South by Southeast Asia 600 1450 Political Structures
South by Southeast Asia 600 -1450
Political Structures in Southern India • Since the fall of the Gupta, no single empire controlled the region for almost 1, 000 years • Chola Kingdom (850 -1267): Was a major player in the Indian Ocean Trade • Vijayanagar: Brought Hinduism back to Southern India, after first being Muslim.
Now on to Northern India • Himalayas protected India from invasions from the north, but Muslims constantly invaded from the west • Because Sind (the northwest region of India) was so far away from Dar al. Islam, it was never really in control • Eventually, Delhi was conquered and the Delhi Sultanate was founded • Never organized an efficient bureaucracy so policies were never really imposed, but they did have the jizya, but the smaller kingdoms played a major role
Trade in the Indian Ocean Basin (what they traded) • West-coast Indian cities like Calcut, Quilon, and Camby became centers of trade • India became known for it’s fabrics, cotton, high-carbon steel, and tanned leather • Malaysia was known as the Spice Islands • Swahili costal cities traded Slaves, ivory, and gold • China exported silk and porcelain… aka fine china
Monsoons and Sailing Tech • Used the Monsoon Winds in order to facilitate trade • Invented the Lateen Sales, Stern Rudder, which led to the small wooden dhows to dominate the seas during this era
Religion in South Asia • It was Islam vs. Hinduism: Islam = 1 god, geometric artwork, Hindu = many gods, images of gods. One has a cast system, the other doesn’t • Mahmud of Ghazni destroyed Hindu and Buddhist shrines as he tried to spread Islam, but discovered that Hindu and Buddhist subjects didn’t convert • Low castes in some cases converted, and other corrupt Buddhist monks led some to leave Buddhism behind
Interaction of Islam and Hinduism • Formed Sufis: mystics who did not focus on strict doctrines, instead emphasized individual personal connection • Led to Hinduism focusing on a more personal relationship to an individual god • Bhakti Movement: emphasized love and devotion to god, with poets like Mira Bai, and Guru Kabir
Social Structures • India’s caste system is it’s strongest historical continuity • Many who tried to escape a low caste failed to improve their status because higher jobs required more education, which converting to Islam didn’t help • Islam didn’t change the way women were treated
Cultural Achievements in South Asia • India scientific learning was translated into Arabic, such as algebra, geometry, and the Indian number system • Mosques built across India, such as the Qutab Minar • Urdu, a new language developed among Muslims in the region which is a blending of the grammatical pattern of Hindi, with the vocabulary of Arabic
Southeast Asia • Many things were introduced through trade such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics, Sanskrit, among others • Srivijaya (670 -1025) controlled the shipping hub from the Indian Ocean through China and became VERY wealthy
The Angkor Kingdom • Lasted more than 500 years • Kingdom was a mixture of Hinduism and Buddhism, which can be seen at the Angkor Wat temple
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