Download SG#37 India and Southeast Asia

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Global Studies 1R
SG#37 India and Southeast Asia
The Aftermath of the Gupta Empire. After the fall of the Gupta Empire in
India, many kingdoms competed for control. In 606 the 16- year-old Harsha
Vardhana became king of a province north of Delhi, gradually expanding his
realm to include most of northern India. After Harsha died, the land splintered
into several kingdoms, with local dynasties fighting to dominate. By the early
800s, three major kingdoms fought for control. The Pratihara dynasty finally
emerged as the strongest state in northern India, but remained unable to
consolidate a centralized government.
The Coming of Islam. As the Pratihara dynasty weakened, rival Rajput clans
fought for control of northern India. This division made the area vulnerable to
outside invaders.
In 711, Arab forces seeking to expand Islam moved into western India.
Later the Turkish sultan Mahmud launched a series of raids that destroyed the
Pratihara dynasty and brought much of northern India into his empire. After
Mahmud’s death, there followed a relatively peaceful period, after which
another Muslim Turkish dynasty, the Ghurids, swept into India. The Ghurids
had a powerful military, and they captured most of northern India. Intolerant
of other religions, they almost completely stamped out the practice of
Buddhism in India. The new Muslim leaders established their capital in Delhi,
and the government became known as the Delhi sultanate. They established a
strong central government, but generally allowed Indians to maintain their
traditional customs. Delhi became a center of Islamic culture, drawing artists
and intellectuals from all over the Islamic world. A distinctive architecture
blending Indian and Muslim styles emerged, and a new language, Urdu,
developed, combining Arabic words with Sanskrit grammar.
Still there remained great differences between Islam and Hinduism.
Hindus honor many gods, while Muslims worship only Allah. The Hindu caste
system also conflicts with the Islamic belief that all people are equal. These
differences often led to violent conflict and remain a troubling issue in modernday India.
Indian Influence in Southeast Asia. Indian culture had a strong impact on
Southeast Asia, where Hinduism, Buddhism, the use of Sanskrit, and Indian
styles of architecture were prevalent. From around 850 to 1250, the most
powerful empire in Southeast Asia was the Khmer, in what is now Cambodia.
The Khmer constructed irrigation systems, roads, reservoirs, and hospitals. In
addition they built a grand capital at Angkor and located a famous temple
there, Angkor Wat. This temple, now in ruins, covered nearly a square mile
and was intricately carved with designs representing Indian religious beliefs.
The cost of building the temple, however, weakened the empire, and outside
invasions, most notably from the Mongols, eventually caused its downfall.
Indian culture also reached to the Srivijaya Empire on the island of
Sumatra. The empire ruled over the Philippines, Borneo, western Java, Ceylon,
and the Malay Peninsula. The leaders drew their wealth from controlling
overseas trade that passed through the Sunda and Malacca Straits. When this
international trade decreased in the early 1000s as a result of the collapse of
the Tang dynasty, the Srivijaya rulers lost their source of revenue. In the 1300s
the empire disintegrated altogether.
Although Indian influences remained in Southeast Asia, Islamic culture
was also a strong influence. As Muslim merchants moved through Southeast
Asia, they established Islamic states in Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, Borneo,
and the Philippines—areas where Muslim culture is still present today.
Malacca, on the Malay Peninsula, emerged as a trade center and became one of
the most important Islamic states in the area. Wealthy and powerful, Malacca
became a clearinghouse for goods from all over Asia, India, Africa, and Europe.
Answer the questions below in your own words and in complete sentence. Highlight your
evidence. Also read pages 317-320 in your textbook
1. What political events followed the fall of Harsha’s empire?
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2. What effect did the Muslim invasions have on India?
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3. What are some of the differences between Hinduism and Islam?
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4. What kind of cultural influence did India have on Southeast Asia?
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5. What kinds of improvements did the Khmer Empire make?
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