• 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."

• South Asia, North, 1000-1400 A.D. [Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art]
"Buddhism fades as a powerful force in most parts of the north, while Islam finds its place within the South Asian cultural and religious landscape. Sanskrit learning reaches new heights in peripheral areas like Kashmir, while central seats of power in the north are occupied increasingly by rulers of West and Central Asian descent." With a period overview, list of key events, and six related artworks.

• South Asia, South, 1000-1400 A.D. [Timeline of Art History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art]
"Central India remains contested by various major powers—each developing a distinctive but related artistic style—until the ascendancy of Turkish–Central Asian dynasties at the end of the period. Buddhism, once a powerful religious and cultural force in the south, disappears in all but Sri Lanka, where it flourishes into the modern period." With a period overview, list of key events, and seven related artworks.

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

• Architecture of the Delhi Sultanate [University of Washington, Simpson Center for the Humanities]
"In the late twelfth century, the Ghurid dynasty, whose homeland was just northwest of Kabul in Afghanistan, extended its power throughout northern India. For a time, the Ghurid state encompassed all the territory from Herat to Bengal; its rule was significant in bringing Central Asian Islamic culture to India. The Turkic slave commanders of the Ghurids established the Delhi Sultanate when the Ghurid empire disintegrated." With images.

• 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.

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• A Brief History of Urdu [BBC Languages]
With a short guide to the Urdu alphabet and some key phrases.

• "The History of Urdu" [PDF] [Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, Columbia University]
A chapter from A History of Urdu Literature (1932), by T. Grahame Bailey.

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• The Religions of South Asia [Asia Society]
"From the earliest civilizations to modern-day practices, this essay introduces the complex and important role of religion in South Asian history and society."

• Teaching Islam as an Asian Religion [PDF] [Education About Asia, Association for Asian Studies]

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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).

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