South Asia

Politics Economy Social Class/ Gender

8000- Harappa and Mohenjo- Active trade and Warrior aristocracy/

600 CE Daro communication with enslaved Dravidians
Aryans (1500 BCE) Sumer Arayans stratify class –
16 states Ashoka (Maurya) Varna – four classes
Then Maurya (321-185 promote trade with rest Patriarchal
BCE) areas for travelers and Customs devalued women
Central, powerful Buddhist missionaries More isolated – purdh
military Trade with
Then Gupta Empire Mesopotamia – Silk,
(320 – 550 CE) cotton, elephants
Central control w/ Silk Road
village gov’ts
600- Collapse of Delhi Indian Ocean trade and Caste system
1450 sultanate in 1300’s Trade with Islamic
CE World, China, East
Africa and Persia
Traded: cotton, silk,
elephants, gems,
cinnamon, and salt
1450- Centralized under Thrived due to cotton Patriarchal
1750 Mughal trade Treatment of women better
CE under Akbar (initially) –
allowed widows to remarry
and intermarry between
Hindus and Muslims,
portray talents openly
1750- Mughal empire, European traders More racial based
1914 Buhudar Shahill sent British East India Abolish inhumane cultural
CE into exile Company traditions (Sati)
Indian National
congress
Ghandi
European influence
1914- Nationalism Globalization facilitate Still patriarchal w/ caste
Present Indian National and create greater trade system
Congress across the globe
Push for independence
(finally get after
WWII)

Science/ Art/ Empire Religion

Inventions Architecture
8000-600 CE Pi, Zero, Paintings, Indus Hinduism…Buddhism
numerical temples,
system, sculptures,
medicine, courtyard
astronomy,
plastic surgery
600-1450 Islam,
CE Hinduism, Buddhism
1450-1750 Gunpowder Blended w/ Mughal Islam, Buddhism…
CE technology Muslim Gunpowder though mostly Hindu
Arches, domes empire
Taj Mahal Decline: due
to opening to
foreign
control
1750-1914 European Roads, British colony Hindu, Islam,
CE education railroads, Buddhism,
promotes canals Christianity (though
science/ not very popular)
invention
1914- After civil Muslim minority
Present war: India,
Pakistan,
Bangladesh