1. South Asia: India
Periods 1-6

2. Period 1- Indus River Valley
Now –dry desert but historically lush landscape (ex of change in environment)
Monsoon rains caused flooding in rivers-brought rich soil down river (like Nile, Tigris & Euphrates)
Independent cities-
Civilizations based on agriculture:
wheat, rye, peas, rice, cotton
Many domesticated animals
On trade route with China, SE Asia, India
Extensive job specialization
Craftsmen not as advanced as Egypt or Mesopotamia-no swords
Urban planning-streets, sewage system, varied house size suggests class structure
Written language not deciphered
Examples of independent cities:
Mohenjo-Daro
British found settlement when building a RR across India 1850s
Spoke Dravidian Language-
Conquered by Aryans (Indo-European group)- but probably already on the decline
Harappa- no sign of invasion

3. Development of Caste System
Caste-social class of heredity-usually unchangeable
Continuity for South Asian culture and social structure throughout periods 2-6
Generally South Asia is more loyal to social system than to political leaders
Explained through creation myth (think archetype through many cultures!)
Brahmim- highest social class-priests, scholars
Kshatriya-warriors and gov officials
Vaishya- landowners, merchants, artisans (in other cultures the landowners are the nobles and of high status)
Shudra- common peasants and laborers
During period 2 Caste system becomes more complex divided into sub-systems Jati
Little contact among jati

4. Religions of South Asia
Hinduism
Began pre 600 BE with Vedas- religious texts passed down from conquering Aryans
Rig Veda- most important of texts
Central beliefs-
Reincarnation-rebirth of soul so that human spirit (atman) could eventually join the universal spirit
Polytheistic
Primarily remained in India
Buddhism
Founded in India 6th century BCE by Siddhartha Gautama
Left life as prince to seek meaning of life & experienced enlightenment
Central beliefs
Anyone can attain Nirvana (union with universal spirit
Nirvana can be reached through study of Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path
Spread on trade routes and became universalizing faith along with Islam & Christianity
China (though Scholar Gentry destroyed temples), Japan, Southeast Asia
Islam comes in period 3 with the Delhi Sultanate!

5. Period 2-Mauryan Empire
Politically fragmented-decentralized (unlike Rome, Han empires)-
Geography separated
Culture separated-
Religion-people more loyal to Hinduism than gov
language
Ashoka--third ruled or Mauryan empire
Wealthy-empire sat on trade routes
Large army (like Rome & Han) conquered most of India
Converted to Buddhism—looked to peace of religion
250 years after Ashoka India returned to decentralized state-which lasted 500 years

6. as Confucianism holds East Asia together
Period 2-Gupta Empire
Founder- Chandra
Not as large as Mauryan
Never as centralized as Mauryan
No bureaucracy
Drew tribute from local leaders—local warriors had a lot of independence
Example (along with Persia) of theatre state- awing subjects into remaining loyal to king
Royal palace=Pataliputra
Hinduism will hold South Asia together even after fall of Period 2 empires
as Confucianism holds East Asia together

7. Indian Ocean Trade Route
Linked Southeastern China to Africa--Three legs of route
Southeastern China to southeast Asia
Southeast Asia to eastern coast of India
Western coast of India to Red Sea and eastern coast of Africa
Used different ships than in Mediterranean
Lateen sail-triangle to handle rough winds of Indian Ocean
Like Polynesians
Dhow ships (esp in period 3)
Products
Ivory from India, Africa & Mesopotamia
Spices from ME, India, SE Asia
Silk and porcelain from China
Dominated by Arabs
Becomes even more important once Silk Road stops at end of Period 3

8. Period 3 Islam begins in ME (Mecca & Medina) in Period 3
Universalizing faiths (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism)
Open to everyone-anyone can achieve salvation unlike Hinduism which only the highest caste reaches reunion with universal spirit
Especially appeals to poor
Spread along trade routes by merchants
Islamic Empires in ME, North Africa, Iberia, South Asia
Political organization-
Caliph- ruler in charge of government and religion
Strong bureaucracy- Vizier led & kept impeccable records on Chinese paper
Economically-
link their empires
value merchants—formation of guilds
encourage trade
Culture-
religiously tolerant though non-Muslims pay taxes Muslims do not
spread technology & learning(remember yearly pilgrimage to Mecca spreads ideas among all Muslims)-medicine, arabic numerals [from India], disease

9. Period 3

10. Period 3-Delhi Sultanate
Afghan warlords invaded India to take advantage of weak state and spread Islam –est Delhi Sultanate
Created Islamic empire in northern India with large bureaucracy
Religiously tolerant of Hinduism (general theme of Islamic empires)
Encouraged merchants who spread Islam
Many Sultans, while they did not convert to Hinduism, adopted Hindu dress and customs including caste hierarchy
Unlike Africa where elites converted to Islam, Hindu leaders strictly opposed to Muslims and remained separate
Mounting tensions between Hindus and Muslims in India

11. Period 4 (1450-1750) Rise of Gunpowder Empires
Used new technology from East Asia (China) to build military-especially large armies based on artillery
Examples: Russia, China (Ming &Qing), Japan, Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal
Height of Islamic power in Middle East/South Asia
Ottoman, Safavid & Mughal on the decline by 1750

12. Mughal Empire (Period 4)
Babur (descendant of Timurlane/mongol) invaded India 1523 creating Mughal Empire
Muslim Leaders over primarily Hindu population= religious tension (continuity in South Asia from periods 4-6!)

13. Akbar’s rule in Mughal Empire 1556-1605-Empire at height
Politically-
autocrat over strong military and religion
No navy (like Safavid)-must rely on Europeans to trade goods by water (cotton, indigo, silk)
Economically- trade overland, esp cotton to Europe where demand for cotton high
Social Structure- patriarchy
Muslim women veiled
Purdah- esp upper class women confined to home
Sati- Hindi women throw selves on husband’s funeral pyre
Child marriage for Hindus
Culture-
monumental building-mosques, schools, palaces (Taj Mahal built by Shah Jahan to honor his wife), new capital (Fatehpur Sikri) abandoned at Akbar’s death
Religious tolerance- Akbar tried to create new “Divine Faith” to reconcile Hindu and Muslim-unsuccessful, outlawed Sati but culture more powerful than gov (like footbinding in China)

14. Decline of Mughals like most gunpowder empires by 1750
Sikh rebellions in 18th century
Constant warfare-expenses of army- hard on treasury
Local leaders (historic problem of South Asia) plotting against him
European waiting to take over—Esp Great Britain & France

15. Similarities Ottoman Safavid Mughal
Political
Autocratic, political & religious control, gave land grants to nobility, relied on gunpowder
By 1750 all in decline
Large Army AND Navy
No navy
Economic
Economies based on agriculture
Suffered from inflation from influx of New World silver (disadvantage compared to Europeans)
By 1750 all in economic decline
Istanbul- link of east and west in trade
Navy could move goods
Rely on Europeans for trade by water
Social
All patriarchies (purdah, veiled women), rulers wives had some influence
Sati, caste system among masses
Culture
All Muslim, all encourage arts (domes, calligraphy)
Sunni
Shi’ite
Persian influence
Masses Hindu

16. All Period 5 Continuities apply to South Asia
Continuity
South Asia
World dominated by western civilizations, which based their power on technology of Industrial Revolution
Great Britain controlled South Asia first economically then post Sepoy Rebellion, both politically and economically
Built infrastructure: roads, RRs, telegraph
Industrialization altered economy- cities grew, people moved from rural to urban, environment changed, pollution increased
Britain created unnatural economy in India where producing raw materials that cannot sustain a people (cotton instead of food) then sent raw materials to GB to be refined
Politically, British Parliamentary model grew
India adopted British parliament but controlled by British rather than locals
Inequality, among both individuals and states, reform movements attempted to address it. Slave systems dismantled
Indians second class citizens (have to get off sidewalk when British pass) Low wages in textile mills
Period 6- movement led by Gandhi for independence

17. Imperialism in South Asia
Imperialism- European nations are expanding their sphere of influence in order to gain raw materials and markets for finished goods
Aided by Industrial Revolution
Need for raw materials for European factories
Need of labor to gather raw materials from colonies
Technology to move raw materials (RR, steamboats)
Technology to conquer
Guns & artillery
Telegraph to communicate quickly
medicine to move into tropics-Ex:-quinine to prevent malaria
Aided by Social Darwinisn- belief that Europeans were better than native populations and therefore had a duty to control and educate natives in western ways

18. British Raj-early Period 5
Europeans made agreements with local leaders of Mughal empire (nawabs) to establish trading posts along coasts
Europeans staffed posts with company men who were aided by local sepoys (Indian troops)
British East India Company centered in Calcutta- British then controlled Bombay-expanding their economic interests at expense of Mughals and other Europeans
By 1818 English established British Raj- economic control of large parts of India while local Indian princes ruled politically
Sepoy Rebellion convinced British they needed to expand their control to political and economic
Cultural conflict between Christian British and Hindu & Muslim Sepoy soldiers who believed the bullet casings of British weapons contained animal fat
British put down rebellion and est direct rule of India

19. British Imperial Rule in South Asia
Politically- India brought into British empire with British governor (viceroy) and Indian Civil Service staffed by British to administer
Britain set up bureaucracy to rule India which took most power from the local princes
British claimed Indians could hold positions in Indian Civil Service but examinations were held in Britain
Economically
created unnatural economy transferring farmlands to cash crops (cotton, opium, tea, silk and sugar)
Positively, British built infrastructure of India to facilitate industries (railroads, canals, steamboats)
Culturally
Guaranteed religious toleration, Tried to ban sati
Improved cities by adding sewage systems-limited spread of cholera and lowered death rates
Western style schools for Indian elite (unwanted side effect was the desire for rights from Enlightenment like Rammodhun Roy and Indian National Congress), spread language

20. Changing Labor Systems
As slavery declined in period 5, Imperialist nations recruited poor in their colonies to become indentured servants to work in areas where needed additional labors– great example of
Migration
Indentured Servants worked a set number of years (5-7) in exchange for their passage—form of forced labor
Examples:
Indian migrants to rubber plantations in Southeast Asia, South Africa and the Pacific
Chinese laborers to work on sugar plantations in the Caribbean, gold mines in South Africa and Australia, railroad construction in America and Peru
Japanese and Chinese to sugar plantations in Hawaii,
Africans to sugar plantations in Caribbean

21. Social Structure during Imperialism
Europeans remained segregated from native populations-especially women and children
Lived in enclaves of all Europeans
Knew Indians only as servants and nannies
Indians
Europeans opened schools- increased literacy and education for men and elite women
Second class citizens unable to achieve highest ranking positions, laws segregating societies
Social Darwinism- pseudo science reinforces differences in Europeans and natives

22. Period 6- Decolonization
Rising Nationalism- desire for independence and self determination
Independence groups formed in India during WWI
Indian National Congress
Muslim League
During WWI- Britain promised India that if Indians supported war movement that Britain would move toward independence
Britain gave some local powers to Indians but kept India a colony in empire– British repressed opposition movements

23. Gandhi (Mahatma- “great soul”)
English educated attorney but showed his empathy for poor by wearing simple, handmade cotton clothes
Advocated self determination through non-violent means (civil disobedience)
Led 80 mile march to sea to protest British monopoly on salt (necessary for food preservation)
Fasted, but could not solve problem between Hindus and Muslims
Did not get along with Muslim leaders-Muhammad Ali Jinnah-advocated separate Pakistan
Disagreed with his successor, Jawaharlal Nehru- supported modern industrial India
Assassinated 1948

24. Independence for South Asia
Post WWII, Britain’s Labour Party agreed to Indian independence
1947 agreed to partition South Asia into two states: Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan
Chaotic transition to independence-followed by rioting, 12 million leaving ancestral homes, 500,000 dead
Kashmir-though part of India, had large Muslim population—led to continued fighting and series of wars between India and Pakistan
Arms race between the two with both getting nuclear weapons
Still tension in the region