caused this Empire to disintegrate into rival Hindu king- 

 doms — Buddhism was vanishing from India itself now, 

 going to Burma, Ceylon, and Thailand where it continues 

 today. In about 1000 A.D. Muslim invaders began settling 

 in India, and they ruled the Hindus during the following 

 seven and a half centuries. The first Muslim Dynasty was 

 started in c. 1200, and in about 1520 an empire was 

 created under the Mogul Babur. The Moguls restored 

 order in the country, and the enlightened emperor Akbar 

 encouraged trade with other countries, promoted art 

 and science, and tolerated all religions. The famous, beauti- 

 ful, Taj Mahal monument was built at this time, which 

 was the most brilliant in Muslim-ruled India. However, 

 the decline of Mogul power, and rising conflict between 

 French, Dutch, British and Portuguese traders, eventually 

 resulted in Britain taking over the rule of India after 

 the British victory over France in the Seven Years War. 

 Thus from about 1750 until the independence of India and 

 Pakistan (Hindu and Muslim respectively) was gained in 

 1947, India was an Empire under Britain. This period 

 although broken in its middle by the Indian Mutiny, saw 

 the development of much needed transport systems, a 

 strengthening of order, and the origination of simpler 

 currencies in India. Today India is making considerable 

 progress in its effort to use modern scientific knov/ledge to 

 solve the many problems facing the rapidly growing popu- 

 lation. 



The origin of modern Western civilization lies in the 

 small island of Crete in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, 

 where from before 2000 B.C. the Aegean people achieved 

 a remarkably advanced culture which is being studied 

 carefully today. These people were traders with Europe 

 and the Near East, and they developed a linear form of 



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