Date Chapter 16 India and the Indian Ocean Basin A Review of the India s history up 500 CE Key Developments 2500 BCE Urban civiliza on first appeared in the Indian sub-con nent with the Indus Valley civiliza on in the early third millennium BC, in what is today Pakistan and north-west India. This was contemporary with the civiliza ons of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt, and is famous for its large and well-planned ci es ( Harrappa and Mohenjo-Daro ). Its trade was based on crops grown on the fer le river plains. 2000 BCE The Indus Valley civiliza on collapses, possibly due to severe floods or a change in the course of the Indus River. 1500-500 BCE Over the next thousand years, a people known as the Aryans, speaking an Indo-European language, moved into northern India from central Asia. They came into India as pastoral, semi-nomadic tribes led by warrior chie ains. Over me, they se led down as rulers over the na ve Dravidian popula ons they found there, and formed tribal kingdoms. This period of Indian history is known as the Vedic Age, as it was depicted in the earliest Indian wri ngs, called the Vedas. It is also the forma ve period in which most of the basic features of tradi onal Indian civiliza on were laid down. These include the emergence of early Hinduism as the founda onal religion of India, and the social/religious phenomenon known as caste. 500-320 BCE The coming of Aryans into India, and their establishment themselves as the dominant group, gave rise to the caste system, which divided society into rigid layers, underpinned by religious rules. The tribal society of the early Aryans gave way to the more complex society of the Classic Age of Ancient India. This period saw the rebirth of urban civiliza on in the Indian subcon nent, and with it, a literate culture. It was an age of amazing religious crea vity, which saw the emergence of two new religions, Jainism and Buddhism. Jainism was founded by Mahavira Jains who emphasized an aspect already present in early Hinduism, non-violence to all living things. He also promoted the renuncia on of worldly desires and an asce c way of life. Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama who came to believe that extreme asce cism was not a frui ul basis for a spiritual life. However, like Jains, he believed that the release from worldly desires was the way to salva on. In daily life, Buddhists emphasised the importance of ethical behaviour. The Jains and Buddhists rebelled against the caste system, preaching that all men are equal. However, caste was never overthrown. 326 BCE Alexander the Great of Macedon (northeastern Greece) crosses the Indus River into India. 324-185 BCE The Mauryan Empire was established by Chandragupta Maurya. The most famous of the Maurya emperors was Ashoka (reigned 272-232 BC), a remarkable and a rac ve ruler: compassionate, tolerant, firm, seeking jus ce and well-being for all his subjects.
Fi y years or so a er Asoka's death the huge empire began to crumble. Outlying provinces fell away, and by the mid-2nd century BC the empire had shrunk to its core areas. 50 CE Trade flourishes between India and the Roman Empire. Romans eagerly buy Indian pearls, ivory, silk, spices, cloth and precious stones. The Kushans established an empire in northern India. 320-550 CE A er centuries of being split into small kingdoms and republics, India is ruled by the Gupta Empire. Under the rule of the Gupta kings, Hinduism becomes the major religion of the empire. Literature, art, architecture and science flourish during this "classical age" of peace and prosperity. Fierce invasions by the Huns from central Asia weaken them, and subordinate kingdoms assert their independence. Chapter 16 India and the Indian Ocean Basin Background The introduc on of Islam into India marks an important change in India s history. The important ques on is whether Islam and Hinduism can live together. Modern India, at the me of independence from Britain, decided it could not so split into India and Pakistan in 1947. In this chapter, you will see that change in India comes from the northwest through Afghanistan, as did the Aryan socie es, but now seaports also open the subcon nent to change. Overview During the postclassical period there emerged in India no long-las ng imperial authority, as there were in China and the Islamic world. Regional kingdoms were the norm. Nevertheless, Indian society exerted a profound influence on the cultures of south and Southeast Asia. Through the extensive trade networks of the Indian Ocean basin, Indian forms of poli cal organiza on, religion, and economic prac ces spread throughout the region. Several developments in India during this era gradually spread throughout the larger culture zone. Dramatic agricultural growth fueled population growth and urbanization. These phenomena, combined with specialized industrial produc on and trade, resulted in unprecedented economic growth for the region. India's central position in the Indian Ocean basin resulted in it becoming a major clearinghouse for products of the voluminous maritime trade network that encompassed east Africa, Arabia, Persia, Southeast Asia, and Malaysia as well as the en re Indian subcon nent. Islam originally appeared in India through a variety of conduits, and it eventually became the primary religion of one quarter of the popula on. From India, Islam, along with Hinduism and Buddhism, spread to Southeast Asia and the nearby islands
Introduction List 4 ways that Buzurg ibn Shahriyar s stories accurately reflected the conditions in India. How did culture in India shape the surrounding area? ************************************************************************************* Introduction paragraph Islamic and Hindu Kingdoms The Quest for Centralized Imperial Rule Introduction Harsha Collapse of Harsha s Kingdom
The Introduction of Islam to Northern India The Conquest of Sind Merchants and Islam Turkish Migrants and Islam Mahmud of Ghazni The Sultanate of Delhi The Hindu Kingdoms of Southern India Introduction The Chola Kingdom The Kingdom of Vijayanagar (Skip pages 412-416 as you took notes on this part when studying trade on the Sea Roads)
Caste and Society Introduction Caste and Migra on Caste and Social Change Expansion of the Caste System THE MEETING OF HINDU AND ISLAMIC TRADITIONS Introduction paragraph The Development of Hinduism Introduction Vishnu and Shiva Devo onal Cults
Shankara Ramanuja Islam and Its Appeal Introduction Conversion to Islam Sufis The Bhak Movement Guru Kabir THE INFLUENCE OF INDIAN SOCIETY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA Introduction paragraph
The States of Southeast Asia Indian Influence in Southeast Asia Funan Srivijaya Angkor The Arrival of Islam Introduction Conversion to Islam Melaka