AP World History: India and the Indian Ocean Basin

By mid 6th century, Gupta state collapsed (White Huns) From the end of Gupta dynasty until 16th century (Turkey people called Mughals extended authority), India remained politically divided

In north India, politics became chaotic with local states contesting for power and territory Nomadic Turkish speaking people took advantage of this and forced their way into India

During first half of 7th century, King Harsha temporarily restored unified rule in most of northern India Was a Buddhist, but looked kindly at other faiths Built hospitals and provided free medical care

Unable to restore permanent centralized rule Local rulers had established authority to securely for Harsha to overcome them Fell victim to an assassin and left no heirs Empire immediately disintegrated and local rulers turned northern India into a battleground again

-Northern India also experienced arrival of Islam -Reached India through military (one way) -Conquered Sind and incorporated it as a province of the Umayyad empire, and later the Abbasid caliphs -Since it was so far away, people there mostly stuck with their own religions

Muslim merchants brought Islam to coastal regions in both northern and southern India -Islam entered India's port cities in a more gradual but still effective way

Islam also entered thought the migrations and invasions of Turkish speaking peoples from central Asia

- Leader of the Turks in Afghanistan turned attention to rich lands in south -Between 1001-1027, he mounted several raids into India -Had less interest in conquering and ruling India than plundering wealth stored in many temples -Campaigns hastened decline of Buddhism -They also established mosques of Islamic shrines on the sites they destroyed

-Late 12th century, his successors worked to conquer northern India and put it under Islamic rule -By early 13th century, conquered most of northern India and established Islamic state known as the sultanate of Delhi -Established capital at Delhi, strategic site controlling access from the Punjab to the Ganges valley, ruled northern India for more than three centuries -Authority of the sultans did not extend far beyond Delhi

-Although it was politically divided as well, it did not have as much turmoil as the north -Southern conflicts less frequent or intense

-Two kingdoms expanded enough to exercise nominal rule over much of southern India -First was the Chola kingdom in the deep south which ruled the Coromandel coast for more than four centuries -Navy dominated waters -Did not build tightly centralized state -Native Sinhalese forces expelled Chola officials from Ceylon and revolts erupted within India -By early 13th century, reverted to the statues of a regional kingdom

-Based in the northern Deccan -Credit origins due to sultan of Delhi who were trying to push their kingdom into the south -Sent two court officials to implement sultans rule Instead, they made their own kingdom -1336 renounced Islam, returned to Hindu faith, established kingdom (city of victory) -No tensions between Muslims and Hindus -Dominant state in s India from mid 14th century to 1565 (fell to alliance of Muslim kingdoms)

Agriculture increased a lot in postclassical India Gave people opportunity to devote themselves to trade and manufacturing

Due to the certain patterns of monsoon weather, irrigation was very important to maintaining food all year round

-In the south, irrigation was very important to sustain their growing population, so they spent a lot of energy on this and made a lot of innovative things -Growth of a lot of people (pop. explosion)

14th was high point for the sultanate of Delhi Many large cities, cities in southern India grew especially fast

-Most regions were self sufficient in staple foods, but not with things such as iron, copper, salt, and specialized crops -So, there was a lot of internal trade between regions -Southern India and Ceylon benefitted especially well with this trade as the Chola kingdom provided relative stability

-Chola rulers allowed considerable autonomy to their subjects -Public life revolved around Hindu temples that served as economic and social centers -Schooling for boys -Collected portion of agricultural yield to temple authority -Also responsible for keeping order in communities and delivering tax receipts -Bankers

Over time built larger ships so they can leave coastline Conducted trade in stages

India was a natural site for emporia and warehouses Principal clearing house of trade in Indian Ocean basin, became cosmopolitan centers

-Became more specialized, Indian artisans built thriving local industries around the production of high quality cotton textiles -Other specialized industries included sugar refining, leather tanning, stone carving, and carpet weaving -Well known for the production of high carbon steel

-Founded in northern Ethiopia about 1st century CE -Became Egypt's principal link to southern lands -Forces invaded Kush and destroyed capital city -4th-5th centuries adopted Christianity -6th territorial expansion -7th-8th century were able to withhold the expanding realm of Islam and maintained its independence

In absence of strong central governments, caste system helped keep structure in society

Within few generations Turkish peoples or Muslim merchants who had come into India's descendants became absorbed into Indian society

As merchants and manufacturers became more important in larger economy, they organized powerful guilds to represent their interests

-Emergence of merchant and craft guilds in the south strengthened caste system and powerful temples fostered caste distinctions -By 11th century became principal basis of social organization in Indi

Post classical era: Jainism and Buddhism lost many followers -Islam and Hinduism instead

-Turkish invasion hasted decline of Buddhism since they attacked many Buddhist stupas and shrines -1196 Muslims overran cities and schools and torched libraries and killed monks

-One reason for popularity was growth of devotional cults, especially those dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva -Vishnu: Preserver of world, entered world occasionally to resist evil or teach -Shiva: God of fertility and destructive deity

-Hindus embraced cults because they promised salvation -Temples and shrines started emerge and it became popular in both northern and southern India

-Hinduism also influenced philosophy -9th century -Held the physical world was illusion and ultimate reality lay beyond physical senses -Although was a worshiper of Shiva, he did not like services and ceremonies and believed in logical reasoning only

-Devotee of Vishnu during 11th-12th century -Challenged Shankara's insistence of logic and thought intellectual understanding was less important then personal union with deity -Philosophy pointed towards Hindu theology of salvation

Did not get much appeal in the beginning Appeal mostly came from foreign Muslim traders, not conquerors

-by 1500 1/4 of Indian population were Muslim -Some adopted it in hopes of improving social position, but they usually just continued their own social role and caste as before

Sufis greatly attracted followers as well, like Hinduism, made Indian Islam which emphasized piety and devotion

-In some ways gap between the two religions narrowed during post classical era with the sufis often using Hindu ways such as acting as an Indian guru to attract followers -Both drew on long established/long observed cultural traditions -Development of bhakti movement, a cult of love and devotion that sought to erase distinction between Hinduism and Islam -Came from southern India in 12th century

-Gradually rejected exclusive features of both religions -Blind weaver who was one of the most famous teachers -Went so far to teach that Shiva, Vishnu, and Allah were a manifestation of a single deity -Did not succeed in harmonizing the religion but helped build bridge between India's social and cultural communities

-SE Asians adapted Indian political structures and religions to local needs -Although rarely sent armed forces to SE Asia, merchants introduced hinduism, Buddhism, Sanskrit writings, and Indian forms of political organization -12th century solid footing in SE Asia -Many Muslim Indian merchants established trading communities, thus Islam became a very popular religion

-Indian merchants arrived as early as 500 BCE -Ruling elites used Indian political organization and religion and sponsored introduction of Hinduism or Buddhism in courts -Did not show enthusiasm for castes

-First state to reflect Indian influence -Dominated lower reaches of Mekong River (parts of Cambodia and Vietnam) -1st-6th centuries -Capital city at port of Oc Eo -Grew wealthy because of their dominion over Isthmus of Kra, an important passage for trade =controlled trade between China and India -Built elaborate systems of water storage and irrigation -Took Sanskrit term raja and claimed divine sanction -Conducted business in Sanskrit -Continued to honor local deities but welcomed Hinduism -Won secure place in southeast Asian society over time -During 6th century power struggle weakened Funan internally and peoples from the north took advantage and overwhelmed Funan -Chams settled in southern portion of modern Vietnam and Khmers in region of modern Cambodia -By late 6th century, irrigation system fell into ruin and so did Funan

Passed to kingdom of Srivijaya on island of Sumatra (670-1025) -Built powerful navy and controlled commerce in SE Asian waters -Prospered until the expansive Chola kingdom of southern India eclipsed them -With decline of this kingdom, Angkor kingdom, then Singosari, then Majapahit dominated affairs

Funan=Mekong valley Srivijaya=Southern Sumatra Angkor=Cambodia Singosari and Majapahit=Island of Java -Funan and Angkor were land based and got wealth from agricultural economies -Rest were island based states and prospered due to control of maritime trade -Funan and Majapahit mostly Hindu states, but Srivijaya and Angkor were Buddhist -Other kingdom did a blend of those two with indigenous values

-Capital city Angkor Thom (9th century) based on Hindu world order -As they turned to Buddhism in 12th and 13th century, they added Buddhist temples -Constructed smaller but more elaborate temple center at Angkor Wat in 12th century -Abandoned Angkor in 1431 due to Thai peoples invasion

Ventured into Islam in 8th century, but became prominent in 10th century Many were Indians

-Gradually people started following Islam -Did not enter SE Asia as exclusive faith, people often still continued to honor Hindu, Buddhist, or SE Asian traditions -Sufis played large role in converting people -Allowed converts to retain inherited customs while adapting the message of Islam to local needs

-15th century, Islam grew due to state of Melaka that sponsored faith -Founded in late 14th century by Paramesvara, a rebel prince from Sumatra -Took advantage of Strait of Melaka and controlled trade -Early times this place was pirate cove, but by middle of 15th century the prince built a navy and protected it from the pirates and it became a legit state -Different from previous kingdoms because it was mostly Islamic -During mid 15th century ruling class converted to Islam -Within several centuries Islam became important in SE Asia -With Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam helped link SE Asia to larger cultural world of India and to larger commercial world of Indian Ocean basin.