Today, a new section of the thesis to Eleanor Luisi. For the previous part click here for the first part here. 1.7 The Muslim invasions in India
The Muslim era begins in 622 AD with the flight of Mohammed from Mecca. The first Turkish attacks in northern India date back to the twelfth century. When Muhammad of Ghor in 1192 ensures the control of the Indus and the Ganges Valley.
L’aristocrazia guerriera dei Rajput che è divisa in numerosi clan non riesce ad opporsi al nemico e mentre gli incursori dilagano, i Rajput si chiudono nelle loro città fortezza. Le differenze salienti tra l’Islam e l’Induismo sono innanzitutto nei diversi stili di vita: i musulmani sono considerati tutti uguali davanti a Dio, mentre gli hindù sono divisi in caste; i musulmani sono poligami, gli hindù monogamici; i musulmani non prevedono la rappresentazione della divinità, per gli hindù dio viene rappresentato tramite diverse divinità; per i musulmani la vacca è un animale da macello, per gli hindù le vacche sono considerate sacre.
Quando arrivano in India i Turchi sono una popolazione intollerante and begin to destroy many Hindu temples and this makes it difficult to merge with the local population. Delhi becomes the capital of Muslim India, soon to face invasions of the Mongols led by Genghis Khan, but despite their isolation they can repel the Mongol invasions, and to extend their influence southward.
An empire of that size is too large to maintain and soon the south becomes independent, while in the northern penetration of new start-turkish Mongols from Central Asia led by Timur and Timor. After being sacked Delhi in 1398, the Turks have proved unable to maintain the domain and decide to start a collaboration with the Hindus. The Turkish domination in India has consequences: it is to form a minority Muslim and eliminated what remained of Buddhism.
policy fails to eliminate the Turkish military caste who wield power from that moment he was hired by the caste of Brahmins.
1.8 The Moghul
The importance Moghul empire that spans almost the entire subcontinent is not derived from the vastness of its size, but by the fact that the Mughal emperors promote the development of arts and literature, are great lovers of architecture and during this time are made some of the finest monuments in India, such as the Taj Mahal, ritenuto una delle meraviglie del mondo .
Babur è il fondatore della dinastia Moghul e grazie all’uso della sua artiglieria e cavalleria nel 1526 sconfigge nella battaglia di Panipat il sultano di Delhi. L’impero viene consolidato da Akbar (che significa “grande”), che riesce ad occupare Delhi e a estendere la sua influenza fino all’India centrale. È un uomo dalle spiccate capacità militari, ma anche colto e intelligente. Diversamente dai suoi predecessori si rende conto che gli hindù sono troppo numerosi per poterli sottomettere. Nonostante si ricordino i massacri di hindù a Panipat e Chitrod, Akbar cerca di promuovere la loro integrazione all’interno della società.
Sotto di lui e i his successors, the ruling class is composed of half Muslim and half Hindu, the empire is divided into a number of provinces administered by civil servants, you have the growth of the cotton industry and a resumption of trade. On the death of Akbar its successors seek to maintain the system he created under the Mughals, there are no distinctions of race, religion, color, but if a person is deemed able to work have the opportunity to serve the Emperor. When the power comes
Aurengzeeb the situation remains unchanged. Aurengzeeb is a Muslim and Orthodox intolerant and this causes the end of the policy of tolerance towards Hindus.
dedicates all its resources expansion of the empire and try to transfer the capital to the south, but discontent among the Hindu population, which was hit by a heavy taxes and religious intolerance, leading to the decline of the power of the sovereign. In addition, the threat of Maharashtra in central India and the British in Bengal. After the death of Aurengzeeb in 1707 began the decline of the empire and the sacking of Delhi in 1739 decreed the end of the Mughal Empire, even though the emperors of this dynasty continued to rule until 1857 when it opened the Indian Mutiny.
1.9 The Rajput and Maratha
I create a Rajput Hindu kingdom in the Mughal period retains its importance. I come Rajput in Rajasthan are a caste of warriors skilled in the cavalry and oppose foreign invasions but with poor results, in fact, their kingdoms were becoming vassals of the Mughal Empire, but their talents are recognized in battle and many men are Moghul army descendants of the Rajput. I have not
Maharatha skilled warriors, but they get the consent of the people because of their defense of Hindu against Muslim invaders. Its leader Shivaji is remembered for his battles against the Mughals in central India and is revered because, even if it belongs to the caste of Sudras, getting results where many Kshatriyas have failed.
His son was captured and killed by Aurengzeeb, while the limited capacity of the grandson of the empire to determine the transition Peshawar, which are hereditary government ministers. These consolidated their power and manage to win the Mughal territories. Their defeat back in 1761 at Panipat, where Babur won the battle that marks the beginning of the Mughal dynasty, the winner was Ahmad Shah Durani, who comes from Afghanistan and stop the expansion of Mahara and create a dynasty called Malwa that lasts very little and has to bend to the arrival of a great European power: Britain.
1.10 The expansion of the Europeans in India
The British are not the first Europeans arriving in India, in fact, already in 1498 the Portuguese led by Vasco de Gama arrived in the current Kerala. Their main goal is to find a trade route to bring the spice trade.
The Portuguese are able to create a monopoly of trade between Europe and India in 1510 and occupy the cities of Goa and Diu in Mantega control until the sixties. After the arrival of the French and the British suffered a decline of Portuguese power and is no longer able to control an empire so extensive.
The monopoly of British trade with India was granted in 1600 by Queen Elizabeth I to 'East India Company (India Company), which provides commercial stations English first in Surat, Gujarat, Madras and Bombay as a result.
The French occupied the city of Pondicherry after the British leave India. At that time, a rivalry is emerging between the British and French for control of trade routes, but eventually the British who are able to maintain a monopoly. The English power has expanded significantly after the granting of the permit by the Mughals in Bengal to activate the trade and create a trading post at Calcutta. The expansion widens
English and this leads to the concern of the nawab (the local king), who decides to attack Calcutta in 1756. The story ends with the conquest of the city by the Nawab and the closure of the British prisoners in the cell.
Some months later the British, led by Robert Clive occupy the whole of Calcutta and Bengal. The agents of the East India Company under the British protection, many are able to obtain profits in Bengal. A nawab
local attempts to protect local interests, but was defeated in 1764: this victory marks the English power in India. When in 1771 he was appointed governor of Bengal, Warren Hastings, the East India Company increases its profits. Hastings takes advantage of the power vacuum caused by the decline of Mughal and concludes agreements with local rulers. Punjab is the only state that remains outside the British control until 1849, after the two wars with the Sikhs. Even in Nepal, says the British power: after a series of battles with the Gurkha Kathmandu in 1816 is occupied by the British.
