chapter 15 Flashcards
In regard to political structure, post-classical India…
…developed no single centralized imperial authority
Why did the Gupta Dynasty collapse?
The White Huns invaded in 451 CE
Islam reached India by all of the following routes except
A) Conquest by Arabic invaders
B) Missionaries sent by emperor Harsha
C) Islamic merchants
D) Migrations from Turkish-speaking peoples from Central Asia
B) missionaries sent by emperor Harsha
The presence of the changing monsoon winds ensured what?
It ensured that irrigation was necessary in arid southern India.
India was a natural location for the establishment of emporia because of what?
Its central location in the Indian ocean basin
What do the designs of the Khmer temples at Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat show?
They show the influence of both Hindu and Buddhist traditions
During the Indian postclassical age, the caste system became what?
It became securely established in southern India for the first time
What role did Hindu temples play in southern India?
They played an important role in the agricultural and financial development of Southern India
The kingdoms of southern India were mainly…
Hindu
The first southeast Asian state to reflect Indian influence was centered on its capital port city of Oc Eo. What was its name?
Funan
The temples of Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat were built by the rulers of what kingdom?
Khmer Kingdom
In 711, the northern Indian area of Sind fell to which dynasty?
Umayyad dynasty
Who were the brothers who founded Vijayanagar?
Harihara and Bukka
Funan dominated the lower reaches of which southeast Asian river?
Mekong
What were the Delhi sultans unable to do?
Expand their control beyond Northern India
“Vijayanagar” means…
“City of victory”
Which of the following states was most heavily influenced by Islam?
A) Vijayanagar
B) Melaka
C) Angkor
D) Funan
B) Melaka
What was Paramesvara known for?
He founded the kingdom of Melaka
After the collapse of the Gupta dynasty in the fifth/sixth century, India would not be completely reunited until the…
16th century
What Indian concept did NOT become popular in the southeast Asian states influenced by India?
Caste system
From 53 million in 600 C.E., the population of India rose by 1500 C.E. to…
105 million
The words “One should engage himself in singing of Me, praising Me . . .,” are drawn from what ninth-century Indian document?
Bhagavata Purana
By around 1500 what portion of the total Indian population was Muslim?
~1/4 (25/26 million)
The biggest difference between Melaka and the other states influenced by India was that Melaka…
…became predominantly Islamic.
Who were the two most important deities in the Hindu pantheon?
Vishnu and Shiva
In 802, what gift did Charlemagne receive from the Abbasid caliph, Harun al-Rashid?
an elephant named Abu al-Abbas
Besides restoring the centralized, imperial, unified rule in most of Northern India, what else did Harsha do? (3 things)
He built hospitals and provided free medical care, patronized the arts, & regularly shared wealth with the people
Besides the assassination leaving no heirs, why did Harsha’s kingdom collapse? (2 things)
- Unable to restore permanent centralized rule
- Local rules established authority too securely for Harsha to overcome them
How did Mahmud’s raids impact Buddhism?
They hastened the decline of the religion and replaced the sites with Islamic shrines (buddhism↓, islam↑)
What century was the high point for the Sultanate of Delhi?
14th century
10th century shipmaster, Author of Book of the Wonders of India, tempting readers with visions of vast wealth that could be made through maritime trade
Burzurg Ibn Shahriyar
A scholarly Buddhist emperor who temporarily restored imperial authority to northern India before falling victim to an assassin
King Harsha
Turkish leader in Afghanistan, he was a ruthless warrior who mounted many raids into India killing thousands while plundering for wealth
Mahmud of Ghazni
An Islamic state that dominated northern India from the 13th to the early 16th century
Sultanate of Dheli
A wealthy state that dominated trade and controlled deep southern India from 850 CE to 1267 CE
Chola Kingdom
The southern coast of Eastern India
Coromandel
The dominant independent kingdom in southern India from 1336 to 1565, founded by brothers who renounced Islam and returned Hinduism
Vijayanagar
Time during the spring and summer where warm, moisture-laden air from the SW brings most of India’s rainfall
Monsoon
Large merchant ships favored by Indian, Persian, and Arab sailors
Dhows
Chinese merchant ships that could carry as much as 1000 tons of cargo
Junks
Business establishments that specialize in products or services on a large scale
Emporia
Located in the northern highlands of Ethiopia in the 1st century CE, it traded gold, ivory, and slaves to the eastern Mediterranean and Indian Ocean basin
Axum
Rigid classes within Indian society that established individual’s roles and relationships to others
Caste System
Preserver god of the Hindu pantheon who would observe the universe from the heavens
Vishnu
Destroyer god in the Hindu pantheon but also the god of fertility
Shiva
Brahmin philosopher in the 9th century devoted to Shiva whose belief was that the physical world was an illusion
Shankara
Brahmin philosopher during the 11th and early 12th century devoted to Vishnu whose belief pointed to a Hindu theology of salvation and personal union with Vishnu
Ramanuja
Emerging in southern India in the 12th century, it became a cult of love and devotion that sought to erase the distinction between Hinduism and Islam
Bhatki Movement
Famous bhakti teacher who claimed Shiva, Vishnu, and Allah were all manifestations of a single, universal deity
Guru Kabir
A ruling state between the 1st & 6th centuries that became enormously wealthy by controlling trade between China and India
Funan
Kingdom based on the island of Sumatra from 670-1025 CE, controlling all trade in southeast Asian waters
Srivijaya
A kingdom built by the Khmers in Cambodia lasting from 889-1431 CE founded to reflect the Hindu world order but later turned to Buddhism
Angkor
Buddhist kingdom arising on the island of Java from 1222-1292 CE that prospered from maritime trade
Singosari
Kingdom dominating maritime trade in southeast Asia from 1293-1520 CE based on the island of Java
Majapahit
When was the Sind passed to the Abbasid dynasty?
750 CE. It was held until 1258.
Which temple was Mahmud of Ghazni notable for destroying in 1025 CE?
Somnath, the Hindu Temple of Gujarat
How many sultans out of 35 were assassinated during The Sultanate of Delhi’s reign?
19
What are some characteristics of the Chola Kingdom? (Territory, econ/trading, political system, religion)
- Controlled southern India
- Wealthy trading state, maritime power
- Not highly centralized
- Hindu religion
During the dry season caused by monsoons, what were constructed to preserve water? (4 things)
Reservoirs, canals, dams, tunnels
What products were traded throughout India?
iron, copper, salt, pepper, saffron, and sugar
what products were indian regional economies self-sufficient in?
rice, wheat, barley, & millet
What type of products did Emporia encourage/develop?
Specialized products (cotton, high-carbon steel, etc)
What kingdom did Axum replace as an Egyptian link to the south? What did they destroy?
Kush Kingdom, they destroyed the capital of Meroë around 360 CE
What was the original purpose of the Caste system?
To keep Dravidian people enslaved and Aryan people in power
What were the five major Castes developed in India?
- Brahmans (priestly & learned)
- Kshatriyas (warriors & rulers)
- Vaisyas (farmers & merchants)
- Sudras (peasants & laborers)
- Panchamas (untouchables)
How did the caste system work? (movement, marriage, religious/spiritual)
- No movement between castes
- Intermarriage between different castes was forbidden
- Only reincarnation and death can move a soul up or down
- Karma determined a person’s position in the next life
Describe karma & it’s role in reincarnation/caste system
- Influences reincarnation (good karma –> “higher” being)
- Good behavior moves you up, bad behavior vice versa
- Karma motivated people to obey by the laws of society
Describe Moksha in the Hindu religion
- The equivalent of “Heaven”
- Reincarnation ends here, spiritual perfection
Along with Buddhism, what other religion lost much of their following?
Jainism
What notable building did Muslim forces destroy in 1196, that hastened the “collapse” of Buddhism?
Library of Nalanda.
What did the brahmin philosopher Shankara believe? (3 things + who he was inspired by)
- Believed knowledge led to salvation
- The physical world is an illusion
- Rigorous logical analysis over emotional devotion
- inspired by Plato
What did the brahmin philosopher Ramanuja believe? (1 thing + what he challenged)
- Moksha can be reached through personal union with Vishnu (Hindu theology of salvation)
- Challenged Shankara’s emphasis on logic
(Laid philosophical foundations of contemporary Hinduism)
Was the bhakti movement successful or unsuccessful in uniting Hinduism and Islam?
Unsuccessful
What are examples of Indian Influence in SE Asia? (faith, politics, economy [business], arts)
- Spread of Indian faith (hinduism)
- Spread of indian politics (Kingship, positions of bureaucrats & administrators)
- Sanskrit used for official business
- Indian literary classics (Ramayana and Mahabharata)
What pass did Nomadic Turkish-speaking people use to take advantage of the chaos in the north and become absorbed into society?
Khyber pass
True or false: The Book of Wonders of India was written by an Indian trader. It was an accurate source on Indian history and provided details for overland trade routes to India
False: Buzurg ibn Shahriyar came from Persia, and it included many tall tales about India (not accurate).
Besides differing in religion, compared to the south, northern India was more…
turbulent and chaotic
True or false: Islam spread in India through both Turkish migrations and Arab expeditions.
True
True or false: The Chola kingdom and the Vijayanagar kingdom both imposed centralized, imperial rule in southern India
False. Both kingdoms followed decentralization of power.
Agriculture of the Indian subcontinent relied on what (5 things)?
- Monsoon rains
- Irrigation systems
- Reservoirs
- Dams
- Canals
According to the account of Cosmas Indicopleustes, southern India and Ceylon were what, during the sixth century
They were great markets for imports and exports.
Besides religious purpose, what else did Hindu temples serve as? (3 things)
- Large land owners and banks
- Educational institutions (schools)
- Irrigation organizers
(Economic & social centers)
True or false: Slaves from central Asia were common trade commodities
False: slaves did not come from central Asia.
The kingdom of Axum prospered from trade coming through where?
Its port city of Adulis
What did merchants and manufacturers integrate into the caste system to become more powerful?
Guilds
True or false: Invasions of India by Turkish Muslims hastened the decline of Buddhism because Muslim rulers banned Buddhism.
False. The invaders looted and destroyed Buddhist stupas and shrines to hasten the decline, and nobody specifically placed a ban on the religion
True or false: Shankara and Ramanuja were two brahmin philosophers who worshipped different Hindu gods but generally had similar ideas of personal salvation.
False: their ideas were vastly different. Shankara believed that knowledge is the only way to achieve salvation, while Ramanuja believed in personal union with Vishnu
Islam in India had a strong appeal to members of lower castes because of what?
Islam promised the spiritual equality of all believers.
Was the bhakti movement launched in south or north India?
The south
The capital of Angkor state collapsed after who invaded? When was it rediscovered and by who?
The Thais invaded. It was rediscovered in the mid-nineteenth century by Europeans.
