Chapter 15: India and the Indian Ocean Basin

These flashcards cover key events, figures, and developments in India and the Indian Ocean Basin as discussed in Chapter 15.

Who was Buzurg ibn Shahriyar?

A sailor from Persian Gulf emporia who wrote tales about his travels to India and Arabia.

What led to the fall of the Gupta Empire and when did it happen?

The White Huns invaded the Gupta Empire around 451, leading to its collapse by the mid-sixth century.

What was Northern India like after the fall of the Gupta Dynasty?

Chaotic, fight for power and territory, invasions from other lands

What was Southern India like after the fall of the Gupta Dynasty?

Little to no conflict, Hindu rulers loosely ruled states peacefully (they had some authority of their own)

Who was King Harsha?

606–648, He temporary restored unified rule after the Fall of the Guptas, at the age of 16

What did King Harsha do under his rule of Northern India?

1) Ambitiously led army through north india and defeated those that didn’t recognize him

2) Actively visited his subjects and local rulers on horseback to keep them in line

3) Donated resources and gifts generously to the poor, respected the arts, wrote 3 plays

4) Promoted Buddhist teachings while maintaining a tolerant attitude to other religions.

Why couldn’t King Harsha completely establish imperial authority?

Local rulers already established too much authority, but he traveled throughout trying to gain alliances with them

How did Islam first enter India? (3)

Military: Umayyad Arabs conquered Sind in 711

Merchants: Arabic trade with south and north India predated Islam, especially Gujarat

Migrations: Turks converted to Islam due to interaction with Abbasids, settled in present day Anatolia and Afghanistan, and disrupted local dynamics

Who is Mahmud of Ghazni?

Founder of the Ghaznavid Empire, previously the leader of the Turks in Afghanistan

What was the capital of the Ghaznavid Empire?

Ghazni

What did Mahmud of Ghazni do to India and why?

He raided India 17 times from 1001–1027, taking advantage of infighting Hindu rulers

He also stole from and destroyed Hindu and Buddhist temples, in support of Islam

What was the most famous temple that Mahmud of Ghazni destroyed during his raids?

Somnath Hindu Temple of Gujarat, 1025

What was the Sultanate of Delhi?

An Islamic state created by Mahmud of Ghazni ‘s successors by conquering northern Hindu kingdoms, weakly “ruled” from 1206 to 1526.

What was the capital of the Sultanate of Delhi?

Delhi

How did the Sultans of the sultanate of Delhi try to spread Islam to India?

Sultans got their military army to build mosques and Islamic shrines in India

Why was the Sultanate of Delhi so weak?

1) They had an increased reliance on cooperation of Hindu kings to carry out their policies and interests

2) They couldn’t overcome Hindu resistance when they tried to raid South India

3) Hinduism was already so prominent in the area that Islam barely made a difference

4) Internal divisions and lack of strong leadership weakened central authority.

How did the Sultanate of Delhi fall?

19/35 sultans killed (huge resistance against government)

How did Islam get introduced to North India by military conquests? (2)

1) Umayyads conquered the Sind

2) Mahmud’s descendants founded the Sultanate of Delhi

What characterized the Chola Kingdom in Southern India and from when did they rule?

850–1267

1) A great maritime power that conquered Ceylon and Southeast Asia, profiting from trade in the Indian Ocean

2) Rulers loosely controlled the kingdom with decentralized government

How did the Chola Kingdom shrink?

Since the kingdom was ruled so loosely, separate rebellions caused the kingdom to shrink (but not entirely fall)

How was the Kingdom of Vijayanagar founded?

1350s-1565

Harihara and Bukka were 2 brothers that originally represented the Delhi Sultans in the South and later renounced Islam in 1336, and created Vijayanagar, an independent kingdom that promoted Hindu culture (but they still maintained relations with the sultanate)

Who founded the Kingdom of Vijayanagar?

Harihara and Bukka

How did Vijayanagar collapse?

They were conquered by Muslim Kingdoms

What were the weather and Monsoon wind patterns in the spring/summer in India?

warm rains, wind from SOUTHWEST ↗

What were the weather and Monsoon wind patterns in the fall/winter in India?

wind from NORTHEAST ↙

How did India foster agriculture in the monsoon world? (2)

1) Seasonal irrigation

2) Construction of MASSIVE reservoirs and canals made with brick and stone to collect water for dry season irrigation.

What was the most popular Islamic city?

Cairo

What was the second most popular Islamic city?

Delhi

What was the role of temples in Southern India? What did they include?

Temples were centers of agriculture, education, and banking services

1) Contained food reserves from the surplus of agriculture

2) Education for young boys

3) large landholdings used for agriculture productions

How did India conduct and improve maritime trade?

1) Through larger ships like dhows (Indian, Persian, Arab origin) and junks (Chinese, Southeast Asian origin)

2) Conducted trade voyages in stages: waited at ports to travel by monsoon winds

What is an emporia and give examples of some in India (3)

Emporia: warehouses, major trading hubs where merchants came to gather goods, such as

Port of Cambay, Calicut, Quilon

What was the Kingdom of Axum known for?

Key example of a kingdom that long distance trade

They adopted Christianity in the midst of a bunch of Islamic civilizations, and while Muslims tried to capture Axum, they resisted

They became a major trading partner with Egypt.

Where is Adulis and what is it famous for?

Adulis is most important trading port in East Africa; they traded gold, slaves, and ivory

What are stelae?

tall monuments that were grave markers in the 4th century, originated in north africa

How did the caste system change in India?

1) Migrations: seperate castes were created for Turkish people and Muslim merchants who migrated to India

2) people closely identified with jati, workers’ guilds within their castes

3) growth of Islam

4) Expansion: caste system got introduced to the south via temples and formal education

Which religions lost popularity after the postclassical period in India?

Jainism and Buddhism

Why did Buddhism lose influence in India? (2)

1) Many Buddhists converted to Hinduism and Islam and their idea of promised salvation

2) Turkish invasions destroyed Buddhist holy sites, temples, and stupas

Destruction of Library of Nalanda by Muslim forces, 1196, thousands of monks exiled or killed

What happened to the Library of Nalanda in India and why?

The Library of Nalanda was destroyed by Muslim forces in 1196, resulting in the exile or death of thousands of monks. It was a crucial center of Buddhist learning, and its destruction significantly contributed to the decline of Buddhism in India.

Who was Shankara, when did he live, and what did he believe?

Sankara was a South indian brahmin philosopher in the 9th century, and he synthesized the controversial teachings of Hinduism into a single, consistent system of thought, he believed in the supreme diety Brahman and valued rigorous logical analysis > emotional devotion

Who was Ramanuja, when did he live, and what did he believe?

Ramanuja was a south indian brahmin philosopher like Shankara, but he lived from the 11th to early 12th century. He

1) Challenged Shankara’s idea on logic: personal connection and devotion with deity is more important than theology

2) Followed Bhagavad Gita and devotion to Vishnu

3) Laid philosophical foundations of Hinduism today

Why did Hindus convert to Islam? (2 less important ways, 1 really important huge way)

1) Islam was accepted into India when Muslim merchants settled

2) Lower-caste Hindus believed that if they converted to Islam, they would be able to socially advance because Islam does not have a caste system, but there actuall was no social incentive for converting.

3) The best way was through Sufis: advocated for a flexible, comfortable faith in Allah

How many Hindus converted to Islam by 1500 CE?

25 million; 25% of total population

What was the Bhakti Movement and when did it occur?

12th century movement. Originated in the south and spread to the North, and aimed at uniting Hinduism and Islam, emphasizing love and devotion to a single deity. However it failed miserably

What did the Bhakti movement accomplish?

While it did not successfully unite Hinduism and Islam, the Bhakti movement helped make peace with India’s diverse cultures

Who was Guru Kabir, when did he live, and what did he tech

1440–1518

Guru Kabir was the most famous teacher of the Bhakti movement

Taught that Shiva, Vishnu, Allah all manifestations of one deity

What influence did India spread to Southeast Asia, and what did not spread?

Indian religious faiths: Hinduism, Buddhism

Political organization techniques: kingship government

Literature: Ramayana, Mahabharata, Buddhist treatises

Note: However, they did not adopt the caste system, That generally stayed in India

What was Funan and how did India influence its culture politically (2) and religiously (1)?

Funan was a Southeastern kingdom that relied on the Isthmus of Kra for trade

Political:

1) ruled by a raja

2) conducted official business in Sanskrit

Religious:

1) Indian ceremonies, worshipping Hindu gods

Note: They also kept their own local culture

What was special about the Kingdom of Srivijaya? When did it exist and how did it fall? (2)

670–1025

1) All sea trade route for trade between China and India and powerful navy

2) Mostly Buddhist State

It was conquered by Cambodia

What was Kingdom of Angkor and how did India influence its culture? How did it fall?

It was a region of Cambodiaand dedicated to Hindu gods, showcasing Indian architectural styles.

1) Large population of Buddhists

2) Magnificent religious city complexes, Himalayan Mount Meru Temple

Was abandoned in 1431 CE after a Thai invasion.

Which were all the Southeast Asian states were influenced by Indian culture?

1) Funan

2) Srivijaya

3) Angkor

4) Singosari

5) Majapahit

How did small islamic settlements in Southeast Asia become popular?

1) Conversion of rulers

2) trading

3) Sufi missionary activity

Who founded Melaka and why is it significant?

Founded by a rebellious prince, it became important in maritime trade routes and saw the conversion of its ruling class to Islam in the mid 15th century