During the Gupta period, the term used for a province was:

In the Gupta period, a province was called a "bhukti", and was governed by an officer called the "uparika" (or "uparika maharaja").

Administrative divisions of the Gupta empire:

• "Desha" or "Rashtra": a large region.
• "Bhukti": a province, governed by an uparika, who was appointed by the king, often a prince or a high official.
• "Vishaya": a district, governed by a "vishayapati".
• "Vithi": a smaller unit, a group of villages, in some regions (especially Bengal).
• "Grama": a village, headed by a "gramika" or "gramapati".

Local administration:

• NCERT notes that in the Gupta period, local administration included assemblies and important people.
• At the district level, the vishayapati was assisted by a council ("adhikarana"), which included representatives of important groups, such as the chief merchant, the chief artisan, the chief scribe and others.
• In villages, elders ("mahattaras") played an important role.
• Village assemblies managed local affairs, such as land transactions and disputes.

Inscriptions as sources:

• The Damodarpur copper plates (Bengal) give details of land sales and the role of district councils in the Gupta period.
• Land grants recorded on copper plates provide information about administration.

Changes in the Gupta period:

• The administration was less centralised than under the Mauryas.
• Many important posts became hereditary.
• Feudal tendencies increased, with grants of land and villages to Brahmanas and officials.
• Samantas (subordinate rulers) became important.

Gupta titles:

The kings took grand titles, such as "Maharajadhiraja" (great king of kings), "Parama-bhattaraka" and "Parameshvara".

Why not the other options?

• ✗Vishaya was a district.
• ✗Vithi was a smaller unit.
• ✗Grama was a village.