Chapter 15 (South Asia)
Yellow = Important
Green = Good example
Blue = Connector
Gupta Empire (320-550):
- Golden Age of India
- Decentralized empire that emerged after the Mauryan Empire
- Founded by Chandra Gupta.
- Resisted pressure from nomadic invaders
- Was invaded by the White Huns in 451
- Collapsed in the mid-sixth century
The fall of the Gupta Empire led to the North becoming turbulent and chaotic, with
states vying for power (constant war and tension)
- Nomadic Turkish-speaking people forced their way into India
King Harsha (r. 606-648)
- Temporarily restored unified rule in N India
- Open-minded Buddhist
- Piety, liberality, scholarship
- Unable to restore permanent centralized rule, assassinated without an heir
Umayyad expansion conquered the Kingdom of Sind and passed it into the Abbasid hands
- Brought Islam to coastal India and smalled small communities (eg. Cambay and Gujarat)
- Islam also entered India through Turkish-speaking migrants
Mahmud of Ghazni:
- The leader of the Afghan Turks built Ghazni
- Raided and annexed Indian states
- Destroyed Hindu and Buddhist temples for wealth
- The Sultanate of Delhi was created by successors (1206-1526)
- Islamic
- Never able to overcome Hindu resistance outside of Delhi
Southern India:
- Mostly escaped the invasions, war, and turmoil
- Chola Kingdom (850-1267)
- Trade-heavy
- Water dominant
- Not centralized and gave considerable autonomy to local villages
- Decline because of loose institutions, native people, and revolts
- Shrunk massively but did not fully collapse
- Vijayanagar (1336-1565)
- Hindu founders
- Mostly peaceful with Muslims until it fell to Muslim kingdoms in 1565
Production and Trade in the Indian Ocean Basin
- Many focused on trade and manufacturing instead of food production
- Trade links between regions fostered economic developments and turned IOB
into the zone of communication and exchange
Monsoon Agriculture:
- Monsoon rhythms shaped irrigation systems
- Increased productivity and led to the concentration of people in cities, urbanization, and
higher agricultural productivity
Trade and Economic Development in South India:
- Internal trade
- Iron, copper, salt, pepper, spices, and condiments
- Temples and societies were very important, having large agricultural power and
providing schooling. Temple authority also served as bankers
Cross-cultural trade in the IOB:
- Dhows, favored by Persians, Indians, and Arabs (100-400 tons)
- Junks, favored by Chinese and SE Asian (1000 tons)
- Trade was conducted in steps to follow the monsoons
- Establishment of dynasties led to surges in IOB trade
- An increased volume of trade led to specialized production
Kingdom of Axum
- Small kingdom of merchants
- Displaced Kush and sent the Nubian Kingdom into decline (360)
- Adopted Christianity in the 4-5th century
- Built empire in sixth-century -> in modern-day Ethiopia and Yemen
- Campaigned to Mecca in 571, when Mohammad was born.
- Islam expansion in the seventh to eighth century severed ties between Axum and
previously established Christian communities
- Adulis was one of the most prominent ports, funneling slaves to Egypt, Eastern
Mediterranean and IOB
Caste and Society:
- Caste system helped immigrants into society
- Subcastes (jati) took the form of worker/merchant guilds
- Specialised merchants established distinct subcastes
- Caste distinction solidified in India
- Led to emergence of guilds/powerful temples and caste-consciousness
- By eleventh century, the caste system became the principal basis of social organization
- Shift in Religions:
- Hinduism in India
- Became much more prevalent
- Attracted Buddhists who converted to stop Islamic attacks
- Increased in popularity due fo devotional cults that promised salvation
- Shankara, Indian 9th century devotee of Shiva harmonised Hindu writing into
single, consistent system of thought
- Islam in India
- Became much more prevalent
- Some tried converting to gain social status but failed
- Sufis were instrumental in conversions
- Bhakti movement sought to erase the distinction between Hinduism and Islam
but unsuccessful
- Muslim merchants become prominient in 10th century (900s)
- Gradual conversions, and many Muslims were non-exclusive
- Melaka (1400-1511)
- First Islam state in SE Asia
- Helped the spread of Islam
- Started as lair of pirates but became a powerful state through control of
maritime state
Southernization:
- Introduced Islam and Hinduism across SE Asia
- Funan (68-500s)
- Constructed elaborate system of irrigation
- Controlled trade between China and India
- Indian values, culture and religion spread into Funan
- Bitter power structure in sixth centruy weakened Funan internally, eventually fell
- Srivijaya (670-1025)
- Powerful navy that controlled commerce
- Decline led to Angkor (843-1431), Singosari (1222-1292), and Majapahit (1293-
1520)
- Angkor (Khmer)
- Started with Hindu temples, then added Buddhist during 12th-13th century
- Abandoned Angkor in 1431 after Thai invasion
Similarities and Differences:
Wealth production Religion
Funan Land/agricultural Hindu
Angkor Land/agricultural Buddhist
Srivijava Island/Maritime Buddhist
Singosari Island/Maritime Mix + Kejawen
Majapahit Island/Maritime Hindu
Timeline:
