1. The History of India

2. Foundations Located in south Asia Also called the “subcontinent”
Neolithic communities developed after 7000BCE
Some then developed into societies
Earliest society was Dravidian, aka Harappan

3. Harappan Society Flourished along Indus River - 3000’sBCE
Cultivate wheat, barley and cotton
No evidence about government
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were two main cities:
Citadel, granary, temples, public buildings
Standardized weights, measures, bricks

5. Definite social classes Religious beliefs emphasized fertility
Society began to decline beginning in 1900BCE:
Ecological problems
Possible natural disaster
Began abandoning cities
Some cultural traditions remained

6. Aryans
As Harappan society declined, Indo-European group began migrating in c. 1900BCE
Their cultural traditions were very different from Dravidians
No writing system
Had oral works called the Vedas

7. Sacred language – Sanskrit
Daily (secular) language – Prakrit
Called Dravidians “dasas” – enemies
Indra was their war god

8. Most chiefdoms had a “raja” (king) Vedic Age – 1500-500BCE
Made up of chiefdoms
Most chiefdoms had a “raja” (king)
Vedic Age – BCE
Chaotic time period
Conflicts with Dravidians and other indigenous people
The Aryan and Dravidian cultures merged together

9. A Distinctive Society Aryan/Dravidian:
Regional states with rajas most common
Caste system – stablized society and foundation for religion
Religious beliefs – samsara, karma, and universal soul (Brahman)
Rich literary religious tradition based on oral transmissions of Vedas & Upanishads

10. Caste System Caste – hereditary, unchangeable social classes
Varna (color) refers to the social classes
Developed in late Vedic Age:
Brahmins (priests)
Kshatriyas (warriors, aristocrats)
Vaishyas (farmers, artisans, merchants)
Shudras (landless peasants, serfs)

11. Later added dalit (untouchables)
Considered below the caste system
More elaborate class system developed after 6th century BCE
Jati (subcastes) – determined by occupation
Must follow the rules of your jati (eating, communication, behavior)

12. Could move up the system (difficult but possible)
Usually because of group effort
Foreign people could find a jati

13. Patriarchal Society Patriarchal and patrilineal society
Lawbook of Manu
Moral behavior and social relationships
Men had to treat women with honor and respect
Women under control and guidance of men
Women’s duties: kids and home
Sati – sacrifice self for husband

14. Religion Aryan gods of sun, sky, moon, war, heath, disease
Ritual sacrifices were more important than ethics
Sacrifice to get rewards from the divine power
Changed c. 800BCE
Dravidian ideas of transmigration and reincarnation were adapted

15. Upanishads – works of religious teachings (800-400BCE)
Dialogues between disciples and sages
Brahman – universal soul
Samsara – soul born many times
Karma – what you do…….
Moksha – union with Brahman – escape from reincarnation (ultimate goal

16. All of this becomes Hinduism!!

17. Next comes
Classical India
520BCE-550CE

18. Mauryan Dynasty Alexander briefly occupied northern India
When he withdrew, it created power vacuum
Drew the Mauryan’s in

19. Used manual – Arthashastra – outlined administrative methods
Chandragupta Maurya began conquest in 320’sBCE
United India for first time
Well organized bureaucracy

20. Ashoka – greatest Mauryan emperor
BCE
Peak of empire
Capital Pataliputra
Policies written on rocks or pillars
Empire declined after his death – financial problems

21. In-between
After Maurya declined, India was mostly small regional states
Silk Road trading network developed during this time

23. Gupta Empire Founded by Chandra Gupta 375-415CE
Smaller and more decentralized than Maurya
Invasion of White Huns weakened empire
After 5th century – continued in name only

24. Mauryan & Gupta Life Towns provided manufactured goods
Active marketplaces
Trade with Persia, China, Indonesia, SE and Med Sea area

25. Patriarchal families
Female subordination
Child marriage
All a way to control women

26. With trade and commerce, new social groups developed
Artisans, craftsmen, merchants
These ware jati
Old beliefs/values of early Aryan society became increasingly irrelevant

27. Vardhamana Mahavira (Jina) founded a new religion in 5th c
Vardhamana Mahavira (Jina) founded a new religion in 5th c. BCE – Jainism
Inspired by Upanishads
Everything in universe has soul
Get rid of selfish behavior to obtain happiness
Ahimsa – nonviolence toward all living things

28. Lifestyle was too demanding
Not a practical alternative to cults of the brahmans
Jains didn't recognize castes and jati

29. Much better alternative was Buddhism
Developed c. 528BCE – first sermon
Four Noble Truths – Eightfold Path
Appealed to lower caste because it didn’t believe in caste system

30. Easier to practice than Jainism
Used vernacular languages
Holy sites developed – pilgrims
Developed monasteries – monks good at spreading and converting
Ashoka converted – helped spread it

31. Popular Hinduism: Mahabharata – secular poem to honor Vishnu
Ramayana – secular story of love between Rama and Sita
Bhagavad Gita – showed expectations of Hinduism & promise of salvation

32. People achieved salvation by meeting responsibilities of caste
Must lead honorable lives
Hinduism would gradually replace Buddhism
Buddhism was spreading along Silk Roads by early centuries CE

33. Merchants carried it through Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia by 1st century CE
Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia

34. Collapse of Centralized Rule
After Gupta, centralized rule dissolved
Small regional kingdoms
Harsha restored rule temporarily
But India then broke into different states

35. Islam in India Northern India area conquered by Muslims
Muslim merchants began forming small communities in coastal cities
Migrant Turks began converting to Islam – moved into Afghanistan

36. Sultanate of Delhi
Mahmud of Ghazni, Afghan Turk, began forays into India
His successors conquered the north in 1206
Established Islamic state known as Sultanate of Delhi
Lasted until 1526

37. Southern India Remained politically fragmented Relatively peaceful
Chola Kingdom ( ) ruled along coast
Their navy dominated the sea
Gave lots of local autonomy to villages

38. Vijayanagar (1336-1565) kingdom
Established by two Indian brothers sent south to make it Islamic
They reverted back to Hinduism
Kingdom remained small

39. Trade in Indian Ocean Monsoon winds controlled trade
Monsoon rains only rained in spring and summer
Irrigation systems needed for dry months

40. Agriculture surged
Population doubled by 1500
Urbanization increased
Self-sufficient in food
Metals and spices found only in certain areas

41. Hindu temples were economic and social centers
Temples had lots of land, many employees
Their administrators kept order and delivered taxes
Served as banks, engaged in business

42. Dhows and junks traveled in Indian Ocean
Emporia in port cities were centers of trade

43. Trade goods: Silk, porcelain – China Spices – SE Asia
Pepper, gems, pearls, cotton – India
Incense, horses – SW Asia
Gold, ivory, slaves – East Africa

44. India created the highest quality cotton textiles
Other industries included: sugar, leather, stone, carpets, iron and steel

45. Let’s jump to southeast Asia really quick

46. States of Southeast Asia
Indian merchants took Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam to SE Asia
Rulers adopted some Indian political traditions
Gov’t sponsored Hinduism
and Buddhism
Didn’t adopt caste
system

47. Funan: 1st to 6th century CE Lower Mekong River in Cambodia/Vietnam
Very wealthy because they controlled trade
Adopted Sanskrit

48. Srivijaya: 670-1025CE Established on Sumatra after fall of Funan
Controlled sea trade between China and India
Chola took their place in control of trade

49. Angkor 889-1431CE Built by Khmers at Angkor Thom (later Angkor Wat)
Built as Hindu
Turned Buddhist in 12-13th cent.
Thais invaded in 1431
Khmers abandoned it

50. Melaka: Islam brought to SE Asia Conversion was slow
Ruling elites converted
Rural people retained traditions
Islam not exclusive faith

51. Back to India

52. Mughals Babur (Turk) invaded from central Asia in 1523
Seized Delhi in 1526
Took most of India before his death in 1530
Islam firmly established

53. Akbar was greatest ruler
Smart, tolerant
Encouraged religious tolerance
Developed syncretic religion called “divine faith”
Emphasized loyalty to ruler

54. Jesuits visited, but Akbar not interested
Tolerated Sikhism – new faith combining Hinduism and Islam

55. Aurangzeb
Expanded empire to include almost the entire Indian subcontinent
Revoked policies of toleration
Hindus taxed and their temples destroyed
Religious tension and revolts broke out

56. Mughal Decline Economy began to stagnate Didn’t expand territory
Long, expensive wars
Taxes and corruption
Outdated weapons – European superior

57. British Take Over
English East India Company had been working in India for years
Took advantage of Mughal decline
Began conquest in 1750’s
Built trading cities and forts at Calcutta, and Bombay

58. Ruled with small British force and Indian troops called sepoys
Sepoy Mutiny in 1857 led to harsh crackdown
British imperial rule replaced the EIC in 1858

59. British viceroy and high level British civil service ruled
All foreign and domestic policy made by British
Indians had low level bureaucratic jobs
British intro’d production of tea, coffee and opium
Built RR and telegraph lines, etc
Didn’t interfere with culture or Hindu religion

60. Established British style schools for Indian elites
Outlawed sati
Cheap cotton
cloth hurt local
cottage
industries

61. Educated Indians began to develop strong nationalist feelings
1885 – they founded the Indian National Congress
To promote a greater role for Indians in their country’s government.

62. The World Wars
As a colony of Great Britain, Indians participated in all aspects of the war
After WWI, Indians wanted greater freedoms from British control
Gandhi began his Civil Disobedience Movement, Non-cooperation Movement and Salt March
1935 – GB passed the Government of India Act
Increased suffrage
Turned provincial gov’ts over to Indian leaders

63. Independence Muslim League formed - 1906
Began insisting on their own state of “Pakistan”
Supported by Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Gandhi and GB wanted India to stay whole
GB finally decided that in order to save lives, India should be split

64. India & Pakistan given independence in 1947
Millions had to move or were forced to flee
Hindus to India and Muslims to Pakistan
Pakistan divided into eastern and western regions separated by 1,000 miles of India
Civil war resulted in split
Pakistan and Bangladesh

65. Today India was nonaligned during the Cold War
Pakistan and India are still in conflict with each other
Especially over region called Kashmir
Both countries have also become nuclear powers