1. Islamic Influence in West Africa and India 1200-1450
Chapter 13

2. West Africa

3. Arrival by Trade Muslim traders across Sahara Voluntary
Ghana, Mali (Mansa Musa ), Songhay
Provided link to Muslim trading partners

4. West African Cities Became centers for religious and intellectual life
Attracted scholars throughout Muslim world
Timbuktu
150 Quranic schools
Libraries
Arab became language of religion, education, administration, and trade (did not become language of everyday life)
Did not experience large amounts of Arab migrants like North Africa and the Middle East

5. Ibn Battuta (1325-1354) Muslim scholar from Morocco
Explored Muslim world
Central Asia, India, China, Southeast Asia, West Africa, and Spain
Most widely traveled man of his times
A lot of what we know from this time period is from his journals

7. West Africa
Ibn Battuta appalled at Mali Muslim women who were “almost naked” and “mingling freely with unrelated men”

8. India

9. Islamic Turks
Turkic speaking warriors from Central Asia brought Islam to India
Third largest carrier of Islam, after Arabs and Persians
Began around 1000 – Turkic/Muslim regimes governed much of India until British takeover in 18-19th centuries

10. Sultanate of Delhi - 1206 Violent takeover
Smashed Hindu and Buddhist temples
Stole Indian treasures
Used crossbows, horses, and iron stirrups as superior technology to Indian peoples
As their rule progressed, they loosened control
Religious toleration if paid tax

11. Little Conversion
Never able to claim more than 20-25% of Indian population (unlike Middle East, North Africa, & Persia)
WHY - Islam most rigidly monotheistic, while Hindu probably most prolifically polytheistic, Muslim notion of equality of believers contrasted with Hindu castes, & Muslim sexual modesty offended openness of Hindu art
Some Buddhists and low-caste Hindus were attracted to more egalitarian lifestyle
Some converted to avoid the tax