Describe How Islam Impacted The Social Structure Of South Asia

Delhi sultanate

1. Reigned for 300 years, from the 13th through the 16th centuries
2. Imposed a tax called the jizya on all non-Muslim subjects of the empire
3. Never organized an efficient bureaucracy in the style of the Chinese. Because of this, sultans had difficulty imposing their policies in a land as large and diverse as India.
3. Sultans wanted to extend their rule southward. They became focused on themselves from an invasion by the Mongol army from the northwest. This Sultanate prevented the Mongols themselves from conquering South Asia. In 1526, the sultans lost power to a new empire, the Mughals, whose leaders did trace their ancestry to the Mongols.

Jizya

The tax that the Delhi Sultanate imposed on all non-Muslim subjects of the empire.

Proselytize

1. Actively seek converts
2. Islam wanted to do this, but found out that forcing their Hindu and Buddhist subjects to convert was unsuccessful.

Caste system

1. Caste system defines the social rank of individuals.
2. People thought converting to Islam would improve their status
3. Islam did not have a huge impact on India's caste system

Qutub Minar

1. Stands in the southern part of Delhi
2. Example of Islamic architecture built during the Delhi Sultanate
3. Towers over the mosque and is a gigantic leaning tower, the tallest structure in India today.
4. Historians still debate the reason for its construction. However, one clear function is its presence as a symbol of Islamic influence and, at one point, dominance of northern India.

Bhakti Movement

1. Starts in the 12th century. Hindus began to be drawn to teachings about the importance of emotion in their spiritual life.
2. They focused on developing a strong attachment to a particular deity instead of emphasizing on studying texts/performing rituals.
3. Began in southern India
4. Was especially appealing to a lot of believers because it didn't discriminate against women or people who held a lower social status.
5. Mira Bai: one of the most famous figures of this movement, female
6. The bhaktis were Hindus, but were similar to Sufi Muslims.
7. Sufi and bhaktis both were mystical movements, emphasized inner reflection in order to achieve a direct personal relationship with a deity. Each appealed to people outside their traditions because of how they didn't focus on the strict rules to traditional rituals and beliefs.
8. Bhaktis helped spread Hinduism.

Angkor Wat

1. Rulers of the Khmer Empire constructed the majestic Buddhist temple complex of this
2. Ruins of it still stand

Most South Asians practiced which religions before the arrival of Islam?

Hinduism (large # of people) and Buddhism (small # of people)

Summarize the main differences between Hinduism and Islam.

1. Islam is monotheistic, while Hinduism is polytheistic (pray to many gods).
2. The artwork and temples of Hindu are replete with pictures of deities. Muslims disapprove of any visual representation of Allah.
3. Islam always calls for the equality of all believers. Hinduism was associated with a hierarchical caste system.
4. The Muslims look only to the Quran for spiritual guidance. Hindus use/recognize numerous sacred texts.

The arrival of Islam was at first forceful, as Muslim rulers tried to force Hindu and Buddhist subjects to convert. This was unsuccessful, which led to voluntary conversion. Who voluntarily converted and why?

Islam emphasizes on the equality of all believers, so this attracted low-caste Hindus who hoped that conversion would improve their social status. The largest numbers of converts to Islam were Buddhists. Buddhism was left unorganized because of corruption among the monks and raids on monasteries by early Muslim conquerors.

Describe how Islam impacted the social structure of South Asia.

- Islam's arrival did not alter the basic structure of society very much.
- Muslim merchants and migrants, not Hindu, found a place for themselves within the caste hierarchy based on occupation.
- Subcastes based on occupation operated like worker's guilds
- Many of those who tried to leave the hold of the caste system failed. The low-caste Hindus who converted to Islam as a way to climb up the social ladder usually did not achieve that goal. It required more education and opportunities for better jobs to help someone escape their low social status in life, not just a new religion.
- Islam did not change gender relations greatly. In South Asia, women of Hinduism were confined to a separate social circle, and women of Islam had similar treatment. In Southeast Asia, women enjoyed more independence prior to the arrival of Islam. This continued as people converted to Islam. Converts in South and Southeast Asia found ways to satisfy a new faith, but most people did not reject their traditions in the process.

Describe how Islam interacted with and impacted South Asian culture.

- The South Asian culture and Islam culture interacted well.
- They shared their cultural and intellectual achievements with each other. For instance, Arab astronomers and mathematicians added to the knowledge begun by their Indian counterparts. Indian growth in algebra and geometry were translated into Arabic and spread to Dar al-Islam. The numeral system referred to in the West as "Arabic numerals" actually originated in India.
- In India, sultans erected buildings and combined the artistic details of Hindu art with the geometric patterns preferred by Islamic architecture. Delhi is filled with examples of Islamic architecture built during the Delhi Sultanate.
- ^^ one example is the Qutub Minar
- Urdu was developed (new language among Muslims of South Asia and is the official language of today's Pakistan). Urdu combined the grammatical pattern of Hindi and the vocabulary of Arabic and some elements of Farsi.

How did Islam spread to Southeast Asia? Why did many in Southeast Asia convert?

- The first Southeast Asian Muslims were local merchants (converted in the 700s), hoping to have better trading relations with the Islamic merchants.
- Sufis did their missionary work in Southeast Asia. Due to Sulfis tolerance for local faith traditions, many people felt comfortable converting to Islam because they were still allowed to honor local deities.

How is South Asia characterized politically after the collapse of the Golden Age (Gupta Dynasty)?

Due to competition among clans, no centralized government arose, demonstrating the diversity and regionalism of South Asia. Lack of centralized power left the kingdoms vulnerable to Muslim attacks.

Chola Dynasty (850-1267)

- Reigned over southern India for more than 400 years (850-1267)

- The dynasty extended its rule to Ceylon (today's Sri Lanka), the large island just south of India.

Vijayanagara Empire

- Took its name from the word for "the victorious city"
- Began with the arrival of two brothers named Harihara and Bukka, both from the Delhi Sultanate.
- They were sent to the area because the Delhi wished to extend its rule to southern India.
- The men had been born as Hindus and converted to Islam for upward mobility.
- When they left the region controlled by the Delhi, they embraced the religion of their birth and established their own Hindu kingdom.
- Downfall: a group of Muslim kingdoms overthrew it

Rajput Kingdoms

After the fall of the Gupta Empire, these kingdoms started to form in northern India and present-day Pakistan. These were Hindu kingdoms led by leaders of various clans who were often at war with one another. The lack of a centralized power left the kingdoms vulnerable to Muslim attacks.

Delhi Sultanate (13-16th centuries)

- Intertwined Hinduism and Islam (dominated the political history of the era)
- Some Hindus converted to Islam and others resented Muslims.
- Delhi imposed a tax on all non-Muslim subjects of the empire.
- Played a role in India's decentralized political landscape.

What countries today correspond with the region of Southeast Asia?

Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam

Srivijaya Empire (670-1025)

1. Hindu kingdom
2. Based on Sumatra
3. Built up its navy and flourished by charging fees for ships traveling between India and China

Majapahit Kingdom (1293-1520)

1. Based on Java
2. Had 98 tributaries at its height
3. Sustained its power by controlling sea routes
4. Buddhist

Sinhala Dynasties

- Power from control over land
- In Sri Lanka
- Had roots in the arrival of early immigrants, most likely merchants, from north India.
- Big Buddhist culture--- The island became the center of Buddhist study and devotion. It was so deeply embedded that Buddhist priests often served as advisors to the monarchs.
- Downfall: Attacks by invaders from India and conflicts between the monarchy and the priests

Khmer Empire/Angkor Kingdom (802-1431)

- Situated near the Mekong River
- Did not depend on maritime prowess for its power
- Its complex irrigation and drainage systems led to its economy thriving.
- Prosperous kingdom in Southeast Asia
- Irrigation allowed farmers to harvest rice crops multiple times a year. Drainage systems decreased the impact of the heavy monsoon rains.
- Its capital was Angkor Thom. The temples there displayed the variety of Indian cultural influences (Hindu artwork and sculptures of deities)
- Eventually, Khmer rulers became Buddhist and they added Buddhist sculptures and artwork to the temples without destroying any of the Hindu art.