India in the Indian Ocean: Trade and Culture

Aug 3, 2024

India in the Indian Ocean Basin - Chapter 15

Introduction

  • Post-Classical period: No long-lasting imperial authority in India (unlike China and the Islamic world).
  • Regional kingdoms were common.
  • Indian society influenced South and Southeast Asia through Indian Ocean trade.
  • Spread of Indian political organization, religion, and economic practices.
  • Key developments:
    • Dramatic agricultural growth led to population growth and urbanization.
    • India became a major clearinghouse for products via maritime trade.
    • Islam spread to India, becoming a primary religion for a quarter of the population.

Post-Gupta Period

  • Gupta Dynasty collapse (mid-6th century), leading to chaos and regional power struggles.
  • Invasion of Turkish nomads via the Khyber Pass.
  • Turks assimilated into the caste system.

King Harsha

  • Ruled 606-640 CE.
  • Buddhist, religiously tolerant, generous, and a patron of the arts.
  • Temporarily unified North India, but no successor after his assassination.

Introduction of Islam

  • Arabs conquered Sindh (711 CE).
  • Sindh became a fringe of the Islamic world under the Abbasid dynasty.
  • Trade networks fostered spread of Islam.
  • Mahmoud of Ghazni led raids into India (1001-1027), plundering Hindu and Buddhist temples.
  • Established Sultanate of Delhi (1206-1526).

Southern Hindu Kingdoms

  • Chola Kingdom (850-1267 CE): Maritime power, autonomous regions.
  • Kingdom of Vijayanagar (mid-14th century to 1565 CE): Initially supported by Delhi Sultanate, renounced Islam in 1336.
  • Hinduism remained dominant in southern India due to the distance from Islamic North.

Indian Economy and Trade

  • Agricultural and trade growth led to population increase.
  • Monsoon seasons impacted agriculture; reservoirs, canals, and tunnels for irrigation.
  • Trade network extended across the Indian Ocean, facilitating significant economic development.
  • Emporia (cosmopolitan port cities) became trade hubs, comparable to modern Walmart.

Cultural and Religious Changes

  • Decline of Buddhism due to Turkish invasions; rise of Hinduism and devotional cults (Vishnu and Shiva).
  • Growth of bhakti movement, which aimed to blend Hinduism and Islam but was largely unsuccessful.
  • Sufi missionaries facilitated Islam’s spread in a more personal, emotional manner.

Southeast Asian Influence

  • Indian influence from 500 BCE; adaptation of Indian kingship, religion, literature, and caste system.
  • Early states: Funan, Srivijaya, and Angkor.

Key Aspects to Remember

  • No centralized imperial rule in post-classical India; regional kingdoms instead.
  • Continual cultural, religious, and economic development despite political fragmentation.
  • Influence of Indian society extended through trade and religious conversion.

Review Questions

  1. Explain the reasons behind the quest for centralized imperial rule and the introduction of Islam to northern India.
  2. Compare and contrast the Hindu kingdoms of southern India.
  3. Describe the key aspects of agriculture in the monsoon world.
  4. Outline the features of trade and economic development in southern India.
  5. Identify important aspects of cross-cultural trade in the Indian Ocean basin.
  6. Discuss connections between caste and society in post-classical India.
  7. Compare the expansion of Hinduism and Islam in post-classical India.
  8. Compare the influence of Indian civilization within Southeast Asian states.

Writing Assignment

  1. How did India manage to exert significant influence on other cultures in the Indian Ocean basin without long-term centralized political institutions?
  2. Was the caste system in India during the post-classical era rigid or flexible?
  3. How did Islam become so prevalent in Indian society compared to Buddhism and Hinduism?

Recommended Video

  • BBC's "The Story of India" - Ages of Gold with Michael Wood.