C) The caste system defined people's jobs based on their caste. D) A dominant patriarchal system emerged, which diminished women's status in society. These characteristics exhibit the strong impact of Hindu beliefs on society during the Gupta era. Hindu beliefs evolved over a considerable duration in the subcontinent, where many of these concepts are ancient. However, Hinduism as a whole started to develop post the Vedic period (1500-500 BCE) and saw significant growth throughout the Medieval period. These beliefs contributed to numerous social structures observed during the Gupta period, like the caste system and patriarchal system.
