump up ^ Griske (2005), pp. 87–88.
Jump up ^ Dinkins (2009), p. 71.
Jump up ^ George-Warren (2010), p. 33.
Jump up ^ Stanley, David (November 12, 2014). "JFR Review for Native Performers in Wild West Shows: From Buffalo Bill to Euro Disney". Journal of Folklore Research. Retrieved 2018-04-29.
Jump up ^ Kasson (2000), p. 162.
Jump up ^ Stillman (2017), pp. 173–174; 182–183.
Jump up ^ "Indian Warriors in the Battle of the Little Bighorn & Wild West Shows" (PDF). Friends of the Little Bighorn Battlefield. April 26, 2014.
Jump up ^ Witmer, Linda F. "Carlisle Indian Industrial School (1879 - 1918)". Cumberland County Historical Society.
Bibliography
Gallop, Alan (2001). Buffalo Bill's British Wild West. Sutton. ISBN 9780750927024.
Utley, Robert M. (2003). The Story of the West. New York: Dorling Kindersley. p. 254. ISBN 9780789496607.
Pendergast, Tom (2000). Westward Expansion: Almanac. UXL. ISBN 9780787648626.
Griffin, Charles Eldridge (1908). Four Years in Europe with Buffalo Bill. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 9780803234666.
Russell, Don (1960). The Lives and Legends of Buffalo Bill. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 9780806115375.
Sonneborn, Liz (2002). The American West: An Illustrated History. Scholastic Incorporated. ISBN 9780439219709.
Moses, L. G. (1996). Wild West Shows and the Images of American Indians, 1883–1933. University of New Mexico Press. ISBN 9780826316851.
Sorg, Eric V. (1998). Buffalo Bill: Myth & Reality. Ancient City Press. ISBN 9781580960038.
Swanson, Wayne (2004). Why the West Was Wild. Annick Press. ISBN 9781550378375.
Griske, Michael (2005). The Diaries of John Hunton: Made to Last, Written to Last : Sagas of the Western Frontier. Heritage Books. ISBN 0-7884-3804-2.
Dinkins, Greg (2009). Minnesota in 3D: A Look Back in Time: With Built-in Stereoscope Viewer-Your Glasses to the Past!. Voyageur Press. ISBN 9781616731748.
George-Warren, Holly (2010). The Cowgirl Way: Hats Off to America's Women of the West. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9780547488059.
Kasson, Joy S. (2000). Buffalo Bill’s Wild West. New York: Hill and Wang. ISBN 9780809032433.
Stillman, Deanne (2017). Blood Brothers: The Story of the Strange Friendship Between Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9781476773520.
External links[edit]
Buffalo Bill Cody. The Library of Congress.
Wild West Shows. The Gale Group, Inc.
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