Which option best describes the reasons for the decline of the Gupta Empire? Choose the best answer choice, and explain
Responses

The Gupta Empire fell to the Shaka kingdoms, which expanded from western India in the third century CE.
The Gupta Empire fell to the Shaka kingdoms, which expanded from western India in the third century CE.

Incursions from the Hephthalites and internal political struggles led the Gupta Empire to split apart in the fifth and sixth centuries CE.
Incursions from the Hephthalites and internal political struggles led the Gupta Empire to split apart in the fifth and sixth centuries CE.

After clashes with the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty, the Gupta Empire was split up into provinces of those empires.
After clashes with the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty, the Gupta Empire was split up into provinces of those empires.

After a large war with the Mauryan Empire, the Gupta Empire was taken over by Ashoka in the second century CE.
The option that best describes the reasons for the decline of the Gupta Empire is:
Incursions from the Hephthalites and internal political struggles led the Gupta Empire to split apart in the fifth and sixth centuries CE.
The incursions from the Hephthalites, a Central Asian nomadic group, placed pressure on the Gupta Empire, weakening its power and leading to internal conflicts. These internal struggles further weakened the empire, eventually causing it to split apart into smaller kingdoms. This combination of external invasions and internal instability contributed to the decline of the Gupta Empire.