• India: A Historical Overview [Asia Society]
Background reading about "the people and characteristics of India's historical eras, from the early Indus River Valley civilization, through the Mughal period to present day."

• India in World History: The World in India, 1450-1770 [Education About Asia, Association for Asian Studies]
"'World history' means many things to many scholars, teachers, and students. So does 'Indian History.' This article explicitly brings these two enterprises together, to situate the history of India in ongoing larger processes that were transforming the entire world through three centuries, from the second half of the fifteenth century to the second half of the eighteenth. It asks several fundamental questions: Which people and processes brought India into greater participation in the wider world outside its borders? Which originated from outside India and which from within? How did India change? How did the world?" Download PDF on page.

• South Asia, 1400-1600 A.D. [Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art]
"A period of great change for the South Asian subcontinent. In the north, the declining Delhi Sultanate gives way to the Mughals, who establish the largest empire ever seen on the subcontinent." With a period overview, list of key events, and ten related artworks.

• South Asia, 1600-1800 A.D. [Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art]
"At the start of this period, the Mughal dynasty is at the height of its power, having been secured and consolidated by Akbar (d. 1605). Under his successors in the seventeenth century, more of the subcontinent is incorporated into the Mughal empire as the rulers of the Deccan are finally conquered and become Delhi's feudatories." With a period overview, list of key events, and ten related artworks.

Timeline • The Story of India: The Meeting of Two Oceans [PBS]
Excellent annotated timeline with text, images, and video clips throughout.

• Mughal India [The British Museum]
"This website presents a museum's 'Students' Room.' Within it you will find a wealth of visual and textual resources: paintings, coins, weapons, jewellery and models from The British Museum's collections. Students are invited to use the room to research an area they are interested in. The more resources they use within the website, the more they will learn about this period." Uses Flash. Visit the "Staff Room" for six lesson plans on the Mughal rulers Akbar and Babur, as well as Mughal art and architecture.

• Islamic Art of the Deccan [Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art]
"The "Deccan" (derived from Dakshina) is a geographical term that refers to the plateau in south central India still ruled by Hindu kings when the first Muslim sultanates of India were established in Delhi." This essay discusses the cultural and political developments in the Deccan region during the rule of the Bahmanids (1347-1528). With eleven images of related artwork and architecture.

• The Art of the Mughals before 1600 [Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art]
A brief historical introduction to the reigns of Babur (1483-1531), founder of the Mughal empire, and his grandson, Akbar (1542-1605), who successfully consolidated and strengthened the empire. With ten images of related artwork and architecture.

• History of Sikhism [Religion & Ethics, BBC]
A short overview of Sikhism and its history.

• Sikhism [UCLA]
An extensive look at the history and tenets of the Sikh faith, by UCLA professor of history Vinay Lal.

Lesson Plan • The Story of India: Akbar’s Debate [PBS]
For middle to high school levels. Objectives: "Trace the Mughal conquest of India; Review the basic tenets of Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Islam, Jainism, and Christianity; Understand Akbar's vision of a universal religion." With many images and online video resources.

Primary Source + Lesson Plan + DBQ • Bhakti Poets [Women in World History, Center for History and New Media, George Mason University]
An excellent teaching module about the Bhakti Movement in Indian literature, which "is characterized by the writings of its poet-saints, many of whom were [lower-caste Hindu women], that extolled passionate devotional love for the Divine." With nine examples of Bhakti poetry by four women poets, Janabai (13th century), Mirabai (ca. 1498-ca. 1546), Akkamahadevi (12th century), and Bahinabai (17th century). With a lesson plan for high school students and a document based question (DBQ).

Primary Source + Lesson Plan + DBQ • Sati [Women in World History, Center for History and New Media, George Mason University]
A teaching module about sati, "the ritual of self-immolation or self-sacrifice by a Hindu widow on her husband’s pyre." With eleven primary source documents dating from 1667 to 1901. With a lesson plan for high school students and a document based question (DBQ).

• Taj Mahal: Memorial to Love [Treasures of the World, PBS]
An in-depth look at the Taj Mahal, which Shah Jahan (1592-1666) built in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal (1593-1631). With extensive background information about the Mughal dynasty and Mughal architecture.

• The Mughal Court Paintings [Asia Society]
A discussion of materials and techniques of South Asian court painting from 1600-1900.

• Power and Desire: South Asian Paintings from the San Diego Museum of Art [Asia Society]
Online presentation of a 2000-2001 exhibition of Mughal and Rajput court paintings from northern and western India from the 16th-19th centuries. The following topics are discussed: 1) The Royal Courts; 2) Rule and Domain; 3) Love and Longing; 4) Divine Realms. There is also a curator's essay and an essay discussing "the poetic image," as well as a guide to looking at South Asian paintings and a "Closer Look" analysis of a specific painting.

Find more art-related resources for India/South Asia, 1450-1750 CE
at OMuRAA (Online Museum Resources on Asian Art)