Here's a unit pack for late classical Northern India. Bakuel's own description:
A text blurb on the Guptas,
Spoiler :
The origins of the Gupta are sketchy, they may or may not have been Jats. Nonetheless, the early Gupta kingdom was probably a feudatory of the Kushans and was located in the eastern parts of the Northern Plains around the Ganges River Basin. Probably being founded around 240 AD. However, starting with the reign of Chandragupta it began to enter a expansions stage, the northern plains in turmoil after the end of Kushan hegemony. Chadragupta would conquer a large bit of territory and become the dominate power around the eastern parts of the plains and his son Samudraguta would carry his conquests further west. Samudragupta would succeed his father in 335 AD and conquer many kingdoms and by the time of his death the Guptas would be one dominate power in the Northern Plains. The next ruler, Chandragupta II (reign 375-415 AD) would conquer the last remaining Indo-Sakas rulers in the Western Satraps and his territory would stretch from coast to coast and conquer many kingdoms and tribes in and outside of India.
The Guptas weren't as large of an Empire as the Mauryans, they really only held a lot of territory in the Northern Plains and had a myriad of vassals in and outside of India and weren't able to penetrate the Deccan. However, it is under the Gupta dynasty that much of Hindu culture began to crystallize into something that modern people would really recognize. There was a explosion of art, science and philosophy due to the Gupta's patronage.
The most important of these was probably Aryabhata, the mathematician who wrote the Aryabhatiya which explains the decimal place value system. Needless to say a important contribution to all science and mathematics west of the Himalayas. The text also contains accurate astronomic observations such as the fact that the Moon and planets shine by reflected sunlight. He also accurately calculated the circumference as 24,835 miles (only .2% smaller then the real figure of 24,902). According to tradition, he wrote this text when he was only 23 years old.
Ayrabhata is probably the greatest genius to come out this period, but there were other scholars of note. Varahamihira was a mathematician and astronomer who contributed to the field of trigonometry. One of the authors of one of the great Indian mathematical Varauchi texts lived during this era. There were also numerous writers and playwrights who flourished during this period, the Classical Sanskrit writer, poet and dramatist, Kalidasa, is thought of as the Sanskrit Shakespeare.
The Great University Nalanda was also founded during this period (and is also a good idea for a science based world wonder if another is needed, at it's height it had 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers and attracted students from China, Burma, Japan, Korea, Tibet, Persia, Indonesia and more. Maybe a science bonus based on open borders or trade routes?)
Needless to say, one could go on and on with this.
The Gupta dynasty begun a period of decline around the latter half of the fifth century, probably brought on by a variety of weak rulers. By the beginning of the sixth century the western parts of the Norther Plain were being overrun by the Hephthalites. Many believe this to be a result of bad management rather then any fault of the army or tactics since the Gupta dynasty had never had trouble beating central Asian armies before this. The Guptas continued to attempt to fight against the Hephthalites with later Emperor Narasimhagupta forming a alliance with other Indian Kingdoms against them. Not much is known about this period, but the Guptas seemed to have managed to beat them back, but were so weakened that they declined and vanished anyway. Probably as vassal states and regions begun to become more and more independent. By the 600s, the Guptas seemed to have vanished or become political irrelevant.
Now onto the units.
A lot of the Gupta units are made from a combination of coins and images from the Ajanta caves. Most of the later images of the Ajanta Caves were made during the Vakataka dynasty, however, often the Ajanta caves show warriors in Northern Indian dress which is reflected in the coins of the Guptas, so I used it as a auxiliary reference. After all, coins can be very ambiguous at times.
Spoiler :
Gupta Longbowman (Ajanta Caves, Coin)
Gupta Longbowman (Ajanta Caves, Internet Image,)
Gupta Longbowman (Ajanta Caves, Osprey, TW Mod)
The Guptas seemed to have fielded a lot of infantry archers, I believe the steel longbow was invented during this period, but most just had the normal old fashion India cane bows. The first two are pretty straight forward, one wearing a simple turban, the older ornamental fancy turbans having gone out of fashion during this period. The partial scale armored one is also wearing a turban plus a padded garment which is only partial covered in scale. This type of armor shows up in a lot of mods and historical images dealing with the Gupta period and one image of a fresco seems to support it's existence. The last one is wearing chainmail and a Sassanid style helmet found on the frescoes of the Ajanta caves. I based the chainmail shirt on a Osprey Sassanid picture, a TW mod had a Sassanid inspired archer unit for the Guptas. Since the Guptas were contemporaries of the Sassanids and chainmail was becoming more popular in both Persia and Central Asia, it was probably become more popular in India as well.
Gupta Spearman (Helmet) (Ajanta Caves, Coin, Kushan Frescoe, Udaygiri & Khandagiri Caves)
Gupta Spearman (Headband) (Ajanta Caves, Internet Image,)
The Spearman Helmet's Helmet is taken from the Ajanta Caves while it's armor is based off of a Kushan model. There is some evidence that this type of Hellenic inspired armor was still in use from the Udaygiri and Khandagiri Caves, though the image is worn and damaged. The Spearman Headband is based off a historical image I found on the internet. Headbands are common throughout the Ajanta Caves.
Gupta Heavy Infantry (Osprey, Bhuddist Frescoe, Ajanta Caves)
Gupta Heavy Infantry (Pointed Helmet) (Coin, Ajanta Caves)
Gupta Heavy Infantry (Scale Armor) (Ajanta Caves)
The armor of the Heavy Infantry is based off of a picture of a 6th century Bhuddist Frescoe which featured what the author believed to be Indian style soft armor. The armor certainly mimics later padded jackets found in India so he is most probably right. I can't remember which Osprey title it was though. I made this model a while back. The Helmet is, once again from the Ajanta Caves. The Pointed Helmet is based off of Gupta era coins which feature the king with a tall pointed hat or helmet with cheek guards. I'm not sure if the helmet was metal or felt, metal pointed helmets showing up in the art of Ajanta caves, though without cheek guards, but on the other hand, felt/leather hats were common Kushan/Indo-Saka headwear. I went with metal in the end. His armor is a scale shirt and he is wearing Kushan style trousers also from the coin. The Battle axe which he is equipped was a common element of many Gupta coins.
The Scale Armor unit is based off of a figure from the Ajanta caves who wears a scale shirt without sleeves which probably went down to his ankles.
Indian Gupta Light Infantry, (Ajanta Caves)
Indian Crossbowman, (Ajanta Caves)
The Light Infantry is based on a image from the Ajanta Caves, it's pretty basic with shirt over dhoti. I felt like I needed some light infantry of some type for this pack.
The crossbowman is based on a similar image as the Light Infantry and the Longbowman (Brown Shirt) but with a different hair style. I hate making crossbowmen for factions which didn't have them, if I make a nice model for it, I'll feel obliged to attach it to different animations as well so it can see some more use.
Gupta Cavalry (Coin, Ajanta Caves, Osprey)
Gupta Cataphract (Coin)
The Cavalry is based on Gupta era coins which frequently showed the kings in Kushan dress while in military scenes. It is also based off of a Osprey image of a Kushan Noble, the same one I used to make the Indian Kushan Horsearcher (Noble). The helmet is from the Ajanta caves. The cataphract is also based off of a Gupta coin which featured a king in a muscled breastplate with cataphract style armor. The armor betrays a mixture of Indo-Greek and Kushan armor styles.
