Medieval India

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Medieval India
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Medieval 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 Empire1526-1858

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Gupta Era 320 ce 550 ce

• Gupta dynasty was founded by Chandra Gupta I
• Development of Mahayana Buddhism
• Classical Golden Age in north India
• Cave paintings at Ajanta
• Shakuntala, Jataka, Panchatantra and Kamasutra
  were written
• Aryabhattas Astronomy.

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Mahayana Buddhism

• Buddhism split into two sects, Mahayana and
  Hinayana (Theravada).
• Mahayana laid stress on the concept of the
  Bodhisattva or one destined to be the Buddha'
  and also conceived of Eternal Buddhas who
  resemble gods or deities.
• Hinayana regarded the Buddha as a man and had a
  doctrine, Theravada, stressing the salvation of
  the individual.
• The interaction of Mahayana philosophy and
  Hinduism gave rise to Tantric Buddhism or
  Vajrayana.

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AJANTA CAVES
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• During the 4th century c.e. in a remote valley,
  work began on the Ajanta Caves to create a
  complex of Buddhist monasteries and prayer halls.
  
• As centuries passed, numerous Buddhist monks and
  artisans dug out a set of twenty-nine caves
• These caves are adorned with elaborate sculptures
  and paintings

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Ajanta Caves

• The Ajanta caves depict the stories of Buddhism
  from 200 bce to 650 ce.
• The elaborate and exquisite sculptures and
  paintings depict stories from Jataka tales .
• The caves also house images of nymphs and
  princesses.

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Kalidasafl. 5th c.

• Dramatist and poet regarded as the greatest
  figure in classical Sanskrit literature.
• 3 surviving plays Sakuntala (or Shakuntala),
  Vikramorvasi, and Malavikagnimitra.
• These court dramas in verse (nataka) relate
  fanciful or mythological tales of profound
  romantic love
• 2 epics, Raghuvansa and Kumarasambhava, mingle
  delicate descriptions of nature with battle
  scenes.
• The other poems of Kalidasa are shorter and
  almost purely lyrical.

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Aryabhatta (476-550?)

• Hindu astronomer and mathematician
• Known to Arabs as Arjehir
• 499 calculated pi as 3.1416
• 499 calculated the length of the solar year as
  365.358 days.
• Postulated that the Earth was a sphere rotating
  on its own axis and revolving around the Sun
• Discovered the exact cause of eclipses.

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Invasion of the Huna455-528

• An agricultural people, called Huna by the
  Indians
• In 425 they invaded Persia. After a series of
  wars (503-13) they were driven out of Persia,
• The Huna invaded India and succeeded in
  extending their domain to include the Ganges
  valley.
• They overthrew the Gupta empire but were
  eventually driven out of India in 528 by a Hindu
  coalition.
• The Huna influenced society by altering the caste
  system and disrupting the hierarchy of the ruling
  families.

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Kushan Eraca. 5th-7th c. ce

• Indo-Scythian nomads entered in Afghanistan, NW
  India, the Punjab and Pakistan
• Adapted Greco-Roman sculpture to Buddhist imagery
• First anthropromorphic Buddha images iconic
  deity
• Created first Bodhisattva figures enlightened
  beings who choose to remain on earth to help
  others
• Connected to spread of Mahayana Buddhism to
  China, Japan and Korea

Bodhisattva (as prince). Gandharan region ca.
2nd century
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HinduismSanatana DharmaThe Everlasting Way
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OMthat which hath no beginning or end
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Hinduismall-embracing 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

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Monotheism

• 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 worships multiple forms of the one God.

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Hindu 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
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BRAHMAN Universal PowerATMAN Individual
Manifestation of the Universal 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.

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Major Hindu Manifestations

• 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

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Ganesha

• God of knowledge and the remover of obstacles
• He has four hands, elephant's head and a big
  belly.
• His vehicle is a tiny mouse.
• The combination of his elephant-like head and a
  quick moving tiny mouse vehicle represents
  tremendous wisdom, intelligence, and presence of
  mind.

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Avatars of Vishnu

• Vishnu sleeps on the coils of the giant
  multi-hearded serpent, Ananta. As the lord
  sleeps, he dreams the cosmos into reality.
• Vishnu is the Protector of dharma (righteousness)
  and the guardian of humanity.
• Vishnu has 10 avatars or incarnations. He assumes
  these and comes down to earth in order to help
  humanity.

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Rama and Sita

• 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

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Krishna

• 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.        

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The Bhagavad-GitainThe Mahabharata Krishna
and Arjuna
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Hindu Dynasties3rd-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.

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Rajputs

• 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

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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

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Khajurao Temple
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Bhakti 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

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Mahadeviyakka12th c

• 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

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Mahadeviyakka12th c

• You can confiscate
• money in hand
• can you confiscate
• the bodys 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 Jasmines Lords
• light of morning,
• you fool,
• wheres the need for cover and jewel?

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Muslim 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

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Delhi Sultanate

• 1192-1526 Turko-Aghan 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.

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Delhi Sultanate13th-16th c.
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TimurLang (Tamerlane) sacks Delhi
1398-99

• Mongol ruler who attempted to reclaim Genghis
  Khans empire
• Attacked India and conquered Delhi after
  slaughtering 100,000 captives

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Vasco 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.

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Moghul Empire(Islamic) 1526-1858

• 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

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Moghul Dynasty I (1526-56)

• Founded by Babur
• 2nd Classical Age of North India
• Delhi flourishes as Imperial Capital
• Amalgamation of Turko-Iranian culture

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Moghul Dynasty II (1556-1627)

• 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
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Sources

• Rajput http//hindurajput.blogspot.com/
• Khajuraho http//www.shunya.net/Pictures/NorthI
  ndia/Khajuraho/Khajuraho.htm