The Spread of Sanskrit Cultural Hegemony

Under the pressure of internal political crises, and migrating Central Asian peoples such as the Sveta Huna, the Gupta polity begins to disintegrate. In the Deccan, the Vakataka dynasty, previously linked to the Guptas by marriage, patronises North Indian emigre artists as well as local Deccan cave architects through a series of cave excavations at Ajanta (in present-day Maharashtra). These show a highly sophisticated visual aesthetic characterised by naturalism, dynamism and vibrant colour, and a discriminating use of perspective and shading.

The recently developed Gangetic model of kingship — using Sanskrit as a language of power, emphasising the king’s divine connections, constructing and patronising religious institutions linked to Puranic and Dakshinachara (Right-Hand Tantrism) traditions, and the subjugation of other states through war — begins to spread rapidly through the subcontinent.