MMW 13 Lecture 7, April 23

Today’s Lecture

India and the Indian Ocean Basin

The Song Modernity & (briefly) the Ming in East

Asia

April 28 Tuesday

The Americas and Oceania

April 30th

Afro-Eurasia and Americas

Expanding Horizons of Cross-Cultural Interaction (The

Case of Hemispheric Pandemics)

Post-Gupta India (320-550

C.E)

Southernization

India and the Indian

Ocean Basin

A collage

Collage of micro-cultures, cultures that had their own

autonomy and yet intermingled with others.

1000-1500

Civilization of India (and China) more “advanced” than Europe

India faced a series of invasions:

Islamization (from Central Asia)

European colonialism (18th century)

India’s regional divide Unlike China, no centralized imperial power.

North-South divide

North: unstable

Rajputs (“kings sons”)

A Hindu warrior caste

Chivalry, courage culture

South: stable, though highly

fragmented.

dependent

on the sea

I. Society and caste

Village as a political unit

Caste and Political

Society Caste System: social stratification found in the

Vedas

system as social classes based on

hereditary groups (bloodline or kinship ties), divided into sub-categories

Brahmins: highest priestly class

Kshatriyas: ruling military elite

Vaishyas: agriculture and cattle-rearing; landowners, traders…even money lenders

Shudras: lowest and largest caste group, service workers, unskilled workers, even slaves

Dalits (The untouchables)

Outside of the caste system

167 million Dalits in today’s India

Caste Function

Division of labor, especially for foreigners and migrants

● established codes of conduct for behavior which helped people order their work and their relationships with others in the same or other classes.

● Subcasts (jati): worker’s guilds.

● Merchants and manufactures organized powerful guilds.

“Caste System”

Gender

patriarchal system was prevalent

but women enjoyed a position of respect and reverence

Religious institution: gift giving, public active participation

in temple life

Hindu Temples

Economic centers.

Organized agricultural

activities.

● Provided schooling

● delivered tax receipts to

the Hindu rulers and did

other community activities.

Sati

Kerala:

Southwestern India

Practiced Polyandry, a marriage of one woman to several

husbands.

SOUTHERN KINGDOMS:

HINDU STATES

• Chola Kingdom (850-1267) expanded because of sea trade, dominated South China Sea and Arabian Sea.

• Gave considerable autonomy

to local rulers.

● Traded with the Chinese.

● spread the cultic

aspects of the Hindu

religion

Chola Empire 850-1279

CE

Arab Trade with the

Subcontinent

Hoysala Empire (1026-

1343)

Vaishnava temple at

Somanathapura

Vijayanagar

(1336-1664)

Deccan Plateau

Harihara and Bukka: later converted to Hinduism and promoted the

religion as a unifying factor.

Vijayanag“City of Victory”

Centralized: Rajya (Provinces)

Hampi:

Village; temple

II. Economy

1) Agricultural production: with the increase in agricultural yields, people began to trade more and manufacture goods (rather than produce food).

2) Network of sea-lanes and port-cities:

a) Innovation in maritime technology

b) Trade brought water management systems for irrigation (in the south)

Oceanic Trade

Dhows and Junks

Emporia:

Manufacturing:

cloths, textiles, pottery, leather goods, and jewelry

Agriculture & irrigation

Southern India: arid land without rivers like the Indus or the

Ganges.

Dams, reservoirs, canals, wells and tunnels.

Reservoir: Artificial lakes (250 square miles).

Therefore: Rise of agricultural

goods and population!!!

Urbanization

By 1500 the subcontinent had a population of 105 million.

1) Internal Trade:

a) Rise of cities led to an increase in

b) trade: caravan and sea routes (coastal towns like Calicut and Quilon flourished).

2) Maritime trade:

Lucknow

Rajput dynastic orders

Emerged in political importance in the 7th century

Landowners and patrilineal clans in central and

northern India

Descendent of warrior ruling class, but in reality

varied in class status

Islam and the Indian

subcontinent Mahmud (971-1030) ruler of a Turkish dynasty based at

Ghazni in eastern Afghanistan

1001 the first of numerous invasions of modern day Pakistan

1041 Kashmir

1025 Hindu, Buddhist and Jain kingdoms of Nagarkot, Thanesar, and Ujjain,

but left them as vassal states

Sultanate of Delhi

(1206-1526) Five dynasties, four with Turkish origins

Qutb al-din Aibak (1206-1210)

Muhammad bin Tughluq (1325-1351)

Islam Appeal: egalitarianism & pragmatic (to improve their economic

situation).

Sufism (& Hinduism)

a) Mysticism: Divine as self.

b) Spiritual Authority: Pir and Guru

● Cross-fertilized sects

The Bhakti Movement: Southern India.

a) Cult of love and devotion.

b) Fused with Islamic values (as moved to the north)

c) Shiva, Vishnu and Allah were all manifestations of a single deity.

Shi’i Islam

Sikhism

Make a note

India’s contribution, in terms of religion, in

terms of economics, in terms of trade,

CANNOT be detached from

Buddhism

624 BCE

Nepal; formerly parts of India (Lumbini)

Tang Dynasty (618-907)

The Silk Road revived

Chinese maritime presence

Southernization

Xuanzang (d. 664)

What role did Tang China play

in the Eurasian world?

1) Technological advancements: woodblock printing text

2)The Mongols adopt their advanced urban civilization and spread it

across Eurasia.

3) Cosmopolitanism: cross-fertilization of cultures and religions.

Song (960-1279

Restored unity in China and made China the richest, most populous civilization

Economic cultivation through

Agricultural production

1279 conquered by Kublia Khan

Accomplishments

Banknotes

Developed revolutionary new military technology: Gunpowder

Deployment of compass

Movable printing press (Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127)

Tang-Song China Legacy

1) Revival of centralized imperial order.

2) Spread of religions and ideas.

3) Expansive market-based economy (not agricultural)

4) Major technological and industrial advancements.

What did the Song NOT do?

1) Major economic and technological advancements did not lead to

revolutionize Chinese society? Because it was already self-sufficient.

2) Technology to sail the seas: lacked incentive to sail the world.

3)Despite commercial expansion, kept merchants out of major

industries.

4)4) Peaceful relations with neighboring nomadic societies: big mistake!

Mongols…