(WIP) WHAP Unit 1.3 Developments in South Asia & Southeast Asia 1200-1450

Interaction between Hindus and Muslims, though sometimes violent, created dynamic developments in religious thought, politics, economics, and art in India's decentralized kingdoms

Context: Gupta Empire

-320-550 Pressures from nomadic invaders eventually decentralized authority for millennia after downfall, but Hinduism prevailed, often mixing w/ local cultures despite North & South’s separate political systems

• Buddhism became more exclusive to monasteries

• South India: Decentralized like North, but competition was less frequent and damaging

Harsha

-606-648 Buddhist King temporarily restores Northern Indian unity w/ large military, religious tolerance, liberal wealth distribution to subjects & scholars, & free hospital care

• Decline: Could not ally w/ local rulers who est. tight control over their lands; assassinated & left no heir

Rajput Kingdoms

-Decentralized Hindu clans fighting led to vulnerability from Muslim & nomadic attacks (Himalayas only protected from north & east)

• 700: Umayyad caliphate conquers Sind as province in Dar al-Islam, but little change b/c far from center of Islam & Rajput princes limited influence from Arab infighting

• 1001-1027: Mahmud of Ghazni, leader of Turkic-Iranian state in Afghanistan, patronized historians, mathematicians, & literary figures in court at capital Ghazni, but brutally annexed Indian states to plunder Hindu & Buddhist temples

Delhi Sultanate

-1206-1526 Inefficient bureaucracy had difficulty imposing laws in the diverse region, but capital strategically placed to control Punjab-Ganges Valley

• Islam: Promoted in Bengal region, but Hindus heavily resisted influence from raids that barely expanded control

• Qutub Minar: built mosque & tallest tower in India on Hindu temple

-1526: While successfully defeating the Mongols before southwest expansion they fell to their descendants, the Mughals

Chola Dynasty

-850-1267 Ruled South India’s Coromandel coast by giving autonomy to local rulers & dominating Arabian-South China Sea w/ trade profits & navy

• Society: Hindu Temples maintained order in communities by organizing agriculture, education for boys, & economy (Created relationships w/ merchant guilds & paying temple employees w/ tribute)

• Expansion to Southeast Asia: Opened coastal markets

• Decline: Less emphasis on powerful state than profits = Native Sinhalese in Ceylon expel officials & revolts → regional kingdom among many

Vijayanagara Empire

-1336-1646 Hindu kingdom est. by brothers Harihara & Bukka, who converted to Islam for upward mobility, when sent by Delhi Sultanate to extend to South

• Remained peaceful w/ Muslim merchants

• Overthrown by Muslim Kingdoms

Cultural & Social Structures in India

-Arrival of Islam: Began forcefully, but eventually took a peaceful approach when they failed to proselytize, so many converted voluntarily (wives of Muslim merchants)

• Converts: Low-caste Hindus & Buddhists when Buddhism became disorganized from corruption & Muslim raids

  • Little Impact: Caste system further reinforced by temples by easily adopting newcomers w/ jati (subcastes/guilds) based on occupation, so converts did not change status

• Shared intellectual adv: Muslim astronomers & mathematicians added Indian works

  • Urdu: Farsi + Hindi + Arabic

• Bhakti Movement: 1100 Began in south to promote traditional Hindu beliefs, but interaction w/ Muslims encouraged bridge b/w Islam & Hinduism

  • preached spirituality & devotion to one deity rather than studying, spread thru local cultures & inclusivity

    • Mira Bai: Famous Bhakti poet

Agricultural Development

-Increased yields of rice, wheat, barley, millet = Population growth (105M by 1500) + Urbanization (Delhi = 400k & second biggest Muslim city; Trading ports Cambay, Surat, Calicut, Quilon, & Masulipatam = 100k)

• Monsoon Winds in South: Irrigation depended on Spring/Summer’s northeastward, warm winds that brought most rainfall & supplemented for Autumn/Winter’s southwestward cool winds

  • Irrigation: Large brick/stone reservoirs that transported water thru canals in dry seasons, dams, wells, tunnels

• Northern Irrigation: Tapped water from Indus River & surface water from Ganges River

Southeast Asia

-Influenced trade b/w East Asia & South Asia, buying gold, silver, metal goods, & textiles from from South Asia in exchange for spices

Srivijaya Empire

-670-1024 Buddhist kingdom based on Sumatra who prospered thru navy & tariffs on Indian & Chinese ships in the Straight of Malacca

• Downfall: Weakened by the expansion of other powers
  

Majapahit Kingdom

-1293-1520 Hindu kingdom w/ Buddhist influences based on Java & controlled sea routes & tributary system

• Downfall: Death of key leaders & Islamic influence

Sinhala Dynasties

-200 BCE- Buddhist monarchy & center of Buddhist study in Sri Lanka of North Indian migrants who preached simple living

• Reservoirs & Canals: Excellent irrigation system contributed to economy

• Downfall: Indian invaders & conflict b/w Buddhist priest advisors & monarchs