Hinduism Endures:
1100 to 1850
India responded to centuries of Muslim invasion and rule and later British colonization by both armed resistance and spiritual resolve. The country remained overwhelming Hindu despite foreign domination and religious oppression. India was one of the very few ancient societies to survive into modern times with its religion and social structure largely intact.
Note to Students, Parents and Teachers
This Educational Insight is the third chapter in our series on Hindu history intended for use in US primary and secondary schools. Most textbooks presenting Indian history between 1100 and 1850 focus on the Muslim and British rule. They tend to ignore the adverse material and religious impact of this rule on Hindus, who made up 80% of the population during most of this period. This chapter is intended to fill this gap and serve as a supplement to other texts, not as a comprehensive overview of all events of this time. It is meant to explain what happened under India’s foreign invaders and protracted alien rule and how Hindus, their religion and way of life survived this violent and oppressive time. This is a difficult part of history to teach, but necessary for a proper understanding of our modern world.
This lesson was written and designed by the editorial staff of HINDUISM TODAY in collaboration with Dr. Shiva Bajpai, Professor Emeritus of History, California State University, Northridge.
Academic reviewers: Dr. Klaus Klostermaier, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Manitoba; Dr. Jeffrey D. Long, Chair, Department of Religious Studies, Elizabethtown College; Dr. Anantanand Rambachan, Professor of Religion, St. Olaf College; Dr. T.S. Rukmani, Professor and Chair in Hindu Studies, Concordia University; Dr. Michael K. Ward, Visiting Lecturer in History, California State University, Northridge. Research Assistant: Justin Stein, MA, University of Hawaii, and former middle school teacher in New York.