Medieval IndiaMedieval IndiaMedieval IndiaMedieval India

Medieval Indian DynastiesMedieval Indian DynastiesMedieval Indian DynastiesMedieval Indian Dynasties

�Gupta Era: 320-550 ce �Huna Invasion: 455-528 ce �Kushan Era: 5th -7th c. ce �Hindu Dynasties: 3rd-15th c. ce �Rajputs: Western India 7th -12th c. ce

�Muslim Invasions: 7th-11th c. ce �Delhi Sultanate: Northern India 12th-16th c �Mongols under Tamerlane sack Delhi 1398-99

�Vasco da Gama reaches India: 1498 �Mughal Empire:1526-1858

HinduismHinduismHinduismHinduism Sanatana DharmaSanatana DharmaSanatana DharmaSanatana Dharma

“The Everlasting Way”“The Everlasting Way”“The Everlasting Way”“The Everlasting Way”

OM that which hath no beginning or end

Hinduism:Hinduism:Hinduism:Hinduism: allallallall----embracing structure of thoughtembracing structure of thoughtembracing structure of thoughtembracing structure of thought

� All creation linked in huge web of being

� Transmigration of souls through various life forms

� Proper behavior linked to purgation and renewal

�Dharma: the duty of the believer

MonotheismMonotheismMonotheismMonotheism

• God is Infinite. • The Infinite manifests in billions of ways. • Hinduism believes not only in One God, but also in His

Supreme Personality. • This personality is manifested in different forms

around us and within us perpetually. Therefore, the Infinite manifests in billions of ways to help mankind visualize the Divine Being.

• This belief of Hinduism is often confused with polytheism.

• That the Supreme can be worshipped in any form is a unique concept in Hinduism.

• Hinduism recognizes multiple forms of the one God.

Hindu Concept of TimeHindu Concept of TimeHindu Concept of TimeHindu Concept of Time

� The transcendence of time is the aim of every Indian spiritual tradition.

� Time is often presented as an eternal wheel that binds the soul to a mortal existence of ignorance and suffering.

� "Release" from time's fateful wheel is termed moksha.

� Hindus believe that the universe is without a beginning or an end .

� The universe is projected in cycles. � Each cycle is divided into four yugas

(ages of the world). Shiva dancing

BRAHMAN: Universal PowerBRAHMAN: Universal PowerBRAHMAN: Universal PowerBRAHMAN: Universal Power ATMAN: Individual Manifestation of the ATMAN: Individual Manifestation of the ATMAN: Individual Manifestation of the ATMAN: Individual Manifestation of the

Universal SpiritUniversal SpiritUniversal SpiritUniversal Spirit

Brahman is the indescribable, inexhaustible, omniscient, omnipresent, original, first, eternal and absolute principle who is without a beginning, without an end , who is hidden in all and who is the cause, source, material and effect of all creation known, unknown and yet to happen in

the entire universe.

Major Hindu Major Hindu Major Hindu Major Hindu ManifestationsManifestationsManifestationsManifestations

� BRAHMAN: divine source of all being

� Brahma/Sarasvati, the creator

� Vishnu/Lakshmi, the preserver: benevolence, forgiveness, love

� Shiva/Kali, the destroyer: disease, death, the dance

� Ganesha, god of wisdom, writing, elephant-headed

BrahmaBrahmaBrahmaBrahma The CreatorThe CreatorThe CreatorThe Creator

�His 4 heads represent the four Yugas or cycles of time in Hinduism.

�At the end of these cycles of time the Universe is ripe for destruction and must be created again.

�The God Shiva will then destroy the universe so that it can be created again.

�The Lord has in his four hands a water-pot (kamandalu), a manuscript (Vedas), a sacrificial implement (sruva) and a rosary (mala).

Vishnu the Vishnu the Vishnu the Vishnu the PreserverPreserverPreserverPreserver

� Protector of dharma

(righteousness) and the

guardian of humanity.

� His particular task is the conservation or

preservation of the Divine

Order in the world.

� Vishnu has 10 avatars or

incarnations. He assumes these and comes down to

earth in order to help

humanity.

�

Lord Vishnu lies

on the universal waters with Goddess Lakshmi

massaging His feet. From His navel sprouts a lotus flower on

which Lord

Brahma is born.

Rama Rama Rama Rama and and and and SitaSitaSitaSita

• Rama is the 7th avatar of Vishnu.

• Lord Rama, the hero of

the Ramayana, is one of the most adored gods

• He is always holding a

bow and arrow indicating his readiness to destroy evils.

• More commonly he is pictured with his wife Sita, his brother Lakshmana and his

devotee Hanumana

KrishnaKrishnaKrishnaKrishna

• Krishna is the 8th avatar of Vishnu. • The mythology around Krishna is the most colorful and the

richest in lyricism, adventure and in love in all its forms. • Krishna is central to the Mahabharata, the Sanskrit epic

that is eight times longer than the Iliad and the Odyssey put together.

• Krishna is a loyal ally of humans and always helps his friends. His worship is popular all over India and there are many sacred shines to him.

• In Hinduism there is a concept known as Bhakti. Bhakti is the emotional attachment and love of a devotee for his or her personal god. This is common in the worship of Krishna.

KrishnaKrishnaKrishnaKrishna

Shiva Shiva Shiva Shiva the Destroyerthe Destroyerthe Destroyerthe Destroyer

Lord of the Dance

He performs the dance of

destruction so that the world can be

recreated.

Shiva is the acknowledgment that

everything that comes to birth comes

ultimately to death and from death comes new

life.

He is cruel and yet tender, wrathful and

merciful, unpredictable and yet ever the same.

The Great GoddessThe Great GoddessThe Great GoddessThe Great Goddess

�Parvati and Uma are the benign aspects of the goddess; the destroyer goddesses Kali and Durga are in turn all aspects of the Devi, or the Great Goddess.

�Kali is the negative aspect of the Goddess and symbolizes death. In this form she is sometimes considered the presiding deity of famine and disease.

Kali

Durga

Hindu DynastiesHindu DynastiesHindu DynastiesHindu Dynasties 3rd3rd3rd3rd----15th c.15th c.15th c.15th c.

�Confused political scene especially in South �Warlike clans in Rajasthan: Rajputs � Pallave dynasty dominates the south warring with

Cholas, Cheras, Pandyas �Christianity and Zorastrianism introduced into

India

� Turkish raids 1000-1206 �Decline and disappearance of Buddhism in India

around 13th c.

RajputsRajputsRajputsRajputs

RajputsRajputsRajputsRajputs

� Princely members of the Kashitrya “warrior” caste

�Ruled northern and western India 7th-12th c. in local kingdoms, often at rivalry with each other

�Champions of dharma and devotees of Siva and Durga

� Predominantly Hindu, but tolerated all worship within their realms

� Prolific fort and palace-builders

Kumbhalgarh fort built by Maharana Kumbha.

Kumbhalgarh fort : Perimeter wall is 20

miles long. Six horses could ride abreast

on the fort ramparts.

Vijay

Sthamb

(Victory

Tower) built

byMaharana

Kumbha

Udai Palace at Udaipur (city founded by Maharana Udai Singh).

Khajuraho

� The temples at Khajuraho were built during the Chandella dynasty, which reached its apogee between 950 and 1050.

�Only about 20 temples remain; they fall into three distinct groups and belong to two different religions – Hinduism and Jainism.

� They strike a perfect balance between architecture and sculpture.

�UNESCO World Heritage Site

Kandariya Mahdeo in Khajuraho

Hindu Religious Literature:Hindu Religious Literature:Hindu Religious Literature:Hindu Religious Literature: The PuranasThe PuranasThe PuranasThe Puranas

� 18 religious books preserving Hindu myths and legends contain 5 major subjects � Sarga: the creation of the universe. � Pratisarga: secondary creations, mostly recreations

after dissolution. �Vamśa: genealogy of the gods and sages. �Manvañtara: the creation of the human race and the

first human beings. �Vamśānucaritam: the histories of the patriarchs of the

lunar and solar dynasties.

Hindu Religious Hindu Religious Hindu Religious Hindu Religious Literature:Literature:Literature:Literature: Epic PoetryEpic PoetryEpic PoetryEpic Poetry

� The Gita Govinda is a work composed by the 12th-century poet, Jayadeva.

� It describes the relationship between Krishna and the gopis (female cow herders) particularly one gopi named Radha.

� Important the development of the bhakti traditions

Gita Govinda manuscript c. 1550.

Hindu Religious Literature:Hindu Religious Literature:Hindu Religious Literature:Hindu Religious Literature: Bhakti PoetryBhakti PoetryBhakti PoetryBhakti Poetry

� Bhakti: mystical devotion to god � Lyric poetry spoken and sung by poet-saints � Tamil hymns (6th-9th c) – earliest bhakti poetry –

focused on Shiva and Vishnu � Tradition of bhakti poetry spread throughout

India and its 16 major languages � Popular and populist: poets came from all castes,

including untouchables and women � Belief that mysticism was the highest path to

release from karma �Highly personal and individual: a form of

spiritual autobiography

MahadeviyakkaMahadeviyakkaMahadeviyakkaMahadeviyakka 12121212thththth cccc

� Princess who left her royal husband

�Wandered naked through countryside – total devotion to Siva meant giving up

conventional coverings society required for females

� 350 poems express her passionate thoughts on God, love and the world

MahadeviyakkaMahadeviyakkaMahadeviyakkaMahadeviyakka 12121212thththth cccc

You can confiscate money in hand; can you confiscate the body’s glory? Or peel away every strip you wear, but can you peel the Nothing, the Nakedness that covers and veils? To the shameless girl wearing the White Jasmine’s Lord’s light of morning, you fool, where’s the need for cover and jewel?

Muslim IncursionsMuslim IncursionsMuslim IncursionsMuslim Incursions

� 711 -- Arabs take Sind � 11th c. -- Invasions of Muslims from Central Asia

led to political dominance of Muslims in N. India and introduction of Persian culture and Islam into South Asia

� Development of Sufism

Delhi SultanateDelhi SultanateDelhi SultanateDelhi Sultanate

� 1192-1526: Turko-Afghan chieftains establish

sultanate at Delhi and dominate N. India

� Multiple Muslim dynasties rule Northern India

from the 13th-16th centuries.

� The Sultans based their laws on the Qur'an and

the sharia and permitted non-Muslim subjects to

practice their religion if they paid jizya or head tax.

� Temporarily successful in insulating the

subcontinent from the potential devastation of the

Mongol invasion in the 13th century.

� "Indo-Muslim" fusion left lasting monuments in

architecture, music, literature, and religion.

Delhi SultanateDelhi SultanateDelhi SultanateDelhi Sultanate 13131313thththth----16161616thththth c.c.c.c.

TimurLang TimurLang TimurLang TimurLang (Tamerlane)(Tamerlane)(Tamerlane)(Tamerlane) sacks Delhisacks Delhisacks Delhisacks Delhi 1398139813981398----99999999 � Mongol ruler who

attempted to reclaim Genghis Khan’s empire

� Attacked India and conquered Delhi after slaughtering

100,000 captives

Vasco da Gama reaches India 1498Vasco da Gama reaches India 1498Vasco da Gama reaches India 1498Vasco da Gama reaches India 1498

�Opened the Indian or Cape Route for regular sailings between East and West

� Expansion and consolidation of Portugese empire and trade, dissemination of Portugese

culture and Christianity � Portugese settlements in Goa

and Cochin � 1524: Da Gama named

Portugese viceroy in India by King John III.

Moghul EmpireMoghul EmpireMoghul EmpireMoghul Empire (Islamic)(Islamic)(Islamic)(Islamic)

1526152615261526----1858185818581858

� Unification of N. India and parts of S. India under its rule

� Amalgam of Persian and Indian culture created in courts and territories

� Establishment of trading outposts in India by Europeans: � 1609: Dutch � 1612: English � 1674: French

Moghul Moghul Moghul Moghul Dynasty I Dynasty I Dynasty I Dynasty I (1526(1526(1526(1526----56)56)56)56)

� Founded by Babur � 2nd Classical Age

of North India � Delhi flourishes as

Imperial Capital � Amalgamation of

Turko-Iranian culture

Moghul Moghul Moghul Moghul Dynasty II Dynasty II Dynasty II Dynasty II (1556(1556(1556(1556----1627)1627)1627)1627)

� Akbar consolidates and builds strong empire

� Akbar commissions illustrated Persian translations of Sanskrit epics, The Ramayana and Mahabharata

� Jahangir succeeds his father

� 1600: Elizabeth I of England gives charter for trade to East India Company

King Akbar

The Red FortThe Red FortThe Red FortThe Red Fort

Agra’s magnificent monument, the Red Fort,

was begun by Akbar in the 16th c. and embellished by Emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th c.

Taj Mahal, Agra, 1630-48.

Mausoleum built by Shah Jahan for hisWife, Mumtaz Mahal

SourcesSourcesSourcesSources � “Rajput”:

http://hindurajput.blogspot.com/ � “Khajuraho”:

http://www.shunya.net/Pictures/NorthIndia/Khajuraho/Khajuraho.htm

� “The Mughals”:

http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/MUGHAL/ORIGIN.HTM