Northern & Southern India developed differently In North, lots of chaos – states vying for power Turks from central Asia invaded – Liked caste system – stayed and assimilated
King Harsha – temp. restored central rule – – Reputation of piety, kindness and scholarship – Unable to maintain rule – Local rulers had too much power – Was assassinated – no heirs
During chaotic time, in stepped Islam Entered two ways: – 1. Arab military in 711 in Sind – Umayyad then Abbasid HIN, BUD remained Infighting among Arabs allowed Hindu leaders to reassert their authority
– 2. Merchants brought Islam by land and sea Formed small communities in big cities Married local women Gradual and more effective than force
– 3. migrations and invasions of Turk speaking people from Central Asia Mahmud of Ghazni – Afghan Turk – b/w led several raids into India – Just wanted to raid, not control – Demolished many HIN & BUD sites – Established mosques
His successors conquered most of N. India Est. Islamic state known as Sultanate of Delhi – from – Raided into the South but never conquered – Depended on goodwill of HIN princes to carry out their policies
S. was politically divided Mostly escaped invasions, war, chaos Mostly small states – occasional fighting Two small kingdoms did est. rule for awhile
1 st – Chola Kingdom – ruled deep S. coast for over 4 cent. – Navy dominated S. China Sea to Arabian Sea – Did not have tight central state – Gave lots of autonomy to local and village gov’t As long as they delivered tax revenue to Chola
2 nd – Vijayanagar Kingdom – Sultanate of Delhi sent 2 brothers to bring under control – When they got there they est. their own state – Would stay in power until Mughal invaders in 1565
b/c of monsoons, irrigation was essential Huge reservoirs held rainwater Huge increase in agricultural production Population growth steady – Concentrated in cities
Trade grew even though no political stability Most regions self-sufficient in rice, wheat, etc. Regions specialized in iron, copper, salt and pepper Area prospered b/c of less war
In S. India, public life revolved around Hindu temples Temples organized agr. work, kept surplus, irrigation, lots of land – 100’s of employees – served as banks, made loans, invested in businesses – Worked with merchant guilds
India wealthy from trading around Indian Ocean Dhow – ship used by Indian, Persian and Arabs Junks – ship used by Chinese & SE Asians Spent months in distant ports buying and selling
India’s central location – good place for emporia and warehouses Lots of different religions in port cities Prosperity meant people wanted more valuable goods
In northern Ethiopia about 1 st century CE Replaced Kush (Nubia) as Egypt’s trading link to S. Africa Adopted Christianity In 6 th cent. they began expanding – took Ethiopia &Yemen Muslim Arabs tried to conquer and failed
All neighboring states were Muslim – fell out of contact with other Christians – developed differently Adulis was most prominent port in E Africa Traded with India and SE Asia Axum remained independent
Migration, Islam, economic development and urbanization put pressure on caste system It adapted and changed to fit new circumstances Became more complex Reached deeper into S. India
In absence of a strong central gov’t, caste system helped maintain order in towns Turks and Muslims gained recognition as distinct groups – Est. their own codes of behavior and punishments – Their descendants absorbed into Indian society
Arrival of Islam hurried the decline of BUD – Conquered and destroyed their areas – BUD became minor faith in its home country Hinduism benefited from this decline
Hinduism had a big growth of devotional cults – Esp. Vishnu (the preserver) and Shiva (the destroyer) – Liked the new cults b/c they promised salvation easier Venerated the gods by offering their images food or drink
Gradually attracted acceptance in merchant communities b/c traders took Hindu wives When Arabs conquered, they didn’t let Hindus in gov’t Gradually many Indians converted By 1500 – ¼ of people converted
Lower caste Hindus wanted to escape discrimination In Islam, all people are equal Most effective missionaries were Sufis – Their sincerity/devotion attracted converts