POST CLASSICAL INDIA: TOP 10

 

10. The Bhakti movement sought to erase distinctions between Muslims and Hindus.

9. An Islamic state in northern India was established known as the Sultanate of Delhi.

 8. Specialized production, such as cotton textile production, began to take root.

7. The caste system provided stability and helped Turkish integration into society.

6. Islam was introduced to India and began to secure a place in society.

5. As the popularity of Islam increased, Buddhism began to decline.

4. As trade increased in the area, India acted as a clearinghouse for goods and developed cosmopolitan centers.

3. India expanded its sphere of influence to the surrounding areas of Southeast Asia.

2. Agricultural production increased, which lead to population and urban growth.

1. Unlike other post-classical societies, India had no central imperial authority. Instead it had regional kingdoms.

 

Quotations:

"Since the island of Ceylon is in a central position, it is much frequented by ships from all parts of India and from Persia and Ethiopian and it likewise sends out many of its own."

 

"The kings of various places in India keep elephants ... They may have six hundred each, or five hundred, some more, some fewer ... The kings of the Indian subcontinent tame their elephants, which are caught wild, and employ them in war."

 

" ... It receives silk, aloes, cloves, sandalwood, and other products, and these again are passed on to markets on this side, such as Male, where pepper grows, and to Calliana, which exports copper and sesame logs and cloth for making dresses, for it also is a great place of business."

 

-All of these quotes were taken from a work titled The Christian Topography.

The author was a Christian monk from Egypt who lived during the 6th century.

 

Summary Paragraph

India is an important post-classical society because in respect to political organization, India differed from that of other classical societies. India did not experience a return of centralized imperial rule such as that provided by the Tang and Song dynasties, the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties, and the Byzantine Empire. This decentralized organization made it easier for imperialistic forces, such as Great Britain, to take over later. The vigorous commerce of the Indian Ocean basin influenced the structure of economies from East Asia to east Africa. Like other post-classical societies, India underwent cultural changes, which in turn impacted the surrounding areas. During this time, India was an active member in promoting cross-cultural communication and exchange.

 

Kristen Zipperer, 2006