Wednesday, August 17, 2016

DELHI SULTANATE

Delhi Sultanate - 1210 - 1256
Invasions from Afghanistan continued until Muslims controlled Northern India

  • Explains today’s Pakistan being Muslim
  • Mostly Turkish people who had converted to Islam
  • Turks protected India from Mongols for a long time (until Mughal India in 1526)
  • The Sultans based their laws on the Qur'an and the sharia and permitted non-Muslim subjects to practice their religion only if they paid jizya or head tax.
  • Tried to changed architecture and society to Islam but only succeeded on the surface level since the workers were Indian
  • Great Mosques built, colleges founded, irrigation systems improve, taxation increased especially for non-Muslims
Blending of Hindu and Islamic Social Life
  • Indian cultural renaissance. The resulting "Indo-Muslim" fusion left lasting monuments in architecture, music, literature, and religion
  • Rulers tried to spread Muslim culture through India
  • Invited artists, scholars from other parts of Islamic world to Delhi. Middle East, Africa, Spain, Central Asia
  • New culture formed, blending Muslim, Indian elements
  • Many Indians convert to Islam to avoid high taxes and to advanced in government work
  • Princess Razia Sultana(1236-1240) -
    • first queen of a Muslim state.
  • popular and more intelligent than her brothers.
  • Often dressed like a man
  • Many Turks and Muslims resented her rule and she was assassinated
TIMUR aka Tamerlane - cruel Turkish Muslim conquerer related to Ghenghis Khan ended the Delhi Sultanate
  • sacking of Delhi in 1398
  • Timur conquered Persia, Iraq and Syria and central Asia where he conquered the Mongols, he decimated the civilian population, raped their women and children, looted properties and converted people to Islam by force.
  • In the city of Isfahan, he ordered several pyramids to be built each made up of 40.000 human skulls from those that his army had beheaded,[17] and a pyramid of some 20,000 skulls was erected outside Aleppo. Timur herded thousands of citizens fromDamascus into the Cathedral Mosque before setting it aflame,and had 70,000 people beheaded in Tikrit, and 90,000 more in Baghdad.[18] As many as 17 million people may have died during his conquests.[19]
  • a patron of the arts but also destroyed many great centres of learning during his conquests.


The Sultanate ushered in a period of Indian cultural renaissance. The resulting "Indo-Muslim" fusion left lasting monuments in architecture, music, literature, and religion. It is surmised that the language of Urdu (literally meaning "horde" or "camp" in various Turkic dialects) was born during the Delhi Sultanate period as a result of the mingling of Sanskritic prakrits and the Persian, Turkish and Arabic favored by the Muslim rulers. The Delhi Sultanate is the only Sultanate to stake a claim to possessing one of the few female rulers in India, Razia Sultan (1236-1240).
The Sultans of Delhi enjoyed cordial, if superficial, relations with other Muslim rulers in the Near East but owed them no allegiance. The Sultans based their laws on the Qur'an and the sharia and permitted non-Muslim subjects to practice their religion only if they paid jizya or head tax. The Sultans ruled from urban centers--while military camps and trading posts provided the nuclei for towns that sprang up in the countryside. Perhaps the greatest contribution of the Sultanate was its temporary success in insulating the subcontinent from the potential devastation of the Mongol invasion from Central Asia in the thirteenth century
Major Accomplishments: Confucianism returns to the Chinese government, Buddhism becomes a force in China, Tang cities grow
Posted by at No comments:

The Aryan people of India

The Aryan people of India
The ancient Aryan dynasty began in 1200 BC when the Indo-Europeans migrated from central Asia into upper India, Iran, Russia, and parts of Europe.  The Aryans brought new technology and innovations into India.  This is important because it increased trade.  They used a barter system rather than a monetary system.  They also brought new gods and scriptures called Vedas which led to Hinduism.  The new technology, gods, and Vedas in the Aryan dynasty led to more trade and a new religion and social structure.

In 1200 BC the Aryans invade and merge with the Indus Valley peoples.  They were central Asian nomadic tribes that were great warriors.  They traded along the Kyber Pass, which is the only land route between the Middle East and India.  The Kyber Pass was not only used for trade, but also invasion.  The Aryan dynasty was the Iron Age of India.  Iron technology was used in many ways to benefit the economy.  It increased production of farm tools; therefore, there was more food production like rice and millet.  They also used the barter system, increasing trade along the Kyber Pass.  They traded items like iron weapons, domesticated horses, and food.  The iron technology led to more trade along the Kyber Pass and the use of the barter system.

Aryan Hinduism
The first traceable roots of Hinduism lie with the invading Aryans, who move into the northwest of the Indian subcontinent from about 1500 BC (see the history of India for recent archaeological arguments against the concept of an Aryan invasion). The Aryans' priestly caste, the Brahmans, is responsible for the sacrificial rites (the most solemn, among this nomadic people, being the sacrifice of a horse). The ritual hymns which they chant, passed down orally for many centuries, are gathered in the Rigveda, the earliest of all religious texts. The hymns of the Rigveda reveal that the foremost god of the Aryans is Indra, a war god and a great slayer of demons and animals. He is possibly based on a historical leader of the Aryans in their advance into India, for one of his titles is 'city-breaker'.  The two other main gods of the Aryans are Agni, the god of fire; and Soma, a god associated with a drink (also called soma and probably hallucinogenic) which plays a major part in the priests' rituals. In the long term none of these gods feature prominently in Hinduism. But two minor characters are waiting in the wings for a major role. Vishnu appears in the Rigveda as a sun god who occasionally helps Indra to slay demons. And Shiva (under the name of Rudra) has a small and sinister part, prowling in the mountains, shooting humans and animals with his arrows, and both causing and curing disease.
Vedas
The Aryans also brought new scriptures, called Vedas, and new gods into India.  The previous Indian gods continued to be worshipped, but the new gods were added to create Hinduism.  Hindus believe in concepts like Karma, which is action and subsequent reaction, and Samsara, which is the continuous cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth.  The Aryans also brought Vedas to India.  “Veda” means knowledge in Sanskrit; therefore, Vedas inform and guide Hindus like the Bible guides Christians.  The Upanishads, which were later Vedas, were often poetic, and they taught the metaphysical foundations of the Hindu faith.  There were also Ancient Vedic Hymns that talked about the knowledge of many different items and ideas.  The Vedas and gods were important to the Aryans because they were they birth of the Hindu religion.

Aryan Caste System
The Vedas also brought about a new social structure.  At the top of the Vedic civilization were the Brahmins, or priests and warriors.  Next were the Kshatriyas (rulers and warriors) and Uaishyas (farmers, merchants, and artisans). These three groups were the twice born groups, meaning that no matter what kind of a person they were, they would be reborn into the same social status as their previous life at least once.  After them, came the Sudras and Dalits, which were the laborers and untouchables.  This caste system limited social opportunities and determined who people could marry.  The Vedas, brought by the Aryans, resulted in a new caste system in India.

Aryan Dynasty in India 1500-500bce
Indo-Europeans (Aryans)
Central Asian tribes
Nomadic people
Great warriors
Domesticated the horse
Early iron workers
Aryan (Indo European) Migration 1800BCE from Turkinistan through Kyber pass to India

Kyber Pass
Only land route between middle east and India for trade and invasion
Still important today – India and Pakistan both trying to control it

Aryan Political System
Ruled by a king and local rulers
Many City states
Brought Horses and advanced weapons to India (conquered India)
duty of the king was the protection of his subjects, property, defense and maintenance of peace
culture spreads from the Indus to the Ganges River
Spoke Sanskrit
Economy – Iron Age begins
Small self-sufficient agricultural communities
Iron Technology used for
farm tools
increased food production (rice)
Weapons
Barter system common
Aryan Religion
Indian gods continue to be worshipped
Aryans bring new gods and Scriptures called Vedas
Combine to create Hinduism
Ayran/Hindu Social Structure
Aryan/Vedic Civilization 1500-500BCE
Hindu Vedic Philosophy
oldest written texts in India
Veda means “Knowledge” in Sanskrit.
Vedas inform and guide Hindus like the Bible guides Christians and the Koran guides Muslims
Upanishads: literally means sitting in front of
later Hindu Vedas (often poetic) that teach the metaphysical foundations of the Hindu faith
Hare (ha-ray) Krishna’s war poem is the most important of the Upanishads
The Ancient Vedic Hymns
Rig Veda - Knowledge of Hymns, almost 11,000 verses
“There is only one truth, only men describe it in different ways.“
Ayur Veda - Knowledge of Medicine, over 100,000 verses
Yajur Veda - Knowledge of Liturgy, 3,988 verses
Sama Veda - Knowledge of Classical Music, 1,549 verses

Upanishads
Jyotisha – Astrology and Astronomy.
Kalpa – Rituals and Legal matters.
Siksha – Phonetics.
Aitareya – Creation of the Universe, Man and Evolution.
Kama Sutra - Knowledge of Love and Sex
Chandogya – Reincarnation, Soul.
Kaushitaki – Karma.
Kena – Austerity, Work, and Restraint.
Dharnur Veda – Science of Archery and War.
Mundaka – Discipline, Faith and warning of Ignorance.
Sulba Sutra – Knowledge of Mathematics
Yoga Sutra - Knowledge of Meditation

The Aryan/Vedic Age ends with Invasions of Darius and Alexander


Posted by at No comments:

Nineveh (ancient Ninua) CITY OF NINA ASSYRIA


Jonah preaching to Nineveh.
Jonah preaching to Nineveh.
Nineveh


NINEVEH was the famous capital of ancient Assyria. Previous cities like Asshur and Calah were ancient capitals of Assyria, but NINEVEH became most famous in the seventh century BC. When King Sennacherib (705-681 BC) made NINEVEH his capital, the empire expanded and became prosperous

Nineveh / Ninevah / Nīnawā

Read more at: http://christiananswers.net/dictionary/nineveh.html

The city of Nineveh is first mentioned in Gen. 10:11, which is rendered in the Revised Version, “He [i.e., Nimrod] went forth into Assyria and builded Nineveh.” It is not again noticed till the days of Jonah, when it is described (Jonah 3:3; 4:11) as a great and populous city, the flourishing capital of the Assyrian empire (2 Kings 19:36; Isa. 37:37). The book of the prophet Nahum is almost exclusively taken up with prophetic denunciations against this city. Its ruin and utter desolation are foretold (Nah.1:14; 3:19, etc.). Zephaniah also (2:13-15) predicts its destruction along with the fall of the empire of which it was the capital. From this time, there is no mention of it in Scripture till it is named in gospel history (Matt. 12:41; Luke 11:32). This “exceeding great city” lay on the eastern or left bank of the river Tigris, along which it stretched for some 30 miles, having an average breadth of 10 miles or more from the river back toward the eastern hills. This whole extensive space is now one immense area of ruins. Occupying a central position on the great highway between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, thus uniting the East and the West, wealth flowed into it from many sources, so that it became the greatest of all ancient cities. The Assyrian empire began to show signs of weakness, and Nineveh was attacked by the Medes, who subsequently being joined by the Babylonians and Susianians, again attacked it, when it fell, and was razed to the ground. The Assyrian empire then came to an end, the Medes and Babylonians dividing its provinces between them. “After having ruled for more than six hundred years with hideous tyranny and violence, from the Caucasus and the Caspian to the Persian Gulf, and from beyond the Tigris to Asia Minor and Egypt, it vanished like a dream” (Nah. 2:6-11). Its end was strange, sudden, tragic. It was God’s doing, his judgement on Assyria’s pride (Isa. 10:5-19).

Read more at: http://christiananswers.net/dictionary/nineveh.html





Posted by at No comments:

KINGDOM OF SOLOMON AND HIS GOLD


http://www.geographicus.com/blog/rare-and-antique-maps/monomotapa-mutapa-and-king-solomons-mines/



Such was the state of the Empire of Mutapa, or as the Portuguese called it Monomotapa, when the explorer Vasco de Gama rounded the Cape of Good Hope in the 1490s. Tome Lopes, who accompanied De Gama on his 1502 voyage to India, wrote an important narrative of the journey that was widely read back in Portugal. Impressed with the abandoned ruins of Great Zimbabwe and convinced that they could not possibly be the product of an African people, Lopes was the first to identify Mutapa with the Biblical land of Ophir and King Solomon’s Mines. Even Milton jumped on the idea in his epic poem Paradise Lost, where he also associated Monomotapa and Ophir. Back in Portugal, the reports of De Gama and Lopes led to covetous expectations for the region. In 1505, a joint military and trading venture had taken control of the Arab trading centers of Sofala and Sena. The association of Monomotapa with Ophir also lead to an dramatic overestimation of the wealth to be found in the Zimbabwe hills.
Monomotapa from Sanson's 1691 World Map
Monomotapa from Sanson's 1691 World Map
Within fifty years, on the opposite side of the world, Hernan Cortez and Francisco Pizarro had conquered the Aztec and Inca Empires. Gold and wealth had begun to flow into Spain by the galleon. Dom Sebastian of Portugal, seeking to match Spain’s conquests in America with his own conquests in Africa, sent Francisco Barreto to Monomotapa to take over the kingdom’s legendary gold mines. Barreto’s push inland was initially successful with a number of important military victories to his credit. However, before he could push further inland toward the coveted mines, he was forced to return to Mozambique in order to answer slanders made against him by a rival, Antonio Pereira Brandao. This delay proved disastrous, for most of Barreto’s soldiers had in the meantime become sick and many ultimately died of malaria and other tropical diseases common to the region. Barreto himself also fell ill and died at Sena in 1573.
1730 Covens and Mortier Map of Monomotapa
1730 Covens and Mortier Map of Monomotapa
It was left to Vasco Fernandez Homen, Barreto’s deputy and successor, to finally push inland via Solafa. When Homen finally reached in mines he sought at Manica, he discovered their output to be much poorer than expected. By this time they had been exploited for several hundred years and King Solomon’s Mines were close to running dry. As for the Portuguese in Africa, they did not attempt another military conquest of the region, but did maintain their trading centers. By the end of the 17th century, the Kingdom of Mutapa had destabilized from within and was facing pressure from the Rozwi empire to the north. Ultimately, they were forced to turn to the Portuguese for military support and paid for it with vassalage. Despite support from Portugal, control of Mutapa changed hands several times vacillating between independence, Rozwi dominion, and the Portuguese vassalage.
In 1885 H. Rider Haggard revived interested in King Solomon’s Mines with the publication of his genre defining novel of the same name. Its publishers in London, Cassel and Company, touted King Solomon’s Mines as “The Most Amazing Book Ever Written.” Today it is considered to be the first novel of the “Lost World” genre.
REFERENCES:
Oliver, Roland & Anthony Atmore (1975). Medieval Africa 1250-1800. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 738. ISBN 0-52120-413-5.
Owomoyela, Oyekan (2002). Culture and customs of Zimbabwe. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 163. ISBN 0-31331-583-3.
Stewart, John (1989). African States and Rulers. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc.. pp. 395. ISBN 0-89950-390-X.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 at 12:46 pm and is filed under Africa, Apocryphal Places, Lost Cities of Gold, Mysterious Destinations, Rare & Antique Maps. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)