Brief description of the Mughal empire

The Mughal empire (1526-1857)

Origins

The history pf India stretches back thousands of years over the centuries many different people invaded India such as the Greeks and the Mongols. They were attracted by fertile land opportunities for trade and for its resources such as spices, silk and precious stones. The result of this was a rich mix of people.

Government and society

In 1526 the Mughal leader Babur invaded India. The Mughals were a Muslim dynasty who originally came from Persia. They conquered the local sultan and established their capital in Delhi. They remained dependent on the support of local rulers who were mostly Hindu. The local rulers were allowed to remain in power as long as they paid their taxed to the Mughal leader. As a result many landowners and merchants kept their power and wealth.

Women in Mughal India.

In India society men controlled political and economic power and women would subordinate them.in the Mughal empire wives and mistresses of nobility were kept out of public sight in separate areas of the house.in the mogul court women were educated and influence poorer women works in the farms under weir under control from their husbands.

Travel and trade

Under the Mughals trade increased and important communities grew which had contacts with china and south east asia.in the 16^TH century ships from Europe started to visit India. Indian mechanist gained new trade opportuinites.in 1600 English merchants set up the English east India Company (EIC) to trade in India. The bought cotton goods, silks, peppers and spices.in return for gold copper and zinc.

The decline of the Mughal Empire

At its height the Mughal Empire controlled nearly the whole of modern india.in the second half of the 17^TH century it began to decline. Rulers broke up in revolt and Mughal was wreaked by invasions from Persia and Afghanistan. As there power wreaked the EIC became to setup forts and were defended by garrisons. People surrounding the asked for protection and them EIC began to gain authority. Eventually the EIC became to setup it authority through india.by the 19^TH century the EIC with its army and administrators extended its power through India. The became the dominant power in India. They introduced new landowners and taxes. They were uprising but London sent troops to crush them. The births government abolished the EIC and Indian became a colony of Births Empire.

A brief summary of the Ming dynasty

The Ming dynasty (1368-1944)

Origins

The Ming dynasty ruled China from about 1368 to 1644 CE. For nearly 100 years, China had been ruled by the Mongolian empire. When a group called the Red Turbans attacked the Mongols in the mid-1300s, it began a peasant rebellion that overthrew the Mongols. The leader of that rebellion and the first emperor of the newly established Ming dynasty was Zhu Yuanzhang.

 

The Ming

 The Ming were absolute rulers .Ming emperors ruled in the Forbidden City, an imperial palace in Beijing which was the capital of the Ming and received news through servants and administrators. They never dealt with normal peasants and never left the Forbidden City. In order to protect themselves from invasion, the Ming emperors built the Great Wall of China. It featured watch towers, signal towers, and barracks for troops. The Ming encouraged study of cultural traditions and provided financial support for academics and colleges.   

Women in Ming china

Women in Ming china were seldom wealthy properties owners with a small influence. But the majority of women in Ming china were valued only to have children. Lower class women worked in fields alongside men. Middle class women worked as weavers. Though upper class women were often crippled by the foot binding practice at a very young age. Purpose was to keep their feet small and was seen as female beauty.

China during the Ming dynasty

The economy as a whole experienced growth and I rise in population in china. They had about one quarter of the world’s population during the Ming dynasty. They were a very advanced society for example they invented printing, paper and gunpowder centuries before the Europeans did.

Trade

The Chinese sent their silks, porcelain and tea to western Asia and Europe via the Silk Road. They also traded by sea to japan and countries around the Indian Ocean. Under the Ming many ships were built. The emperor sent many trade fleets to explore the Indian Ocean and the voyages were led by admiral Zheng.

 

The decline

China began looking inwards after 1433. When the Dutch attacked Chinese ships raided the south east coast the chine navy defeated them and they retreated to Taiwan. There were threats from the Mongols and also the Manchu. China became distrustful of strangers and became inward looking and concentrated on becoming strong and self-sufficient. The Ming Empire slowly went in decline and was weakened by power struggles between court officials.

Coming to the end

The growing power of the Jurchen and Manchu nomadic tribes in the northwest threatened the Ming, however peasant uprisings in the northwest kept the army busy in that area. In the 1590s Japan invaded Korea which brought Chinese armies into Manchu territory. Though they pushed back Japan, their armies were weakened and allowed the Manchu tribes to conquer Korea. The Manchu tribes then waged war with China. The cost of war could not be paid because the peasant taxpayers were still in revolt. The final Ming emperor hanged himself in 1644 in his temple surrounded by rebels and allowing the invaders to establish the Qing dynasty.

A brief description of the Songhai empire

The songhai empire in the 15TH and 16TH centuries (1340-1591)

Origins

In the years around 700 AD there was a series of great kingdoms developed in West Africa each of them became powerful in turn because they controlled the trade of salt and gold trade across the Sahara desert. The kingdoms that controlled these were Ghana followed by Mali and eventually Songhai.

The Songhai                                                                           

The Songhai had settled on both sides of the middle Niger River. They established a state in the 15th century, which was a large part of the western Sudan and developed into a powerful civilization. It was ruled by the dynasty or royal family of the Sonni from the 13 century to the late 15 century. The capital was at GAO, it was surrounded by a wall. It was a diverse market place where kola nuts, gold, ivory, slaves, spices, palm oil and precious woods were traded in exchange for salt, cloth, arms, horses and copper.

 

Songhai government

Islam had been introduced to the royal court of Songhai in 1019, but most peasants remained faithful to their traditional religion. The monarchy based at GAO ruled with absolute power. People paid taxes to the king in return for internal and external security. The royal court was responsible for the administration and the army. Large estates belonged to nobles. They were worked by slaves that did the fishing, animal raising for milk, meat and skins, and the agricultural work.

 

Women in the Songhai Empire

They participated in many actives such as some were traders and were as important as men. Wealthy women were sometimes educated and had control over their own property and resources.in the 16-17 centuries poorer women often worked as servants and wealthy households. A few were slaves and some were kept for sexual services.

Trade

The Songhai had to build and maintain a large army to keep order. This helped trade to be carried peacefully through the empire. Trade expanded in Europe which brought in European cloth, horses and weapons which were traded for slaves, leather goods and ivory from West Africa. Huge caravans traded goods across the Sahara desert and as a result commercial cities such as Timbuktu became commercial centers.

 

Learning and culture

Arab traders brought Islam to Africa in the 8^TH century. Many rulers and merchants accepted Islam as their religion. African kingdoms adopted muslin ideas and learning. As this time knowledge of mathematics, astronomy and medicine was very advanced. Askia Mohammed a ruler welcomed Islamic scholars to Timbuktu which was the Centre of learning for the Songhai.is was 1 of the first universities of the world.

 

The fall of the Songhai Empire: the Moroccan invasion in 1591

During the 16^TH the Songhai kings were losing control over their empire. They also didn’t control trade and struggle for power led to civil wars. But the real reason for the fall on the Songhai Empire was gunpowder. In 1591 the Moroccan army invaded Songhai and after defeating the Songhai they plundered cities like GAO and Timbuktu. But after 25 years the Moroccans lost power and the Songhai Empire split into separate independent kingdoms.