India, pt. 3 -- The Rise of the South & the Islamic Conquests

We follow the dramatic evolution of Indian civilization after the fall of the Gupta empire, tracing from the specctacular rise of trade, art, and new religious movements in the southern kingdoms, through the tumult and fragmentation of the northern statelets and the cataclysmic invasions of raiders from Central Asia, and finally to the creation of Islamic states in the subcontinent just in time for the arrival of the first European ships in Indian ports. Suggested Further Reading: Thapar, "A History of India, vol. 1" My previous two lectures on India: https://www.patreon.com/posts/india-pt-1-in-56820942 https://www.patreon.com/posts/india-pt-2-of-57460725 Image: Brihadisvara Temple, Tanjore, Tamil Nadu, 1003-1010 AD. Please become a patron to hear all patron-only lectures, including the next Myth of the Month! -- https://www.patreon.com/user?u=5530632