NOTES: The Mughal Empire in India



NOTES: The Mughal Empire in India (chapter #2, section #3)The Mughal Empire brought Turks, Persians, and Indians together in a vast empire. The legacy of art and social division by the Empire still influences modern southern Asia. Pre-Mughal Indialate 5th century the Gupta Empire fell to the Hunsearly 8th century Muslim warriors from Central Asia who were descendants of Turks and Afghans divided northwestern India into many small kingdomsthey called themselves the Mughals (Mongols); descendants of Timur the Lame and Genghis Khan. Early Mughal EmpireEarly 8th century: long period of fighting between the Hindus (native people of India) and the Muslims (conquerors of India).Year 1,000- Turkish armies led by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni moved into India and began 17 campaigns to conquer the territory.The attacks weakened India and devastated the citiesDelhi became the capital of the Delhi Sultanate (loose organization of Turkish warlords) who treated the Hindus as a conquered people. Delhi Sultanate (13th-16th centuries): 33 different sultans ruled from Delhi.1398- Timur the Lame destroyed Delhi; it was rebuilt but it would not be until the16th century that a ruler could unify the empire. Babur (1496): 14 year old Babur inherited a kingdom in modern-day Uzbekistan and Tajikistan;It was quickly taken away from him by political rivals but Babur raised an army and then laid the foundations for the Mughal Empire.Golden Age of the Mughal EmpireAkbar (“Great”): grandson of Babur; ruled India from 1556-1605 (49 years)Military Conquests:Equipped his armies with heavy artillery; extended his rule into the Deccan plateau and appointed conquered people to political office (enemies became allies)- unified a land of more than 100 million people. Liberal Ruler: ***cultural blending***Allowed for religious freedom married Hindu princesses without forcing them to convert to Islam and allowed them to practice their faith in the palaceabolished the tax on Hindu pilgrims and non-Muslims (jizya)appointed a Spanish Jesuit to tutor his sonMade the tax system more fair and brought in more money for the empireGoverned through a bureaucracy of officials (natives and foreigners could all rise to high office)Would give large land grants to his bureaucrats but would take it back upon their deathCulture: Welcomed influences from many new cultures (art, education, politics, language were all affected by cultural blending)Persian (language of the court and high officials)Hindi (language of the people, derived from Sanskrit- one of the most widely spoken languages in India today)Urdu (“language of the soldiers”- combo of Arabic, Persian, and Hindi; official language of Pakistan today). Arts and Literature: Miniatures (highly detailed book illustrations) Many books were written chronicling the story of Akbar as well as ancient Indian stories. Architecture: “Akbar Period Architecture” Massive, graceful structures with intricate stonework that depicts Hindu themes Example- Fatepud Sikri (capital city) Other Mughal Rulers:After the decline of the Mughal Empire, Western nations would influence the region (Portuguese, Dutch, French, English) ................
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