o Overview
-> South Asian kingdoms
-> Southeast Asian empires
-> Land and maritime power
o South Asian kingdoms
-> South Asia had rival states, not one unified empire.
-> Delhi Sultanate began in 1206 through Turkic conquest.
-> Muslim sultans ruled a largely Hindu population.
-> Land taxes funded armies; local elites retained influence.
-> Vijayanagara arose in 1336 as a southern Hindu kingdom.
-> Its rulers used temples and patronage to legitimize rule.
o Southeast Asian empires
-> Southeast Asia adapted Indian beliefs to local rule.
-> Srivijaya linked Buddhist patronage to sea trade.
-> Its ports near the Malacca Strait taxed passing trade.
-> Srivijaya declined in the 1200s as rival ports rose.
-> Majapahit arose in Java in 1293 with Hindu-Buddhist courts.
-> Khmer rulers at Angkor used temples to display authority.
o Land and maritime power
-> Khmer canals and reservoirs supported rice farming.
-> Agrarian surpluses sustained cities, armies, and temples.
-> Delhi relied on land revenue; Srivijaya on port commerce.
-> Majapahit combined a rice-growing core with sea networks.
-> Both land and maritime rulers tied wealth to royal power.
o Overview
-> Religious traditions
-> Social hierarchies
-> Economic networks
o Religious traditions
-> Hinduism linked dharma and caste duties in South Asia.
-> Bhakti devotion offered worship beyond priestly rituals.
-> Buddhism sustained monasteries and learning in Srivijaya.
-> Theravada Buddhism spread among mainland populations.
-> In Khmer lands, it gained ground over royal Hindu cults.
-> Islam spread through conquest, merchants, and Sufi teachers.
o Social hierarchies
-> South Asian caste hierarchies persisted under Muslim rule.
-> Brahmins gained status from ritual and temple patronage.
-> Sufi and Bhakti teachers stressed personal devotion.
-> Southeast Asian rulers adapted beliefs to local customs.
-> Conversion did not erase older practices or local elites.
o Economic networks
-> Monsoon winds linked ports across the Indian Ocean.
-> Southeast Asia exported spices; India supplied textiles.
-> Merchant diasporas carried Islam to coastal trading towns.
-> Muslim ports expanded while inland Hindu courts endured.
-> Temples held land and supported labor and local markets.
-> Trade enriched ports; farming sustained inland states.