Click here for hook video 1500-1700 (India) The mughal empire
HISTORY OF INDIA IN 1400S Very lush country with many cities & temples Hindu lower classes labored for Muslim/Hindu masters Gupta Empire collapsing 1st Ottomans (Timur the Lame) conquers New Delhi, then… Huge clash between Hindus (India) & Muslims (Ottomans) Hindus won Delhi is destroyed and weak
BABUR 1494 – 11 yr. old boy, BABUR, inherits kingdom northwest of India But elders drove him away He moved south & later set groundwork for Mughal Empire Strong & sensitive leader; “Renaissance Man” Defeated massive RAJPUT army (“sons of kings” or Turkish warlords & moved into Delhi Area weak, so nomadic people invade India, called Mughals or “Mongols” (Muslim)
AKBAR: THE GOLDEN AGE Grandson of Babur; aka “Great One” 1556 – 1605: comes to power, gains land & builds a unified Mughal Empire – Golden Age He is a Muslim
AKBAR’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS, SLIDE 1 Rules with religious tolerance Abolishes special taxes on non-Muslims Bureaucracy of educated officials rules efficiently Reorganized taxes to represent % of crops (more $) War-like – armies are equipped with heavy artillery Employs some potential enemies Strongly utilized composite bow & arrow weaponry
AKBAR’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS, SLIDE 2 Strongly utilized new weapons of war: Composite bow & arrow horse archery Damascus Swords Rockets War Elephants
MUGHAL COMPOSITE BOW AND ARROW HORSE ARCHERY Video
DAMASCUS SWORDS Video
ROCKETS!! Video
WAR ELEPHANTS Video
AKBAR’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS SLIDE 3 Cultural diffusion – many cultures/languages combined Upper class spoke Persian Common people spoke Hindi (Persian & local language) Army people spoke Urdu (Arabic, Persian & Hindi) book illustrations – miniatures were detailed, colorful stories library & schools architecture – massive, graceful, decorated with stonework of Hindu themes
JAHANGIR Akbar dies in 1605; his son rules aka “Grasper of the World” weak ruler & relied on his wife, NUR JAHEN Raises taxes & neglects people Persecutes Sikhs religion that blends Buddhism, Hinduism, & mysticism Ended religious toleration
SHAH JAHAN Secured the throne through assassination of all rivals Greatest accomplishment: built TAJ MAHAL as a tomb for his deceased wife, Mumtaz Mahal BUT country suffered because spent so much time & money to build it increased taxes
TAJ MAHAL VIDEO
Specs of the Taj Mahal Video
AURANGZEB Shah Jahan is sick so 3rd son, AURANGZEB, takes throne (kills brother & puts S. Jahan in prison) EXPANDS MUGHAL EMPIRE TO ITS GREATEST SIZE BUT empire is weak because of oppression of his people (harsh laws & destroys temples)
EMPIRE’S DECLINE & DECAY Long line of weak rulers Mughal Emperor now only a wealthy figurehead Empire no longer united because of corruption; now a bunch of independent states
EUROPEANS MOVE IN TO TRADE Europeans (Portuguese, Dutch, French, & English) had trading outposts set up in Mughal Empire the whole time Mughals were not threatened by them Aurangzeb gave them port of Bombay big mistake , BIG important city for trade in the future. TRADE: British wanted Indian textiles, mostly COTTON & SPICES
Crash Course Video Summarizes the Mughal Empire’s leaders: Akbar and Aurangzeb https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbuM0aJjV gE