S TION What You Will Learn. Main Idea s People today must come to terms with violent times of the past. Fr om the eighth to the eightee nth century, Mus- lims invaded and then ruled much of India. By the nineteenth century, the British East India Compa- ny v*/ent from being traders in India to being rulers of India. The Big Idea India s Hindus suffered but survived centuries of Muslim and British rule. j HINDUISM TODAY S Teaching Standards This column in each of the three section s prese nts our subje ct outlin e for Indi a and Hinduism from 11 to 1850 ce. 1. Explain the diffic ulty in discussing violent historical events that continue to impact us today. 2. Describe successive invasi ons of India by Arabs Turks and Mughalsandthe unyielding Hindu resistance. 3. Expl ore the found ing of the Mughal Empire, its expansion and ultimate decline. 4. Expl ain the origins of the East India Company and how it gained control of India. 1 - 2 HINDUISM TO DA Y OCTOBE The Invasion Centuries If YO U lived then .. . Outside invaders ha ve conquered the kingdom next to t he one you live in . T he king call s for y oung men to jo in hi s army. Y ou r father dec ides to take the family and flee to another kin gdom, awa y fro m the fighting. Y ou ma y either joi n the army or go w it h th e family. You r father leaves it up to you. What do you do and why? BUILDING BACKGROUND Ho rs es thrive in Central Asia Iran and Arabia, but they do poorly in the hot climate of the Indian plains . In va ders o n hors ebac k armed wit h swor ds and bow s had a n advantage over the kings imported horses yearly for their armies at great cost. Understanding a Violen t Past We now enter what historians call a diff icult period of Indian his- tory . The difficulty is not due to any lack of knowledge. The Muslims' invasions of India were carefully chronicled by their own historians. The British also kept exacting records of their subjugation and ex- ploitation of the subcontinent. We have a great deal of information, but of a disturbing nature. Mushm historians recount in detail the destruction of cities, sacking of temples, slaughter of noncombatants and enslavement of captives. British accounts reveal the mismanage- ment and greed that led to famines that killed tens of millions of people and ruined the local industry during their rule. Nearly every country on our planet has a dark period of history it would like to for get or deny. It is difficult to study suc h unple as- ant pasts in a way that leads to understanding, not hatred. Hindu- Muslim discord has been a fact of Indian history for over a thousand years. At the same time, there have been long periods of friendly relationship, especially at the village level. For Hindus and Muslims, coming t o terms with thei r collective past rema ins a work in prog- ress. True reconcJiiation comes when people honestly face the past, forgive misdeeds, learn to truly respect each others religious beliefs and traditions and promise to move forward in peace. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2OO g
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