India and South Asia 1453 CE
The history of India has entered a new phase with the dominance of Muslim-ruled states throughout most of the subcontinent.
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What is happening in India and South Asia in 1453CE
The legacy of the Delhi sultanate
The past two and a half centuries of India’s history have seen, first, the expansion of the Delhi Sultanate throughout India, immediately followed by its rapid disintegration. This process was greatly helped by the sack of the capital, Delhi, in 1398, by the forces of the central Asian conqueror, Timur, invading from Iran. By this date the sultanate is merely one amongst many small states in northern India.
Religious toleration
The rise and decline of the Delhi sultanate has left a legacy of Muslim princes ruling in many parts of the sub-continent, along with older Rajput regimes, who have come to an accommodation with their Muslim neighbors. Although much of India is ruled by Muslims, the mass of the population largely remains true to its ancestral Hinduism. For the most part the Muslim rulers do not attempt to impose their own religion of their subjects, and indeed most employ Hindus as senior officials in their governments. In art and architecture, Muslim and Hindu elements are fusing together into a new style which will, in due course, give rise to such wonders as the Taj Mahal.
Warfare in the south
In the south, two powerful states have been established in the wake of the Delhi sultanate’s conquests there. One is the Bahami sultanate, a powerful Muslim state, and the second is the kingdom of Vijayanagra. This is a Hindu state, whose rulers see themselves as the champions of the old religion against the alien forces of Islam. These two states are at almost constant war with one another.
Next map: India and South Asia in 1648
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Civilizations related to India and South Asia
2700BCE - 1700BCE Indus Valley Civilization 1500BCE - 500BCE The Vedic Age of Ancient India 700BCE - 350BCE Classical Era of Ancient India 350BCE - 150BCE The Mauryan Empire of Ancient India 250BCE - 250CE Gandhara Culture of Ancient India 200BCE - 1000CE History of the Deccan Empires of Ancient and Medieval India 800CE - 1200CE The Rajputs of India 1200CE - 1500CE The Delhi Sultanate of India 1526CE - 1758CE The Mughal Empire 1758CE - 1947CE British IndiaSubscribe for more great content – and remove ads
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