Chapter 15 India and the Indian Ocean Basin 1
India After the Fall of the Gupta Dynasty n Invasion of White Huns from central Asia beginning 451 C.E. n Gupta state collapsed mid-sixth century n Chaos in northern India q Local power struggles q Invasions of Turkish nomads, absorbed into Indian society 2
King Harsha (r. 606-648 C.E.) n Temporary restoration of unified rule in north India n Religiously tolerant q Buddhist by faith n Generous support for poor n Patron of the arts q Wrote three plays n Assassinated, no successor able to retain control 3
Introduction of Islam to Northern India n Arabs conquer Sind (northwest India), 711 C.E. n Sind stood at the fringe of the Islamic world n Heterodox population, but held by Abbasid dynasty to 1258 C.E. 4
Merchants and Islam n Arabic trade with India predates Islam n Dominated trade between India and the west to fifteenth century n Established local communities in India q Port city of Cambay 5
Mahmud of Ghazni n Leader of the Turks in Afghanistan n Raids into India, 1001-1027 n Plunders, destroys Hindu and Buddhist temples q Often builds mosques atop ruins 6
The Sultanate of Delhi n Consolidation of Mahmud s raiding territory n Capital: Delhi n Ruled northern India 1206-1526 n Weak administrative structure q Reliance on cooperation of Hindu kings n Nineteen out of thirty-five sultans assassinated 7
Hindu Kingdoms of Southern India n Chola kingdom, 850-1267 C.E. q Maritime power q Not highly centralized n Kingdom of Vijayanagar q Mid-fourteenth century to 1565 q Northern Deccan q Originally supported by sultanate of Delhi q Leaders renounce Islam in 1336 q Yet maintain relations with sultanate 8
Major States of Postclassical India, 600-1600 C.E. 9
Agriculture in the Monsoon World n Spring/summer: rains, wind from southwest n Fall/winter: dry season, wind from northeast n Seasonal irrigation crucial to avoid drought, famine q Especially southern India n Massive construction of reservoirs, canals, tunnels 10
The Trading World of the Indian Ocean Basin, 600-1600 C.E. 11
Population Growth in India 12
Trade and Economic Development in Southern India n Indian regional economies largely self-sufficient n Certain products traded throughout subcontinent q Iron, copper, salt, pepper n Southern India profits from political instability in north 13
Temples and Indian Society n More than religious centers n Center of coordination of irrigation, other agricultural work q Some temples had large landholdings n Education providers n Banking services 14
Cross-Cultural Trade in the Indian Ocean Basin n Trade increases in postclassical period n Larger ships q Dhows, junks n Improved organization of agricultural efforts n Establishment of emporia q Cosmopolitan port cities serve as warehouses for trade n Specialized products developed (cotton, highcarbon steel) 15
The Kingdom of Axum n Example of trade-driven development n Founded in the highlands of northern Ethiopia about first century C.E. q Adopted Christianity n Displaces Kush as Egyptian link to the south q Axum destroys Kushan capital Meroë ca. 360 C.E. q Major territorial expansion to late sixth century 16
Obelisk at Axum 17
Challenges to Caste and Society n Migrations n Growth of Islam n Urbanization n Economic development q Development of jati (subcastes) q Similar to workers guilds n Caste system expands from north to south n Promoted by temples, educational system 18
Decline of Buddhism n Buddhism displaced as Turkish invasions destroy holy sites, temples n 1196, Muslim forces destroy library of Nalanda q Thousands of monks exiled 19
Development of Hinduism n Growth of devotional cults q Especially Vishnu, Shiva n Promise of salvation n Especially popular in southern India, spreads to north 20
Devotional Philosophers n Shankara, brahmin philosopher of ninth century C.E. q Devotee of Shiva q Synthesized Hindu writings in Platonic form q Preferred rigorous logical analysis to emotional devotion n Ramanuja, brahmin philosopher eleventh to early twelfth century q Challenges Shankara s emphasis on logic q Laid philosophical foundations of contemporary Hinduism 21
Conversion to Islam n Twenty-five million converts by 1500 (quarter of total population) n Possibilities of social advancement for lowercaste Hindus q Rarely achieved: whole castes or jati convert, social status remains consistent 22
Sufis n Personal, emotional, devotional approaches to Islam n Important missionaries of Islam to India n Some flexibility regarding local customs 23
The Bhakti Movement n Attempt to bring Hinduism and Islam closer together n Twelfth-century southern Hindu movement, spread to north n Guru Kabir (1440-1518) q Taught that Shiva, Vishnu, Allah all manifestations of one deity q Largely unsuccessful 24
Indian Influence in Southeast Asia n Influence dates from 500 B.C.E. n Evidence of Indian ideas and traditions q Kingship q Religions (Hinduism, Buddhism) q Literature n Caste system not as influential 25
Early States of Southeast Asia n Funan q Lower Mekong River, first to sixth century C.E. n Kingdom of Srivijaya q Centered in Sumatra, 670-1025 C.E. n Kingdom of Angkor q Cambodia, 889-1431 C.E. q Magnificent religious city complexes 26
Early States of Southeast Asia: Funan and Srivijaya, 100-1025 C.E. 27
Later States of Southeast Asia: Angkor, Singosari, and Majapahit, 889-1520 C.E. 28
Islam in Southeast Asia n Early populations of Muslim traders n Increasing popularity with Sufi activity n Many convert, retain some Hindu or Buddhist traditions 29
State of Melaka n Founded late fourteenth century C.E. by rebellious prince of Sumatra n Dominated maritime trade routes n Mid-fifteenth century converts to Islam 30