Notes 

Postclassical History of the Present-day Indian Subcontinent (1.3):

 

The Gupta dynasty was established between 240- 280 C.E in northern India, and is known as the Golden Age of Indian History. 

• After its gradual decline from the mid 1300s to mid 1500s, the northern part of India was in a state of chaos and a lack of unity. Portions of the earlier Gupta empire broke apart into smaller Rajput kingdoms based on clans. Conflict amongst these smaller states and their lack of centralized authority subjected them to attacks from Islamic empires. 

• Islam came to north India in the 11th century, causing conflict as the conquerors destroyed temples and Buddhist shrines to construct mosques. 

• These Islamic forces went on to capture Delhi and create the Delhi Sultanate, which lasted nearly 300 years from the 13th to 16th centuries. Some locals converted to Islam for upward social mobility, while others despised it due to factors like the jizya (which was a tax imposed on non-Muslims). 

South India and the South Indian empires during the Postclassical era tended to remain more stable. 

• Such empires include the Chola dynasty (850-1267) which extended up to Ceylon in present day Sri Lanka. 

• The Vijayanagara empire (1336-1646) originated from the term "victorious city" and was established by two brothers, Harihara and Bukhara who came from the Delhi Sultanate. 

• In Delhi, the two brothers converted to Islam for upward social mobility, but adopted Hinduism again after creating their own empire.

Sultans did hope to invade South India, but threats from the Mongols diverted their attention elsewhere. Eventually, in 1526, the Mughals (ethnically Turkic leaders of Mongol origin) did colonize South India. 

 

Religion in Southeast Asia:

 

The term proselytize means to actively seek converts. After Muslim control was established in the Indian Ocean Basin (IOB), many officials hoped to expand their religion. Despite this, sultans knew that forceful conversions would not be effective. 

• This led to the encouragement of voluntary conversions, and many Muslim merchants in the IOB would marry inter-faith and promote conversion. 

• Other low-caste Hindus converted to Islam to escape the social caste system, as did many Buddhists who were fed up with monk corruption that left the religion in disarray.

Although the caste system had Hindu origins, it remained to be a phenomenon in Islam as Muslims often found a role in this societal system based on their occupations.  

 

Both Islam and Hinduism directly influenced one another in many ways. Arabic numerals, Indian math, and the concept of algebra diffused between both cultures. Arab architecture encompassed the Indian landscape, as is seen with the Qutab Minar. 

 

Within the Hindu faith came the Bhakti movement originating in South India during the 12th century, which prioritized emotion in spiritual life, attachment to a deity over blind studying of religious texts. This movement made Hinduism accessible to all people, regardless of gender or caste, helping spread the religion to a larger audience. 

 

Similar to the Bhakti movement was the Sufi movement in Islam which focused on inner reflection. 

 

Southeast Asian Empires:

 

South Asia influenced their neighboring Southeast Asian neighbors (including nations like Cambodia and Vietnam) through commerce. Indian merchants had been trading with these populations for centuries, and while trading goods like gold, silver and spices, also spread the ideologies of Hinduism and Buddhism.

 

Examples of Sea-Based Empires include: 

• The Srivijaya Empire which was a Hindu Kingdom based on Sumatra and made money by taxing ships travelling between India and China. 

• The Majapahit Empire which was a Buddhist Empire based in Java and profited through its control of trade routes. 

 

Examples of Land-Based Empires Include:

• The Sinhala Empire based in Sri Lanka, which became a Buddhist worship place as many Buddhist priests became advisors to the monarchy. 

• The Khmer Empire: Located along the Mekong River, had effective irrigation and drainage systems in place which generated wealth. This empire in particular is known for its Hindu temples and Buddhist sculptures, depicting cultural syncretism especially through its Angkor Wat Buddhist temple.