SOUTH EAST ASIA

Babur

Founder of the Mughal Empire, descended from Timur, conquered Kabul and Delhi

Akbar (r. 1556–1606)

Mughal emperor known for religious toleration, ended jizya tax, promoted Hindu-Muslim inclusion

Aurangzeb (r. 1658–1707)

Mughal emperor who privileged Muslims, reinstated jizya, destroyed Hindu temples

Sati

The practice of widow burning, outlawed by Aurangzeb

Jizya

Tax on non-Muslims, abolished by Akbar, reimposed by Aurangzeb

Mughal Decline

Followed Aurangzeb’s rule; defeated by Persians under Nadir Shah in 1739

Islam and Trade

Islam spread to Southeast Asia via Muslim traders from India and Sufi missionaries

Java and Sumatra

Became home to Indian Muslim traders; early Islamic influence

Conversion for Trade

Hindu and Buddhist rulers converted to Islam to attract trade

European Trade Goods

Wool, timber, glass, silver (Europe) exchanged for spices, silk, carpets, art (Islamic world)

Muslim Population in South Asia

Over 500 million Muslims in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka

Partition of British India (1947)

Based on religion; led to formation of India and Pakistan

Kashmir Conflict

Ongoing dispute between India and Pakistan over Muslim-majority region

Islamic Conflicts

Religious identity and sectarian violence have caused significant unrest in South Asia

Islam in Southeast Asia Today

Indonesia (90%), Malaysia (majority Malay Muslims), Brunei (67% Muslim)

Muslim Minorities in SE Asia

Present in southern Philippines, south Thailand, west Myanmar

Islamic Spread in SE Asia

Reached Borneo, southern Philippines by 1500s; began in Sumatra in 13th century

Pasai

Early Muslim kingdom in northern Sumatra by 1300

Perlak and Pedir

Petty Islamic kingdoms visited by Marco Polo in late 13th century

Ma Huan

Chinese Muslim who visited Java in 1433

Tome Pires

Portuguese traveler who described Java's Islamic society in 1515

Daulat (Dawlah)

Islamic concept of divine sovereignty adopted by Southeast Asian rulers

Adat

Customary law regulating ruler-subject relations

Ummat

Global Muslim community that legitimized rulers in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asian Ruler Genealogies

Claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad

Kuasa, Kewibawaan, Derhaka

Malay political concepts influenced by Islam

Shafi’i Legal School

Islamic legal tradition followed in South India and Indonesia

Ma’bar

South Indian region (Coromandel Coast) linked to early Islamic influence in SE Asia

Hadhramaut

Region in Yemen connected to South Indian Islam