2.1 India and International Connections

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

  • Explain the roles of Babur and Akbar in the rise of the Mughal Empire
  • Describe the distinctive aspects of the Mughal Empire’s hybrid culture
  • Analyze the effects of geography, conquest, and immigration on Gujarat’s role in Indian Ocean trade networks
  • Discuss the rise of the Maratha Empire
  • Explain how internal conflicts in India contributed to the success of European colonization

At the center of world trade in the sixteenth century was India, especially the ports on its western coast, such as the cities in the Sultanate of Gujarat. Through these harbors came the wealth and the people of the Indian Ocean world, creating a society notable for its prosperity and diversity. The desire to control this wealth attracted both European explorers and Indian dynasties, such as the Mughals and Marathas, and eventually, it brought them into conflict.

This lesson has no exercises.

The content of this course has been taken from the free World History, Volume 2: from 1400 textbook by Openstax