9.1 - The Delhi Sultanate and Mughal India

Taj Mahal

A beautiful tomb built by the Mughal ruler Shah Jahan to honor his wife.

Shah Jahan

Akbar's Grandson and king. ruled 1628-1658, built the Taj Majhal

Babur

First sultan of the Mughal Empire; took lots of land in India.

How did the policies Akbar put in place help to strengthen his empire?

He created a strong central government with paid officials recognized and tolerated diversity, modernized the army, encouraged trade, standardized weights and measures, and introduced land reforms.

How did the Delhi sultanate change Indian government and society?

Muslim traditions of government replaced Hindu rule; Turks, Arabs and Persians migrated to India and influenced Indian life; trade increased; Persian art and architecture flourished

Mughal

Nomads who lived in the Indian subcontinent and established a powerful empire there

How did the Hindu and Muslim cultures interact?

The Muslim and Hindu religions and cultures differed. Hindus believed in many gods and sacred texts, social castes, and reincarnation; Muslims believed in one God, equality of all believes, and an afterlife. Cultures blended as the sultans became more tolerant of Hindu subjects and adopted some Hindu customs Urdu, a new language, combined Indian language with Persian and Arabic

Why were the Sikh beliefs a radical change from existing Indian beliefs and customs?

The Sikhs believed that all people are equal regardless of race, gender, social status, or religious beliefs. This differed from the Indian caste system and the traditional inequality between men and women.

Nur Jahan

The wife of Jahangir who did most of the ruling, most powerful ruler in Indian History

rajah

a Hindu prince or king in India

Sikhism

a monotheistic religion founded in Punjab in the 15th century by Guru Nanak.

Sultan

a muslim ruler

Delhi

capital of India

Akbar

chief builder of the mughal empire, baburs grandson