what is the possibility for a Hindu state in East Africa? Islam spread to this region via trade if I remember correctly, could Hinduism do the same? If so, what is the latest possible POD?
Such a POD would have to be quite early, bordering on antiquity and it's difficult to see Indian traders travel that far so early.
Disagree. Alexander the Great joined India with Africa and if he'd lived a little longer would have attempted to do the same to yemen.
If Ashoka can send buddhist missionaries to alexandria to the extent that chrstian romans can still meet them there hundreds of year later then a hindu Maurya could do the same.
I do not mean an entirely Hindu east africa, but just one or two societies. Is this still equally as hard to produce?
Maybe kill off Muhammed, that'll buy india a few more centuries to convert the swahili coast before an abrhaamic religion becomes entrenched.
Maybe kill off Muhammed, that'll buy india a few more centuries to convert the swahili coast before an abrhaamic religion becomes entrenched.
Why is it that SE Asia became Indianised while other regions with trade links to India didn't? How come places like the southern coast of Arabia or Africa before Islam didn't adopt Hinduism?
Because India's trade links with Southeast Asia are literally ancient. With east Africa and southern Arabia, not so much.
Interesting. When and why did the latter two trading with India start picking up? After Islam? I know that the Arab conquests of Arabia, Iran, north India, and Egypt gave a large boost to Arab merchants...
With Southern Arabia, it picked up in late antiquity, and with east Africa a bit later, in the early Middle Ages. With both, it was prior to Islam, though of course trade with Arabia picked up after the Arabs conquered the Indian hinterlands.
So yes. You could see Indian influence spread to the two even with a POD as late as no Islam. Though the great danger is that these new syncretic religions get destroyed by the expansion of Christianity if Europeans outpace Hindus in terms of trade.
If forms of Hinduism were adopted, then I don't think we need to worry about Christianity. It's as hard to get rid of as Abrahamic religions. Just look at how many Hindus in India there are despite the centuries long procession of powerful and prestigious Islamic states.
From what I've read, SE Asia adopted Indian culture because it aided in state development and the legitimization of kings. This is why Brahmans were invited to the courts to spread Indian culture and knowledge. Does Southern Arabia share the same need or is it developed enough?