The Mughals made their stamp on Hindu culture and in Hindu history during the years of 1526 though 1707. The Mughals ruled over India for one hundred and eighty one years and during this time many changes took place. While each emperor made their mark on history, the two that had the biggest presence were the Emperors Akbar and Aurangzeb. These two emperors were almost complete opposites, with Akbar working towards stability and tolerance and Aurangzeb working towards intolerance and destruction. Through the analysis of the effects of the Mughal Empire and the exploration of the emperors during the time, the influences that the Mughals had on Hindu culture can be identified. This paper will look specifically at the advances in politics, the intermingling of Hindu and Muslim culture, the destruction and intolerance of Hinduism during the reign of Aurangzeb, and the relation between these two peoples today.
Before the Mughal Empire really began its expansion into India, things were already unstable with warring princes in the various regions of the country. With the arrival of Babur, the first Mughal Emperor, things continued to remain unstable. Babur ruled in India from 1526 to 1530. During those four years Babur focused on military gains (The Mughal Empire). With the death of the Sultan, and the arrival of Babur’s army and rule, there was a lot of bloodshed. Babur was killed in 1530 and his lasting impact was his entrance into Indian history and culture. After Babur’s death his rule passed onto Babur’s son, Humayun, who was the second Emperor of the Mughal Empire (The Mughal Empire). Humayun ruled from 1530-1556, but for most of his time as Emperor he was not in the country. Overwhelmed and unsure, Humayun fled to Persia (The...
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... were introduced; migration into India grew along with the expansion of the trade routes, and the mixing of Muslim and Hindu created changes in both cultures. The Mughals had a lasting effect on Indian culture and history, while some of it negatively affected Hindus, overall it brought fresh ideas to the culture. The eight rulers of the Mughal Empire each had different ideals and goals and each left their own mark on the culture. Looking at the two emperors who had the largest impact on the Hindu culture, Akbar and Aurangzeb, the reader can see how the empire made positive strides for the people with tolerance and stability and how the Hindu people also faced intolerance and destruction under and oppressive rule. Overall, even though there is some strain between the two peoples today, it is important to see how the Mughal Empire helped to shape Indian culture.
The Islam of Babur is also molded by his use of it as goad and inspira-tion for his soldiers. Babur never fails to remind his troops that God is on their side and that they should be fearless even in this strange country. (38) Babur’s army is not another invading army, similar to the Uzbekis who drove Babur from Samarkand, and his enemies are not honorable defenders of their homeland. Instead, according to Babur, the soldiers are an "Army of Islam" and the natives are labeled as "the unbelievers, the wicked", with epithets like accursed and hapless tossed in for good measure.(85) Babur conquers not for India’s riches, but "For the sake of Islam"(87) Babur’s experience of Islam is one of a master ruler manipulating a religion to provide political justifica-tion for his ruler and moral ammunition for the soldiers and for war.
For centuries, India was a country of separate dynasties and kingdoms, which often led to a wide variety of cultural and ethnic tensions and continuous change of power for many of the kingdoms. They viewed each other as enemies, which created an opportunity for countries, such as England, to invade and eventually rule much of the country. Britain colonized the Indian subcontinent (present-day countries of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh) from 1757 until 1947 (Iyer 2). Not all areas were directly under British control, in other cases Indian rulers governed them, and power was split between the two (Iyer 2). For the British, India was strategically placed in terms of geography, manpower, natural resources, and land, as well as many other sectors (Maddison 1).
The 190 years of Imperialism in India by the British were over all a negative experience for the country. However, a few good things did come out of imperialism like transportation. Britain became selfish and inconsiderate towards the Indian people and only did what helped their country and their economy. Because of the imperialism India’s people became hostile towards each other and later, after being freed from British rule, broke out into a civil war.
There are many cultural and societal influences that have made Hinduism vital to the region in which it originated. Hinduism can be traced to the Indus Valley Civilization that took place in 4000 BC to 2200 BC. India was a land of diverse cultures, religions, races and ethnicities. Hinduism was the unifying umbrella that brought peace to the land. The belief in Ahimsa or non-violence reduced warfare. In Ancient India, the caste system brought about social order but later this system decayed and gave rise to social ills. Many other cultures and invaders of the region influenced the development of Hinduism over the centuries. When the Indo-Europeans invaded India during 1500 to 500 BC, their religion of Vedas also greatly influenced the indigenous beliefs of Hinduism. Over 80% of Indians still practice Hinduism in modern India. The Hindus brought up in Hindu families are so steeped in the various Hindu traditions from infancy that they are totally imbibed into the Hindu religious system. The sages and seers over the ages held a prominent place in the religious beliefs of the region and their teachings of non-violence, unity, prayers and a life of righteousness have greatly influenced Hinduism.
Islam’s present day relevance is due to it being one of the world’s most talked about religions. It is also one of the largest religions in the world. Islam has followers in all areas of the globe. (Zissis, 2007) Islam first began spreading in 610 CE and has not stopped. Today, India’s population includes approximately 150 million Muslims and Islam has contributed greatly to the area and its people. (Kennedy, 2007) The spread of Islam is vast and instead of focusing on the entire realm of Islam’s range, I will put an emphasis on the Mughal Dynasty and it’s impact on the spread of Islam.
The Mauryan Empire was a very intriguing empire, with rulers of different beliefs and ways of ruling, as well as antithetical ways that the rulers gained and maintained their power. Important events occurred during this period of time that affected future generations. The Empire’s people mainly had a Buddhist religion. The people of the Mauryan Empire contributed greatly to the fields of art, and architecture. The Mauryan Empire was very important to India’s way of life.
India has a characteristic of more ethnic and religious groups than most countries in the world. Despite this multiplicity of religions, there exists a broad group of interrelated traditions called Hinduism. Although other religions within the nation such as Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity have occasionally challenged its dominance, Hinduism is the most prevalent religion in the South Asian region. Some of the outstanding differences between Hinduism and other denominatio...
American best-selling author, John Maxwell once stated "A leader is one who knows the way, goes
In the 16th century, there were three Islamic powers: Ottoman Empire, Central Asian Empire, and Mughal Empire. All three vanished from the face of the earth leaving behind multitude of Muslim aspirations longing for the glories of the past. The Ottoman Empire disintegrated in 1922, the Central Asian Empire was taken over by the Russian Empire, and the Mughal Empire’s last gasp was in 1857 when their rebellion was defeated by the British.
There is no doubt that British imperialism had a large impact on India. From positive affects to negative affects, British colonized India. It all started around the 1600’s when the British East India Company entered India only as traders, they entered what was known the Mughal Empire. Around the 1757 Battle of Plassey the Mughal empire fell (Carrick) and it was only a matter of time until the British Raj took their once in a lifetime chance. Economically, Britain imposed very high tariffs even though they provided modern technology and increased the production of goods. Britain created famine in India, although because of Britain education was brought to a higher level. Politically, Britain had most of the control in the Indian government, although they created a much more stronger one than the one that was in use before the British came.
By the year 1857 the British had established complete political control of India. As Western education was introduced and missionaries eroded Hindu society resentment among Indian people grew and it was joined by unease among the old governing class when the British decided to formally abolish the Mughal Empire.
The Persian Empire spanned from Egypt in the west to Turkey in the north, and through Mesopotamia to the Indus River in the east. It was a series of imperial dynasties centered in Persia. It was established by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC, with the Persian conquest of Media, Lydia and Babylonia. The Persian history was interrupted by the Islamic conquest and later by the Mongol invasion. The main religion of ancient Persia was Zoroastrianism, but after the 7th century this was replaced by Islam. In the modern era, a series of Islamic dynasties ruled Persia independently of the universal caliphate. Since 1979 Persia has been an Islamic republic. In 552 BCE Cyrus led his armies against the Medes and captured Ecbatana in 549 BCE, effectively conquering the Median Empire
of Bengal. This gave the foreigners effective control of administration. The Marathas, the Sikhs and ...
and not just at the Rajputs, who became one of the pillars of the empire.
In the reading, Peering through the cracks in Baburnana: the texturized lives of Mughal Sovereigns, author Azfar Moin, an assistant professor in south Asian history at Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, explores the “intertwined literary and political processes that moulded the texts of Mughal sovereigns” through the life of Akbar. Moin argues that the texts “participated” in the making of the new institutions of kingship and sainthood. One can make the argument that Mughal paintings were used as a means to express royal power and dynastic legitimacy. For example, early in the life of Akbar, he enjoyed hearing stories of his grandfather’s (Amir Hamza) military expeditions. He loved them so much that once he had became an emperor, Akbar gathered artists and writers to produce the story of Amir Hamza military expedition of him dominating Iran through bravery and war (changing it from Zoroaster to Islam) to depict him as a brave warrior. And so, 1400 folio...