The new religion of Islam came into India with waves of invaders, from Turkic speakers of central Asia to Arabs from the distant west. In the process, northeastern India became increasingly Muslim and influenced by Islamic culture owing to the arrival of these Turkic peoples.

An Islamic state was established at Delhi—the Delhi Sultanate—which lasted more than three hundred years and became the center of Islamic India. However, because the minority Muslim rulers did not enforce cultural homogeneity, the invasions strengthened the cultural diversity that was already a hallmark of Indian social order.

Chan Buddhism — a form of Mahayana Buddhism that emphasizes meditation; it is widely practiced in Japan where it is known as Zen Buddhism. cabotage — a system wherein groups or individuals are granted the right to trade in another’s territory. caravansary — an inn funded by the state or wealthy individuals where travelers could spend the night and store their goods securely. moksha — the release from samsara and the karmic cycle together with the attainment of a complete understanding of the world.