INDIA AND THE INDIAN OCEAN

BASIN

THE POST-CLASSICAL WORLDS OF SOUTH AND

SOUTH-EAST ASIA

THE MONSOON WORLDThe monsoons (rains in spring and summer)

Irrigation systems were needed for dry months – No big river in south India

– Waterworks included dams, reservoirs, canals, wells • Stored rain in large reservoirs connected to canals

• One reservoir of the eleventh century covered 250 square miles

Population growth– 53 million in 600 C.E.

– 105 million in 1500 C.E.

– Urbanization • New capital: Delhi

• Large port cities

NORTHERN INDIANorth India after the Guptas – India reverted to regional states– Constant tension and warfare among states– Nomadic Huns absorbed into Indian society

Harsha – Reigned 606-648 C.E. – Great general and good administrator– United region becoming emperor at 16– Great patron of Buddhist religion, literature but supported all faiths– An extensive writer whose reign was heavily documented by Chinese

Introduction of Islam to northern India – The Sind were conquered by Arab Muslims in 711 (Umayyad period) – Muslim merchants formed communities in major cities of coastal India

Turkish migrants and Islam– Most Turks convert to Islam in tenth century – Mahmud of Ghazn

• Turkish leader in Afghanistan, established a Muslim state there• Made expeditions to northern India

SULTANATE OF DELHIThe Sultanate of Delhi – Existed 1206-1526 C.E.– Numerous Turkish, Afghan Dynasties

Its Creation – Mahmud's successors conquered north India, 1206 – Called a Mameluk Sultanate as Turkish slaves formed aristocracy– Established an Islamic state known as the sultanate of Delhi– Nominally under Caliph’s authority but realistically independent – Sultans' authority did not extend far beyond the capital at Delhi – Generally tolerated non-Muslims as dhimmi if paid the head (jizya) tax

Economics– Introduced Monetary System at the province and district level– Built market centers in provinces to facilitate trade– Taxation on agriculture important – Introduced new crops and dug wells to increase production

Decline– Mongols and later Timur the Lame invaded, weakened– Fell to Mughals in 1520s

SULTANATE OF DELHI:MUSLIMSIN INDIA

SOUTHERN INDIA

The Chola kingdom – Mentioned 3rd c. BCE, 850-1267 C.E.– Politically divided but relatively peaceful

– Was a larger kingdom; ruled Coromandel coast

– At high point, conquered Ceylon, parts of southeast Asia

– Dominated waters from South China Sea to Arabian Sea

– Not a tightly centralized state: local autonomy was strong

– Strongly commercial and great prosperity

– Patronized Tamil Literature, Hinduism, temple building

The kingdom of Vijayanagar (1336-1565 C.E.) – Arose as a federation of states to impose Muslim invasions

– Strong administration with bureaucracy, secretariat, scribes, local feudal lords

– Caste system rigidly followed but all castes could participate in government

– Army was feudal but had an elite component under king including artillery

– Strong supporter of trade, commerce but agriculture critical

– Strong supporter of Hinduism, art, architecture, literature

CHOLA EMPIRE

VIJAYANAGAR

TRADE, DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHERN INDIA

Internal trade – Self-sufficient in staple food– Agriculture formed basis of strong economy – Rare metals, spices, special crops – South India, Ceylon experienced economic growth

Temples and society in south India – Hindu temples served as economic, social centers – Possessed large tracts of land– Hundreds of employees – Temple administrators maintain order, deliver taxes – Served as banks; engaged in business ventures

TRADE IN THE INDIAN OCEAN Ships Involved in Trade– Dwows – Arabic in origin– Junks – Chinese in origin

Indian port cities – Called emporia – Were clearinghouses of trade, cosmopolitan centers

Indians, Arabs, Chinese divided region into zones– One ethnic group controlled trade in each region– Exchanged goods at emporia, entrepot cities for other regional goods

Trade goods – Silk and porcelain from China – Spices from southeast Asia – Pepper, gems, pearls, and cotton from India – Incense and horses from Arabia and southwest Asia – Gold, ivory, and slaves from east Africa– Rice, wood were only staple goods traded

Specialized production – Production of high-quality cotton textiles thrived – Sugar, leather, stone, carpets, iron and steel

INDIAN OCEAN TRADE

COFFEESLAVESIVORYHORSESSILKSGOLDSTEEL

CLOTHYARNSILKSINDIGOPEPPERGEMS

ANIMALSDRUGS

SPICESTIMBERRICE

MEDICINES

SILVERLACQUERSILK

PORCELAINSUGARLUXERIESTEA

DEVELOPMENT OF HINDUISMReligious geography in India– Hinduism predominated in southern India (Deccan)– Islam in the north (Ganges-Indus River Plain)– Buddhism in Ceylon, foothills of the Eastern Himalayas– Tribal religions in the hills of Eastern India

Caste helped to integrate immigrants into Indian society – Caste and social change: guilds and subcastes (jatis) – Expansion of caste system, especially to southern India, Southeast Asia

Vishnu and Shiva (Brahma)– Decline of Buddhism benefited Hinduism – Development of Trimurti– Devotional cults

• Achieve mystic union with gods as way of salvation• Most popular were devotion to Vishnu and Shiva

Shankara– Philosopher (ninth century) – Preferred disciplined logical reasoning

Ramanuja– Philosopher (eleventh and twelfth centuries) – Devotion more important than understand reality

ISLAM IN SOUTH ASIAConversion to Islam occurred in slow, gradual way – Some converted for improving their lower social statuses – Often an entire caste or subcaste adopted Islam en masse – By 1500, about 25 million Indian Muslims (1/4 of population)

Sufis – Most effective missionaries, devotional approach to Islam – Followers observed old rituals, venerate old spirits – Emphasized piety and devotion

The bhakti movement – No distinction between Hinduism, Islam – Taught universal love, devotion

Guru Kabir (1440-1518)– Important bhakti teacher– Shiva, Vishnu, Allah were one deity– Gave rise to Sikhism

S.E. ASIAN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

ETHNIC MAPSOUTHEAST

ASIA

AGRICULTURE IN S.E. ASIA

EARLY SOUTHEAST ASIAIndian influence in southeast Asia – Indian merchants brought their faiths to southeast Asia– Hinduism and Buddhism established first– Islam began to arrive with merchants, Sufis after 1000 CE

Ruling elites of southeast Asia – Adapted some Indian political traditions

• Ruling patterns• Uses Indians as bureaucrats

– The states sponsored Hinduism and later Buddhism – Showed no interest in Indian caste system

Funan (first to sixth century C.E.) – In lower Mekong River (Cambodia/Vietnam)

• Semi-feudal government• Much local autonomy

– Drew enormous wealth by controlling trade• Adopted mercantilism as state philosophy• Established commercial monopolies

– Adopted Sanskrit as official language – Decline of Funan in sixth century

POST-CLASSICAL S.E. ASIASrivijaya (670-1025 C.E.) – Established on Sumatra after the fall of Funan – Maintained sea trade between China, India by navy – Relied heavily on taxation, regulation of trade

Angkor (889-1431 C.E.) – Kingdom built by Khmers (Cambodians)

• Two capitals Angkor Thom (Buddhism), Angkor Wat (Hinduism) • The city was a microcosmic reflection of Hindu world order• Famous for architecture and water technologies

– Immense wealth built on agriculture, rice surpluses– Centralized rule only near capital, feudal in farthest reaches– Turned to Buddhism during the twelfth, thirteenth centuries

• Originally Mahayana Buddhist• Later Theravada introduced from Sri Lanka

– Thais invaded the capital in 1431, and Khmers abandoned it

SRIVIJAVA:Hindu and Buddhist Blends

KHMEREMPIRE

ANGKOR WAT

ARRIVAL OF ISLAMMuslim merchants arrived in Sumatra

– Converted ruling elites in Aceh– Many benefits of working with merchants– Established strong contacts to India

Conversion to Islam was slow and quiet – Conversion restricted to cities– Rural residents retained their traditions – Islam was not an exclusive faith in southeast Asia – Sufis appealed to a large public in these countries– Strong syncretism and retention of Hinduism, animism elements– Insistence on strict Islam was ignored, resisted

Melaka was first powerful Islamic state– On Straits of Melacca – Power based on controlling trade in 15th century– Destroyed by Portuguese