Janisa and Rachel
Location:
Indus River
Harappa and Mohenjo Daro
Political:
Elements of centralized government in advanced
practices
Economic:
Neolithic agriculture; IOMS: active trade with peoples
of Sumer and Egypt by way of the Persian Gulf
Social:
Highly organized society  development of Caste
System in Hinduism
Technological:
Grid-like streets, houses with running water and
sewage systems
Writing system- still not deciphered
Standardized weights and measures; metal tools
City walls
Population and civilizations decline due to
environmental issues
Taken over by Aryans circa 1500 B.C.E.
Demographic:
Religious:
Animism; culture blends with Aryan beliefs to later
create Hinduism
Maurya
Political:
Economic:
Social:
Technological:
Demographic:
Religious:
Centralized, unified government; 1st to control all of
India
Founded by Chandragupta Maurya
Autocracy; large bureaucracy(taxes/census); strong
military
Most prominent ruler: Ashoka
Trade flourished along Silk Roads and IOMS
Traded with Mesopotamia and eastern portion of the
Roman Empire
Before: social unrest and divisions due to instability
After: social harmony under Ashoka (time of peace
and security)
Society followed edicts of Ashoka inscribed on
stones in each village (codified law)
Postal systems ;Irrigation systems; extensive system
of roads w/ rest areas; standard coinage;
shipbuilding; manufacture of weapons; expansion of
sciences and knowledge
Population increased during this time; partly due to
conquest of the majority of the peninsula
Empire becomes Buddhist under Ashoka (witnessed
violence in war, then encouraged religious tolerance
and non-violence)
Northern India
Political:
Economic:
Social:
Technological:
Demographic:
Religious:
Gupta
Government left to locals; no uniform laws  stability
and prosperity
Decentralized
Strengthening of trade between East & SE Asia; Silk
Roads in operation but vulnerable to nomad invasion
IOMS: adventurous merchants made voyage to Malay
peninsula and Indonesian islands to offer cotton,
ivory, metalwork, exotic animals in exchange for
Chinese silk and Indonesian spices
Caste System; Deterioration of women’s status (lost
right to inherit/own property; married younger);
society becomes increasingly patriarchal
Sati becomes widely practiced
Concept of zero, pi, infinity, decimal system, “Arabic”
numerals, smallpox vaccine, surgical sterilization,
plastic surgery, setting of bones; advances in
astronomy, Stupas, growth of Sanskrit; religious art in
Caves of Ajanta
Intellectual population grew
Mortality rate decreased due to medical advances
Hindu; Buddhism was tolerated
Caste system and influence of Brahmins reinforced
Northern India
Political:
Economic:
Social:
Technological:
Demographic:
Religious:
Delhi Sultanate
Rule centered in Delhi; extended power through
military conquest
Weak administration
Bureaucracy headed by sultan, aided by prime
minister and governors
Combination of traditional political practices with
Muslim law
IOMS thrived- Gujarat prospered during expansion of
trade of the Arabian Sea
India participated in trade with Middle East, Eastern
Europe, Africa, Southeast Asia
Encouraged agricultural production, trade, economic
growth
Social unrest due to destruction, enslavement, and
massacres at start of Muslim rule
Islam = egalitarian; Buddhists and Hindus of lower
castes attracted to Islam
Majority of India opposed Muslim rule
Syncretism of Hindu and Muslim culture
Built large reservoirs and canals
Urdu language created
Construction of the dhow (cargo ship used in IOMS)
Est. common currency
Increased cultural diffusion; migration of Persians,
Turks, and Arabs due to trade
Islam became a dominant religion of South Asia
1st Muslim empire to rule India
Religious tolerance- non-Muslims allowed to practice
their religion if they paid a special tax
Northern & Central
India
Political:
Economic:
Social:
Technological:
Demographic:
Religious:
Mughal Dynasty
Mughals (or Mogols) were Mongols who became
Muslims; Founded by Babur
*Greatest Leader: Akbar the Great (1560-1605)
Est. bureaucracy
Allowed Hindus to rise to positions of political power
Aurangzeb: Akbar’s grandson; religious intolerance
Allowed women to participate in the economy (market)
Encouraged long distance trade
Akbar eliminated tax on Hindus
Akbar encouraged cooperation between Muslims and
Hindus; strived for social harmony
Akbar patronized the arts
Elevated women’s status and improved treatment
Outlawed sati
Taj Mahal: tomb for Akbar’s wife, constructed by Shah
Jahan, dome, minarets, symmetry, reflecting pool
Art & Architecture: blend of Muslim with other
societies: miniatures, arches and domes, white marble
Modernized army
Population: 110-115 million
Largest Muslim empire in India
Religious tolerance
“Divine Faith”: blend of Muslim, Hindu, Zoroastrian,
Sikh, and Christian beliefs (created by Akbar)
Syncretism
British Imperialism
Political:
Economic:
Social:
Technological:
Demographic:
Religious:
BEIC controlled India for Britain in 1600s and 1700s; no
competition after Battle of Plassey in 1757- Britain victorious,
France defeated
British took control after Sepoy Rebellion (soldiers outraged by
animal fat in gun cartridges- went against religious beliefs)
British Raj
India was most profitable of British colonies
Britain depleted food supply, imposed high taxes
India provided raw materials and a new market for finished goods
Stratified society w/ Europeans in highest positions; English
became language of instruction in Indian schools
Outlawed sati
Hindu-Muslim conflict
New educated class of Indians with strong nationalist sentiment
 Indian National Congress
Modern infrastructure put in place
Telegraph lines to facilitate communication w/ Great Britain
Railroads to transport troops and raw materials; Indians not
trained to use new technology
British and American schools established
Improved medical care
Greater focus on the benefit of the British compared to natives
Increased feelings of nationalism  rebellions
Hindu-Muslim conflict
Events/People
Sepoy Rebellion1857
Indian National
Congress- 1885
Amritsar Massacre1919
Mahatma Gandhi
Salt March- 1930
India and Pakistan’s
Independence- 1947
Road to Indian Independence
British ordered soldiers to use gun cartridges greased
with pig/cow fat, which insulted both Muslims and Hindus
due to their religious beliefs. This led to a mutiny that was
quickly oppressed and the British government took direct
control of India as a colony.
A nationalist group formed by upper class Hindus who
sought to lower taxes. Members wanted a larger role in
the Civil Service, reductions in military expenses, and
alleviation of poverty. By the 20th century, the group was
calling for Indian self-rule.
In April 1919, in the border region of Punjab, a group of
Sikhs was peacefully protesting martial law. General Dyer
ordered troops to fire, leaving 400 dead and 1100
wounded. This resulted in world condemnation of
Britain’s presence in India. Gandhi ordered the British to
leave. *TURNING POINT
Gandhi worked for Indian independence peacefully. His
methods included civil disobedience, noncooperation,
and fasting. He did not support the nationalist movement
until the Amritsar Massacre. He led the Salt March.
Gandhi was assassinated a year after India gained
independence.
Gandhi marched 240 miles to the seas and claimed sea
salt as Indian property. This marked the Indian
Declaration of Independence.
The British were weakened by WWII and were more
concerned with rebuilding their homeland than
maintaining an empire. Also, Britain could no longer
justify imperialism, as the world viewed it as evil. India
achieved independence in 1947 and Pakistan became a
separate Muslim nation.