India & the Indian Ocean Basin

1. India & the Indian Ocean Basin

2. Introduction • Indian Ocean stories included visions of vast wealth through maritime trade • India was a distinct land w/ its own customs, while connected to a larger world of trade & communication from E. Africa – SE Asia & China (economic integration) • Port cities, network of sea-lanes & trading posts • India influenced SE Asia (not as dominantly as China in E. Asia) • Adopted Indian political organization • Hinduism & Buddhism spread (& Islam later) • India was politically disunited, but culturally united through Hinduism (although Islam spreads there)

4. India’s Muslim & Hindu Kingdoms • India was politically divided from the end of the Gupta (mid-6th century from White Hun pressure) until the Mughals united most of the subcontinent in the 16th century • Northern India • Local rivals & Turkish invasions – disrupted society while nomadic groups integrated into the caste system • Harsha – temporarily restored unified rule in northern India during the 7th century (even ambassadors w/ Tang China); Buddhist, but had religious tolerance; free health care; supported scholars & literature; no heir → disintegrated

5. Spread of Islam 814

6. Islam Expansion

7. India’s Muslim & Hindu Kingdoms (cont.) • Islam in Northern India • Sind (Indus River Valley) conquered by Umayyad, but population remained Hindu & Buddhist w/ local rule • Merchants spread Islam through settling in port cities • Turkish invasion – Mahmud of Ghazni • Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526) – mostly local Hindu princes who reported back to Islamic gov’t at Delhi • Southern India • Mainly regional Hindu rulers, but less warfare than north • Chola (850 – 1267) – navy & dominated trade in Indian Ocean; decentralized gov’t led to collapse (local autonomy w/ tribute) • Vijayanagar (1336-1565 in Deccan) – Hindu w/ Muslim trade

10. Indian Ocean Basin - Agriculture • Trade increased during the postclassical period because agricultural production increased, but the caste system remained the most powerful organizing feature of India • Agriculture & the Monsoon • The monsoon required careful agricultural planning to avoid drought & famine • Southern India utilized dams, reservoirs, canals, wells & tunnels to irrigate the land dependent on summer monsoon • Population grew from 53 million in 600 to 105 million by 1500 • Urbanization – Delhi had 400,000 during the 14th century, many other trading ports over 100,000

11. India’s Trade & Economic Development • Internal Trade • Regions were self-sufficient w/ staples of rice, wheat, barley & millet, but specialty crops only grew in certain regions • Ganges Valley – iron; Deccan plateau – copper; Coastal – salt; Southern – pepper, saffron & sugar; southern areas benefited more from trade (war disrupted northern areas while Chola had stability) • Cross-Cultural Trade/External Trade • Used monsoon winds even in classical period, but increasingly went away from shorelines w/ monsoon predictability • Dhows & junks – larger ships enabled larger cargoes (especially after Song Dynasty advancements – 1000 tons of cargo) • India was central to Indian Ocean trade – Cambay, Calicut & Quilon became cosmopolitan centers of port city trade

12. Specialized Production in the Indian Ocean Basin

14. Indian Ocean Dhow

15. Indian Ocean Dhow

16. Chinese Junk

17. Zheng He’s Ship – Chinese Junk

19. Hinduism’s postclassical influence • Temples served as economic & social centers – owned agricultural lands & provided employment, organized community agriculture, maintained surpluses, schooling for boys, kept order, delivered tax receipts to Chola, served as bankers & investors; i.e., crucial to economic health of India • Caste & Society – the caste system has been adjusted & adapted to accommodate migrations → increasingly complex & helped to maintain order in a society w/o strong centralized gov’ts • Jati (subcastes) often took the form of workers’ guilds and enjoyed political & economic influence • Caste system increased in southern India during the postclassical period through powerful temples & increased internal trade w/ northern India

20. India’s postclassical religions • Hindu & Islamic traditions increased, while Jainism & Buddhism lost followers during the postclassical period • Buddhist decline was hastened by Turkish invaders in the north when stupas & libraries were destroyed • Hinduism - pantheon of gods & spirits; predominant religion of the southern areas • Shiva & Vishnu became cult deities which promised salvation • Shankara (9th century) – only disciplined logical reasoning would lead to Brahman • Ramanuja – intellectual efforts less important than personal union with the deity w/ emphasis on Vishnu

21. Shiva as the four-armed lord of dancers – Shiva crushes a dwarf demon symbolizing ignorance

22. India’s postclassical religions (cont.) • Islam – strict monotheism; predominantly in northern areas • By 1500, ¼ of the population even though conquerors offered little incentive to convert (never given high gov’t posts) – mostly because lower castes hoped to escape discrimination (although in vain) • Sufis emphasized piety & devotion in India (therefore, similar to Hinduism) • Bhakti (12th century in southern India) – tried to combine Hindu & Muslim – Shiva, Vishnu & Allah were all manifestations of a universal deity, but was unsuccessful

24. India’s influence in SE Asia • Merchants introduced Hinduism, Buddhism, Sanskrit writings, Indian political organization (loose) & later, Islam • Did not incorporate the caste system • Continued to venerate indigenous deities & nature spirits • SE Asian rulers consolidated power through trade • Exporting: pearls, aromatics & animals skins • Importing: textiles, gold, silver & metal goods

25. Southeast Asia Postclassical

28. Angkor Wat, Cambodia

29. Schwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar