South Asia
Global Studies
South Asia the
“sub continent”
South Asia/ Sub Continent
of Asia
South Asia
History has created diversity
today!
Indus Civilization
2600 B.C.E- 1600 B.C.E
 First Civilization
 India is named after the Indus River
 First civilization and religiously important…
 Flourished at the time when both Ancient Egypt and
Sumer were at their heights.
 Indus River Valley is in present day Pakistan.
What were the cities of this
early civilization?
Indus Valley Cities
Mohenjo-daro, Baths
Excavated ruins
Coastal Harappan
settlement
Gods of Indus Valley
Seated Shiva figure
termed Pashupati
Shiva statue
Aryan Period
1600 BCE – 500 BCE
 Where did they come from?
Aryan/Vedic period
Aryans brought language &
their gods!
Sanskrit
Rig Vedas
They brought…
Domestic Horse & sacred
Cow
 Indus Bull
Iron weapons & conquest
Established the Caste System
Alexander the
Great
Conquered Northern India- 325
B.C.E.
Alexander didn’t stay long, after a
few years he returned to Babylonwhere he died
A man named Chandragupta was
able to overthrow the Aryan
kingdom and form a big new empire
over all of northern India and into
Afghanistan- The Mauryan Empire
Mauryan Period
326 B.C.E- 184 B.C.E
Mauryan Leaders
Chandragupta
Emperor Ashoka
Ashoka Greatest King of the
Mauryans
Why is he a hero?
Ashoka’s Edicts
Gupta Empire reunites India.
320 A.D.- 535 A.D.
Emperor Chandragupta (chose
name from great Mauryan ruler)
Empire last for about 200 years
Southern India is NOT part of the
empire & is still controlled by
different Hindu Kings.
Gupta Empire =
Golden Ages
 Like many other empires
in the world- Gupta was
time of Golden Ages..
 Han Dynasty
 African Kingdoms- Ghana
& Mali
 European Renaissance in
the Middle Ages
 Enlightenment
 Pax Romana
Southern part of India?
King Raja Raja Chola
 Ruled by Hindu Kingdoms
Decline of the Gupta
Empire
 As the Gupta empire
becomes weak and declines,
invaders from many areas
take over parts of South
Asia.
 Next 1,000 years no real
unity, different kingdoms etc.
 One kingdom was King Raja
Raja Chola…
Beginning of Muslim
influence in South Asia
1st Muslim Empire
Delhi Sultanate
13th- 18th Centuries
1200 A.D.- 1700 A.D.
Delhi Sultanates
Series of Dynasties
Old Delhi becomes capital of
Islamic India.
Tomb of Ghiyas-ud-Din
Tughlaq, Delhi
Old Delhi
Invaders from Central Asia:
Mongolians
Mugal/Mongol
Empire
 2nd Muslim Empire1500’s- 1800s.
 Gun Powder Empire
 It consolidated Islam in
South Asia.
 Spread Muslim/Persian
Arts and Culture.
 Centralized government &
many smaller kingdoms.
 Fusion of languages
Mugal (Mongol) Islamic
Empire
Master of “Hindustan”
Zahiruddin Muhammad
Babur
Tolerance &
intolerance!
Under Baber, Muslims were NOT
absorbed into Hindu society.
Hindus were forced to pay “tax” that
was not required of Muslims.
Destruction of Hindu temples; some
conflict between Hindus/Muslims.
However for much of their empire they
allowed Hindus to reach senior
government or military positions.
Akbar the Great
Why ?
Shah Jahan
 What is his legacy?
European Imperialism ends
Muslim rule in S. Asia.