India and the Indian Ocean Basin
Chapter 15
I: Islamic and Hindu Kingdoms
• Post-Gupta: regional kingdoms – no Post-Classic
empire
• North: competing states with periodic invasions
by nomads (some integrated into caste system)
• Attempts were made to unify, but unsuccessful
(Harsha – Buddhist, hospitals,
patron of scholars)
I: The Introduction of Islam to N. India
• Several process:
• Military: 711, Muslims conquered Sind ->
Umayyid province -> Abbasid province (but
only in name)
– Most remained Buddhist or Hindu; lots of fighting
between Arab admin. and local elites
I: The Introduction of Islam to N. India
• Merchants: Persian and Arab, small communities
along coasts, married local women => more
effective
• Migration/invasion: 10th century, Turkish nomadic
Muslims (migrated all over), founded state in
Afghanistan (under Mahmud);
raided N. India (didn’t rule,
plundered and built mosques)
I: The Sultanate of Delhi
• Late 12th century: Mahmud’s successors wanted
to conquer N. India under Islamic rule
• 1206-1526: Delhi Sultanate
– Powerful army
– Mosques, shrines, fortresses
– Patrons of the arts and literature
– Destroyed Hindu temples and charged jizya
• Couldn’t spread into S, no permanent
bureaucracy, some converted
I: The Hindu Kingdoms of S. India
• Politically divided, but much less war and
invasions
• The Chola Kingdom: 850-1267 – semi-unified,
– built on trade profits,
– strong navy,
– not tightly centralized (local
autonomy in exchange for order
and tax revenues)
– Decline: revolts -> back to small states
I: The Hindu Kingdoms of S. India
• Kingdom of Vijayanagar: 1336-1565 – dominated
much of south
• Southern India: no strong centralized political
entities, but coherent and distinctive society
(trade-based, common social structures and
cultural traditions)
II: Production and trade in the Indian
Ocean Basin
• Similar trends as in Islamic Empire and China
• Increasing agricultural productivity
– > increase in trade and manufacturing
– > economic development, regional links, LD links
II: Agriculture in the Monsoon World
• Due to seasons, irrigation required during dry
months
– In North: irrigation had been used since Harappan
– In South: drier, with few rivers = with increasing
population, increased need for irrigation
• Built dams, reservoirs, canals, wells, tunnels; some largescale and required lots of labor
• Population increase ->
urbanization (capitals,
ports, trading centers)
II: Trade and the Economic
Development of Southern India
• Internal trade: most regions were self-sufficient in
staple foods
• Not in other resources (metal, spices, specialized
crops) -> regional specialization
• -> many areas benefitted from internal trade
II: Trade and the Economic
Development of Southern India
• Temples served as economic and social centers
– organized agricultural activities, irrigation, surplus,
– provided education,
– owned land, employed many,
– collected taxes for political authorities,
– acted as bankers (loans , investments)
II: Cross-Cultural Trade in the Indian
Ocean Basin
• Increases in volume and value with larger ships
and improved commercial organization
• Ships: dhows (Indian, Persian, Arab sailors) and
junks (Chinese and SE Asian sailors)
– Used monsoon winds
II: Cross-Cultural Trade in the Indian
Ocean Basin
• Emporia = trading centers – common in India and
Arabia (= central locations)
– = cosmopolitan cities with people of various religions and
ethnicities living and working together
• Emporia + sea lanes = maritime silk road
(transportation,
communication, and
exchange)
– Increased with Abbasids
and Tang/Song
II: Cross-Cultural Trade in the Indian
Ocean Basin
• Increasing specialization in commodity
production:
– India: fine cotton textiles (required more agri. and
artisans), sugar, leather, carpet weaving, etc.
– China: silk, porcelain, lacquerware
– SE Asia: fine spices
– SW Asia: incense, horses, dates
– E. Africa: gold, ivory, slaves
• Specialization influenced economic and social
structure
II: Cross-Cultural Trade in the Indian
Ocean Basin
• Trade also supported political development
• The Kingdom of Axum: N. Ethopia, Christian
– traded in Red Sea, acted as go-between for southern
Africa and Egypt
– 7th-8th centuries: unconquered by Arabs; maintained
commercial ties to India and SE Asia and Muslim
neighbors
II: Caste and Society
• Caste system was adaptable to changes (migrations,
Islam, economic development, urbanization)
• Became more complex (esp. as merchant and
manufacturing jatis developed) and helped maintain
order in local communities (through Hindu temples)
– Established codes of conduct
within and between castes and
helped form group identities
– Spread to southern India
III: The Meeting of Hindu and Islamic
Traditions
• Jains and Buddhists decreased in numbers (but,
Buddhism flourished in E., C., and SE Asia)
• Hinduism dominated the south and Islam
dominated the north (very different)
• Why? Turks destroyed
Buddhist monasteries
and stuppas (killed or
exiled monks)
III: The Development of Hinduism
• Growth of devotional cults to Vishnu or Shiva
– Vishnu – preserver of the world
– Shiva – god of fertility, the destroyer
• Esp. popular in the south: promised salvation
through offerings, meditation, building temples
and shrines to gods
• Hinduism also influenced
philosophy
III: Islam and its Appeal
• Spread mostly through merchant communities
and via sufis (personal, emotional approach)
• Many converted, especially those in lower castes
• The Bhakti movement: cult of love and devotion
that tried to merge Hinduism and Islam -> not
really very successful
IV: The Influence of Indian Society in
Southeast Asia
• India had political and cultural impact on S and SE
Asia via merchant trading communities
• rulers used profits from spice trade to build and
consolidate power
– Borrowed elements from India: kingship with courts
and rituals, Hinduism and/or Buddhism, Indian lit.
– But, not the caste system and maintained native
religions
IV: The States of Southeast Asia
• For example: Funan: kingdom in Mekong delta,
– Adopted Indian political, cultural, and religious
traditions: “raja”, divine sanction, admin. and
bureaucrats, sanskrit for official business,
ceremonies and rituals, Hindu deities
• For example: Angkor: kingdom in Cambodia
– Hinduism, with later shift toward Buddhism
– Capital = Angkor Thom
IV: The Arrival of Islam
• 10th century: Muslim merchants from Arabia,
Persia, and India
• First, port cities and later, rulers, traders, and
others converted
– Elite converts often continued to honor Hindu,
Buddhist, and native traditions
– Islam helped rulers deal with merchants and gain
divine sanction
IV: The Arrival of Islam
• Kingdom of Melaka, 15th century
• Excellent location to control trade
– Navy protected sea lanes and forced ships to call at
port and pay taxes
• Sponsored missionaries to spread Islam
throughout SE Asia