Term
|
Definition
• Spread by Islamic ascetics, mystics and medicine men (aka peer or hazrat) called Sufis
• No idol worship
• Believe in miracles
• Preached religious tolerance and universal brotherhood
• Instrumental in the spread of islam in india
• Spread through sufi music and poetry of love for God which is similar to Bhakti devotional music of Hinduism
• Famous sufi saints
o Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia of Delhi (12th century AD)
o Khwaja Muin-uddin-Chishti of Ajmer (16th century) in Rajasthan |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
• Turkish conquerer; capital Ghazna (Afghanistan)
• 17 campaigns and plunder (1000-1025 AD)
• Destruction and plundering wealth from temples (most important being Shiva temple of somnath in Gujarat)
• Mahmud and communal history writing in India
o 2 main perspectives:
• Hero in Afghanistan and Pakistan
• A brutal ruler and jihadi according to fundamentalists Hindus
• British colonial historians and Hindu fundamentalists provide a communalist interpretation on invasions
• History of invasions remembered in modern india during hindu muslim conflicts too
• Scholars today understand invasions as “politics of conquest”
o Driven by India’s wealth not hatred for Hindus
o Treated muslim ‘heretics’ and subjects with equal ruthlessness
o Had a noteable Hindu general called Tilak
• Why did he succeed?
o Superior military might
o Only stiff Indian opposition in Kashmir
o Most powerful Indian dynasty Cholas were too far in south
o Caste divisions meant weak resistance in India |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
Kitab-al-hind
• Written to help those who want to discuss religious questions with the Hindu’s
• Encyclopedic info on India (80 chapters dealing with Indian religions, philosophy, astronomy, customs, etc)
• Al-Biruni was an expert on Sanskirt and Hindu religious texts like the Vedas, Ramayana and Mahabharata
• Read Buddhist texts in Prankrit
• Comparative analysis of Sanskrit with Islamic cultures
• Discusses caste system and read Sanksrit religious texts (Vedas) |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
under kingship of Delhi Sultanate
• Turkification of Islam→ Mamluks (military slaves) also Turkish
o Slave who is an elite guard, chosen by caliph, generals in army, governors, could own property, could own slaves of their own
• Conglomerate of 3 main groups (turks, Iranians, Indians)
o Turks and Irans had elite government positions, the Indians were lower ranked |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
• Persian → language of court and administration
• Turkification of Islam→ Mamluks (military slaves) also Turkish
o Slave who is an elite guard, chosen by caliph, generals in army, governors, could own property, could own slaves of their own
• Conglomerate of 3 main groups (turks, Iranians, Indians)
o Turks and Irans had elite government positions, the Indians were lower ranked
• No definite scheme for succession resulted in strife (average reign 10 years per ruler)
• Emphasis on revenue collections and tribute
• Forced conversions to Islam NOT a state policy but conversions did happen mostly of peasants in the fringes
• Syncretic culture between Islam and ‘Bhakti’ Hinduism |
|
|
Term
| Alauddin Khilji (1294-1316 AD; Khilji Dynasty) |
|
Definition
• Territorial expansion of Delhi Sultanate happened under his rule
• Military expeditions to south kingdoms started by him
• Conquered most of northern, western and eastern India
• Radical Administrative reforms
o Revenue reforms
• Direct state control in land revenue assessment and collection
• Reduced power of local chieftains who could not levy taxes anymore
• Land measurement undertaken so that exact revenue cold be levied
• Abolished private lands and frets to break concentration of wealth
• Cash salaries to soldiers instead of paying through land grands (igtas)
o Market reforms
• Price regulation of essential commodities
• Reduced salaries for average citizens
• Prevented hoarding by building centralized granaries
• Transportation along river Yamuna to allow trade/travel
• Spies to gather info about illegal trade and unfair prices |
|
|
Term
| Muhammed Bin Tughlaq (1325-1351 AD) |
|
Definition
• Most eccentric ruler of India
• Shift of capital from a prosperous Delhi to a small town in Deccan and then back
• Currency experiments
o Shift from using au and ag coins (rare metals); copper coins; reversal of reforms
• Plans to attack Persia and C. Asia which failed
• Imposed heavy ‘jiziya’ (religious tax on non-Islamic peoples that made him very unpopular) |
|
|
Term
| Vijayanagar (1337-1565 AD) |
|
Definition
• South central deccan region along the Tungabhadra river
• Direct response to Delhi Sultanate challenge
• Krishna-deva-raya (1509-1525 AD): greatest ruler, military commander, poet and administrator
• Unique blend of Persian-Islamic and Hindu systems of kingship
o Military feudalism→assigns land as salary to military generals
• Igta (land revenue assignments)
• Mansabdar (military elites granted Igta)
• To be followed by Mughals too
• Appointed Brahmins as commanders of fortresses fostering symbiotic relations
• Adopted dress code of the sultanate courts
• Continuation of a syncretic tradition where kings patronized both hindu temples and sufi shrines
• Greatest builders of agricultural, economic and sacred and courtly architecture in south india |
|
|
Term
| Medieval rulers of the Deccan |
|
Definition
• Vijaynagara (military feudalism)
• Bahamani (relations with Persian world)
• Mahmud Gawan |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
• Most influential bhakti saint who lived in 15th and 16th centuries
• Muslim weaver
• Composed devotional songs, poetry and verses in Hindi
• Teachings collected and preserved in the Guru Granth Sahib
• Questioned all forms of external worship by both Brahmanical Hinduism and Islam
• Worship of a formless supreme God
• Salvation through bhakti or devotion
• Both hindus and muslims followers |
|
|
Term
| GURU NANAK AND SIKHISM→ RELIGION |
|
Definition
• ^founder
• Guru→ religious head/preceptor; total of 10 gurus
• Followers from all creeds, caste and gender but mostly traders, agriculture, artisans and craftsmen
• Emphasis not on renunciation (like in Jainism/Buddhism) but on the pursuit of active life
• Emphasis on strong sense of social commitment
• Teachings included: right worship, welfare of others and purity of conduct
• Teachings were compiled by one of his disciples in a new script called Gurnukhi
• Teachings were compiled in holy scripture of the Sikhs called “GURU GRANTH SAHIB” considered to be the 11th and final guru
• Writings of other saints such as Kabir, Guru Gubind Sign
• Golden temple is the holy shrine for the Sikhs
• 17th century→ Sikhs began to politicize which culminated into the institution of the Khaisa created by Guru Gobind Singh
• Khalsa militarized Sikhism to combat the religious persecution from later Mughal rulers |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
• Kes→ hair
• Kirpan→sword
• Kachera→under garment
• Kara→bengal
• Kanga→comb |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
• Most famous female bhakti saint of the 15th century
• Born into a ruling Rajput family in 1498
o Warrior clans
• Devoted to Krishna from a very early age
• Married off to the rajput ruler of Mewar ; took no interest in her earthly spouse since she believed herself to be married to Krishna
• Left vulnerable to the hostility of her conservative male relatives after her husbands death
• Her relatives expected her to commit Sati or self-immolation, after the death of her husband but she refused
• She discovered with the Sadhus (hindu sins) and danced in temples before Krishna’s images
o Shocking for a time when the sexual virtue of women was fiercely guarded
• In her poety she talks about repressions and attempts at poisoning her by her husbands fam and a certain “Rana”
• As a wandering saint she led the latter part of her life in Vridavan and Bwarka, both cities associated with the growing up years of Krishna; died around 1546
• Her poety and life resonates in contemporary India for many reasons
o Female liberation
o Her rejection and disdain of wealthy and their life of riches appeals to the poor
o Her rebellion is seen as being against injustice within the family and within kingships grouped in general
• During the nationalist movement Gandhi promoted Mirabai as a symbol of a women who has the right to choose her own path, forsake a life of luxury and in nonviolence resistance found liberation |
|
|
Term
| • Founder of the Mughal Empire was Babur |
|
Definition
o Consolidated rule with the defeat of Ibrahim Lodhi at the famous Battle of Panipat (1526) which marked the collapse of the Delhi Sultanate
o Capture Delhi and Agra |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
• Baburs grandsonny
• Considered the “greatest mughal” ruler
• Descended throne at age 13
• Consolidated the Mughal Empire (great expansion)
• Introduced new military technologies (gunpower, rifles, cannons)
• Marriage alliances with Rajputs of Rajasthan |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
• Last of the “Great Mughals”
• Period of rebellions
o Wars and integration of Deccan
o Marathas and Hindu ruler Shivaji
o Sikhs of Punjalo
o Jats of north-western India
• Portrayed as a religious zealot
o Emphasis on Sharia law (Islamic law)
o Sunni prohibitions on alcohol and music
o Jizya tax reintroduced on non-Muslims
o Destruction of Hindu temples |
|
|
