Decline of the Gupta Empire: 

(i) Long and the successive waves of Huna invasion made the Gupta’s very weak. This was one of the main factors which accelerated the disintegration of the Gupta empire.

(ii) By AD 485 Hunas had occupied eastern Malwa and a large part of central India. Punjab and Rajasthan also passed into their hands.

(iii) The first important ruler of the Hunas in India was Toramana who conquered an area stretching upto Eran near Bhopal in central India. His son Mihirkula was defeated by the kings of Gupta dynasty, but this victory over the Hunas could not revive the Gupta empire.

(iv) Besides the Huna invasion there was also a gradual decline in economic prosperity. It is indicated by the gold coins of later Gupta rulers which have less gold content and more alloy.

(v) In the post-Gupta period, there was a gradual disappearance of coins. It led the kings to make payments in the form of land rather than cash.

(vi) Under the practice of feudalism, the donee was given the right not only to collect the taxes but also to administer the only to collect the taxes but also to administer the donated land. This created small pockets of power trying ceaselessly to expand their sphere of influence at the cost of the ruling authority.

(vii) The decline of the Gupta empire resulted in the emergence of numerous ruling dynasties in different parts of northern India.