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Chapter 12 Asian Empires. Lesson 1 Empires of Asia. Asia. Asia is the largest continent on Earth. Covers 1/3 of the Earths surface Asia is a land of contrast Most Asians live in river or mountain valleys or near seacoasts. Mostly they farm or fish. The Mogul Empire.
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Chapter 12Asian Empires Lesson 1 Empires of Asia
Asia • Asia is the largest continent on Earth. • Covers 1/3 of the Earths surface • Asia is a land of contrast • Most Asians live in river or mountain valleys or near seacoasts. Mostly they farm or fish.
The Mogul Empire • As learned in unit 2 the Gupta dynasty unified northern India in 320 A.D. • From 455 to 1500 many invaded India including the Huns and Muslims. • In 1526 a Central Asian leader named Babur seized power in parts of Northern India. • Marks the beginning of the Mogul Empire.
The Mogul Empire Cont. • Babur’s grandson, Akbar, was the greatest Mogul emperor • He reigned from 1556 to 1605 and conquered most of India. His capitol was Agra, home to the Taj Mahal.
The Mogul Empire Cont. • To keep the empire unified he had to make his non Muslim subjects happy. • Reformed and strengthened the central government • Organized the Empire into provinces, districts, and villages. Each with its own administration, or government officials. • Helped both the nobles and the farmers with his reforms. • Nobles were allowed to keep their families’ territories in return for recognizing Akbar as emperor, pay taxes, and giving soldiers when needed.
The Mogul Empire Cont. • His tax collection was also very unusual. His land tax was equal to 1/3 of the value of the crops produced on the land each year. • Also it was applied to every member of the empire, nobles and peasants.
From Rise and Fall • Mogul emperors were Muslims ruling a largely Hindu nation. • Under Akbar some Hindus served as generals, governors, administrators and clerks. • Because Muslims and Hindus could work and live peacefully the Mogul Empire became one of the most powerful and richest.
From Rise and Fall Cont. • Taj Mahal was built by Akbar’s grandson Shah Jahan. • It was built to honor the memory of his wife, Mumtaz. • His son, Aurangzeb, took over in 1658 and was a harsh ruler.
From Rise and Fall Cont. • Aurangzeb forced Hindus and other non-Muslims to pay a special tax. He destroyed many of their temples and tried to force many to convert to Islam. • As a result people of Western India rebelled, followed by Southern India. • By 1700’s Mogul rule was limited to the area around the city of Delhi in Northern India.