Economic Condition
- Nitisara, written by Kamandaka, is a text like Arthasastra.
- It emphasizes the importance of the royal treasury and mentions various sources of revenue.
- The akshapataladhikrita was the keeper of royal records.
- Iranyavesti meant forced labor.
Agriculture and Agrarian Structure
- The Paharpur copper plate inscription indicates that the king was the sole proprietor of the land.
- As stated in Paharpur plates, an officer called Ustapala maintained records of all the land transactions in the district.
| Kshetra | Cultivable land |
| Khila | Waste land |
| Aprahata | Jungle or waste land |
| Vasti | Habitable land |
| Gapata Saraha | Pastoral land |
Irrigation
- From the Narada Smriti, we understand that there were two kinds of dykes: the bardhya, which protected the field from floods, and the Khara, which served the purpose of irrigation.
- To prevent inundation, jalnirgomah (drains) were constructed, which is mentioned by
- The most famous lake was the Sudarsana Lake at the foot of Girnar Hills in Gujarat.
Mining and Metallurgy
- The rich deposits of iron ore from Bihar and copper from Rajasthan were mined extensively during this period.
- Monolith iron pillar has lasted through the centuries without rusting. It is a monument to the great craftsmanship of the iron workers during the Gupta period.
Coins
- Samudragupta introduced the Gupta monetary system.
- Guptas gold coins were called as ‘Dhinara’.
Trade and Commerce
- Two distinctive types of traders called sresti and sarthavaha
- Sresti was usually settled at particular place.
- The sarthavaha was a caravan trader who carried his goods to different places for profitable sale.
- There were many ports that facilitated trade in the western coast of India such as Calliena (Kalyan), Chaul port in ruin sixty kilometers south of Mumbai, and the markets of Male (Malabar) Mangarouth (Mangalore), Salopatana, Nalopatana and Pandopatana on the Malabar Coast.
- Fahien refers to Tamralipti in Bengal as an important center of trade on the eastern coast.
- The goods traded from India were rare gems, pearls, fine textiles and aromatics.
- Indians bought silk & other articles from China.