South Asia
By Josh Moak
Political: Towards the end of the Gupta Empire, the Hunas or Hepthalites gained prominence in the north. These invaders caused lots of chaos, and from this chaos, a group of nomadic Turks brought India into a unified whole. Under King Harsha the local rulers became too powerful.
Economic: The monsoon was a useful tool in post classical south Asia. The artificial lakes it created caused population growth, and agricultural increases. Trade within India consisted of foods such as wheat or rice, but they also traded with outsiders items like iron, copper and spices. The Indian Ocean basin was also a useful tool when it came to trade. Junks and dhows were used in maritime trade voyages. They traded silk and porcelain from China, spices from Southeast Asia, Gold, ivory and slaves from Africa, and Horse from Southwest Asia.
Religion: The three most prominent religions in this region were, and still are, Hindu, Buddhism and Islam. As Buddhism declined in India, Hinduism benefited. The belief in many gods, and the belief in reincarnation were positive conversion tools from Indians. Most of the people, however, were not as receptive towards Islam. The lower class citizens were ready and willing to join Islam as it granted them an escape from discrimination. Sufis and the Bhakti movement were both helpful in the conversion of Indians to Islam.
Society: India’s caste system, which consisted of Brahman (priests), Kshatriya (warriors or landowners,) Vaishya (merchants), Shudra (artisans), and the Harijan (untouchables.) Slaves were brought from Africa, and males held the dominant positions in society.
Innovation: The Indians made many significant advance in math. For example, they were the first society to be able to handle numbers larger than 999. They even counted up to 100,000. The modern number system even comes from India. They developed algebraic equations and algorithms as well as going beyond the use of herbs and traditional methods when making medicines. Their surgical advances were also impressive. Last, the advances they made in metal working lasted hundreds of years. Their textiles were in demand all over the world.
Arts: Indian architecture was influenced by Buddhism, and Hinduism. Structures cut directly from the rock were usually a symbol of Buddhism, while great temples were associated with Hindu. Statues of Buddha were in abundance in their temples as were elaborate carvings honoring the deity.
Works cited
http://www.crystalinks.com/indiarchitecture.html
http://asiasociety.org/countries/traditions/math-science-and-technology-india-ancient-recent
http://www.csuchico.edu/~cheinz/syllabi/asst001/spring98/india.htm
http://apworldhistorywiki.wikispaces.com/Post+Classical+India
By Josh Moak
Political: Towards the end of the Gupta Empire, the Hunas or Hepthalites gained prominence in the north. These invaders caused lots of chaos, and from this chaos, a group of nomadic Turks brought India into a unified whole. Under King Harsha the local rulers became too powerful.
Economic: The monsoon was a useful tool in post classical south Asia. The artificial lakes it created caused population growth, and agricultural increases. Trade within India consisted of foods such as wheat or rice, but they also traded with outsiders items like iron, copper and spices. The Indian Ocean basin was also a useful tool when it came to trade. Junks and dhows were used in maritime trade voyages. They traded silk and porcelain from China, spices from Southeast Asia, Gold, ivory and slaves from Africa, and Horse from Southwest Asia.
Religion: The three most prominent religions in this region were, and still are, Hindu, Buddhism and Islam. As Buddhism declined in India, Hinduism benefited. The belief in many gods, and the belief in reincarnation were positive conversion tools from Indians. Most of the people, however, were not as receptive towards Islam. The lower class citizens were ready and willing to join Islam as it granted them an escape from discrimination. Sufis and the Bhakti movement were both helpful in the conversion of Indians to Islam.
Society: India’s caste system, which consisted of Brahman (priests), Kshatriya (warriors or landowners,) Vaishya (merchants), Shudra (artisans), and the Harijan (untouchables.) Slaves were brought from Africa, and males held the dominant positions in society.
Innovation: The Indians made many significant advance in math. For example, they were the first society to be able to handle numbers larger than 999. They even counted up to 100,000. The modern number system even comes from India. They developed algebraic equations and algorithms as well as going beyond the use of herbs and traditional methods when making medicines. Their surgical advances were also impressive. Last, the advances they made in metal working lasted hundreds of years. Their textiles were in demand all over the world.
Arts: Indian architecture was influenced by Buddhism, and Hinduism. Structures cut directly from the rock were usually a symbol of Buddhism, while great temples were associated with Hindu. Statues of Buddha were in abundance in their temples as were elaborate carvings honoring the deity.
Works cited
http://www.crystalinks.com/indiarchitecture.html
http://asiasociety.org/countries/traditions/math-science-and-technology-india-ancient-recent
http://www.csuchico.edu/~cheinz/syllabi/asst001/spring98/india.htm
http://apworldhistorywiki.wikispaces.com/Post+Classical+India
An example of the Indian Caste system
This is what the Indian numerals were thought to have looked like
A modern interpretation of the Junks that Indians would conduct trading business on.