World Cultures - Central Dauphin School District



World Cultures

South Asia Unit

Chapter 7

Geography and Early History of South Asia

Section 1 – The Shape of the Land

The Himalayas and Hindu Kush formed barriers separating South Asia from the rest of Asia

The Indian Subcontinent

South Asia is a large triangular peninsula

Juts southward from the continent of Asian

Bounded on north by the Hindu Kush and Himalayan mountains

On west by the Arabian Sean

On the south by the Indian Ocean

On the east by the Bay of Bengal

These seas have linked South Asia to other parts of the world

Also called the Indian subcontinent

Subcontinent – large landmass that is smaller than a continent

Contains eight independent nations

India (the largest), Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and

the Maldives

Major landforms of the geographic regions

Northern mountains, northern plains, Deccan Plateau

Northern Mountains

Contains many of the world’s largest mountains

Includes Mount Everest, on the border of Nepal and Tibet

Khyber Pass makes movement possible from other parts of Asia

Route of invaders and traders

River systems have their source in streams fed by melting snow form the mountains

People living in these isolated valleys have developed their own ways of life

Northern Plains – also know as the Indo-Gangetic plain

Area just south of the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush

Stretches in a great curve from Pakistan across India into Bangladesh

Area benefits from the three large rives of the subcontinent

Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra

Steady source of water, fertile soil, long growing season make the Indo-Gangetic Plain

densely populated

Indus River

Principle river of Pakistan, empties into the Arabian Sea

Ganges River

Flows eastward across India and joins the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh

Most holy river – shrines and temples line its banks

Ganges and Brahmaputra create an enormous delta on the Bay of Bengal

Delta region has very fertile soil but is subject to terrible flooding

Thar Desert – western end of the northern plains

Covers 100,000 square miles of India and Pakistan

Daccan Plateau

South of the great plains lies the triangular Deccan Plateau

Occupies nearly half of South Asia

Mountains border the Deccan Plateau on three sides

Vindhua Mountains in the north separate the plateau from the Indo-Gangetic Plain

Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats (ghats) – passes that cut through the mountains

Section 2 – Climate and Resources

Monsoon – a seasonal wind that dominated the climate of South Asia

Two monsoon seasons

Wet monsoons of summer

Arrive in late May or early June until October

Land heats the air, it rises, cool, moist air from the sea causes rain

Dry monsoon of winter

Arrives by October

Cool air masses from the northern mountains sink, winds blow back

toward the sea

Monsoons are the key to life of farmers

If summer monsoons are late, the plants wither and dies – result – famine

If summer monsoons bring to much rain, rivers overflow and wash away

crops

Flooding and Storms in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated nations in the world

Among the world’s poorest countries

Most of population is crowded into the delta

Delta is below sea level

Flooding during monsoon season is common

More than 50 cyclones have struck since 1900

Rainfall and Vegetation

Monsoons affect unevenly – causes great variations in climate and vegetation

Mountains affect rainfall

Directly south of the Himalayas – have heavy rainfall

Some mountains create a “rain shadow”

One side of mountain receives plenty of moisture,

Other side of mountain gets almost none

Temperatures also vary greatly across the subcontinent

Northern mountains and upper slopes of the Western Ghats temps can be cold

Most of South Asia has a tropical climate

Natural Resources

Parts of South Asia have fertile soil, especially the Indo-Gangetic Plain

Water is scarce in many parts of the Subcontinent

While rain is plentiful – most falls during the wet monsoon season

On the Deccan Plateau the water lies in rock deep below ground

Mineral resources

Many parts of India have large reserves of iron ore, also rich in manganese, bauxite,

copper

Northern plains – coal is plentiful, also has mica, limestone, gypsum

Has few sources of oil

Indian government supports the use of nuclear power

The Peoples of South Asia

2010 population – US 309 million

Region 1.57 billion

Indian 1.17 billion 2nd largest population – behind China

Pakistan 187 million

Bangladesh 159 million

Bangladesh and Pakistan rank among the 10 most populous countries in the world

Three quarters of the people of South Asia depend on farming to make a living

Geographic features tend to separate people into regional and local groups

Wide variety of customs and practices

Religious beliefs also vary

Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhist

Languages

India has more than 700 languages and dialects

Dialects – a regional version of a language with its own words, expressions,

and pronunciations

Most widely spoken language in India is Hindi

India recognizes 15 official languages and 35 other major regional languages

Often these languages are written in different scripts

Cultural diversity has enriched the region, but it also poses a challenge to the government

Section 3 – Early Civilizations of India

Indus Valley Civilization

India’s first civilization grew up in a fertile rive valley

Lasted about 1,000 years

Had planned cities

Archaeologists think that the cities were built as capitals of a strong empire

Merchants of the Indus Valley traded with the peoples of the Middle East

Unsolved Puxxles

Archaeologists have found caring pictographic writing

Scholars have been unable to decipher the meaning of the writings

Decipher – determine the meaning of

Decline of the Indus Valley Civilization

By 2,000 BC the cities showed signs of decay

First believed invaders had conquered the Indus Valley

New evidence suggest the decline was due to natural causes

Climate change, over use of land

As the civilization decayed, people migrated to other parts of the subcontinent

Arrival of the Aryans

The arrival of the nomadic and warlike people, the Aryans, may have contributed to the

final collapse of the Indus Valley civilization

Aryan migration into India tool hundreds of years

Aryan Culture

Gradually spread out across the northern plains

Much of what we know comes from Vedas -oral religious traditions

Aryans developed a written language – Sanskrit – traditions were written down

Aryan worship centered on sacrifices to the gods

Aryans settled into villages

Aryans were bother farmers and herders

They placed great value on cattle

Divided people into four classes - varna

Brahmans – priest – top of society

Kshatrisuas – warriors

Vaisyas – landowners, merchants, herders

Sudras – servants, peasants who waited on others – bottom of society

Over time, the social classes developed into a more rigid system of caste

Caste – social groups based on birth

Chapter 8

Heritage of South Asia

Section 1 – Religious Traditions

Hindu customs vary greatly across the subcontinent

Hinduism developed over thousands of years

Basic Hindu Beliefs

Hinduism is the chief religion of India

Hinduism has no founder or formal church

Its roots lie in ancient Aryan beliefs and practices

Hinduism is a way of life

Most important texts are the Verdas and the Upanishads

Verdas – contain eternal truths that were revealed to wise men

Upanishads – help to explain the ideas contained in the Vedas

Hindus worship thousands of gods

Each god is a part of a single, supreme force or reality of the universe – Brahman

Three main goads of Hinduism – Brahma, Vishnu, Siva

Brahma - creator

Vishnu - preserver

Siva – destroyer

Each of these gods can take many forms and has his own family

Different sects – religious groups – worship one or another of these gods

Hindus believe in the unity of all life

Every person has an essential self – atman

To Hindus, atman and brahman are the same thing

To Hindus it is important to respect nature and not struggle against it

Reincarnation – rebirth of the soul in various forms

True goal of life is moksha

The freeing of the soul from the body so that the soul can unite with brahman

Cannot be achieved in one lifetime – purpose of reincarnation

Karma – belief that every deed, mental or physical, in this life affects a person’s fate in a

future life

Every good deed sooner or later results in happiness

Every evil deed sooner or later brings sorrow

Hinduism and the Caste System

Beliefs about rebirth and karma are closely tied to the caste system

Caste system set up a strict social and religious order

You remain in the caste into which you were born for life

Belief is that a person’s caste is a result of karma

Hindus believe that the Brahmans, the highest caste, are closest to moksha

Each caste has its own dharma

Dharma – duties and obligations - obedience to caste rules as well as to moral laws

Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama – Buddha – “Enlightened One”

Four Noble Truths

Suffering is universal

Cause of suffering is desire

Only way to end suffering is to crush desire

If people give up desire the can achieve nirvana

Nirvana – condition of wanting nothing

The way to end desire is to follow the Noble Eightfold Path

Practical guide to right conduct

Stressed understanding of the cause of suffering, compassion for

All creatures, kindness, and truthfulness

Buddha thought of himself as a Hindu – and like Hindus --

Believed salvation was achieved when the individual self escapes the body

Believed in karma and reincarnation

Unlike Hindus Buddha

Denied the existence of any gods

Taught priest were not necessary

People had to seek nirvana on their own by following the Noble Eightfold Path

Rejected the caste system

Spread of Buddhism

Set up monasteries and convents

Buddha’s teachings were written down in the Three Baskets of Wisdom

Buddhist missionaries carried the new ideas to other parts of Asia

Two sects grew within Buddhism

Theravada Buddhism

Stressed the monastic life as a way to reach nirvana

Consider Buddha to be a teacher, not worshipped as a god

Mahayana Buddhism

Worshipped Buddha and other enlightened ones as gods

Buddhism has almost disappeared in South Asia

Many Buddhist ideas have been absorbed into Hinduism

Other Religious Traditions

Jainism also developed in South Asia

Like Buddhism, grew out of efforts to reform Hinduism

Rejected the power of the Brahman

Taught reincarnation

Emphasized ahimsa – nonviolence

Avoid harming any living creature

Sweep the ground before they walk on it so as not to harm any living thing

Section 2 – Powerful Empires

Maurya Empire

First ruler to unite the northern plain was Chandragupta Maurya

In 321 BC founded the Maurya dynasty – ruling family

Mauryas ruled India for 140 years

Empire stretched across the northern plain from the Bay of Bengal to the Hindu Kush

Appointed thousands of officials to help rule

Empire enjoyed peace, trade flourished,

Government built irrigation systems and maintained roads

Asoka – grandson of Chandragupta – ruled from 269 BC to 232 BC

Brought the Maurya Empire to the height of its power

At first ruled harshly

Converted to Buddhism – renounced violence

Encourage unity among his subjects

Urged tolerance of one another

Had his laws carved on rocks and pillars for all to see

Asoka’s example has influenced Indian leaders down to the present

To promote Buddhism in the empire, Asoka ordered the building of thousand of stupas

Stupas – shrines containing remains of the Buddha

Asoka worked to spread Buddhism to foreign lands

His efforts helped to make Buddhism a major world religion

Small Kingdoms

For the 500 years after the decline of the Maurya Empire the northern plain had multiple

invaders

Greeks from Bactria, a kingdom north of the Hindu Kush

Pahlavas from Persia

Kushans from Central Asia

Each group brought their own cultures and ideas

Over time these were absorbed into Hindu culture

Southern India developed separately from the north

Dravidians, not Aryans

Spoke Tamil

Hinduism spread slowly in the south

In Tamil kingdoms trade flourished

The Gupta Empire

Lasted from 320 AD to 535 AD

Expanded their rule over much of northern India

Trade increased, particularly with China

Indian scholars developed the concept of zero and invented the decimal system

Scholars figured the correct shape and size of the Earth

As Gupta power declined, the Huns, nomadic people from Central Asia invaded

Muslim Expansion Into India

Around 1200, Muslim rulers set up a capital at Delhi

For 300 years Delhi sultans – rulers, governed much of northern and central India

Did not force Hindu subjects to adopt Islam

Non-Muslims paid special taxes

Could not hold government jobs

Delhi sultans introduced Persian culture into South Asia

Decline of Delhi sultanate

1398 invasion – Mongols from Central Asia

Attacked and destroyed Delhi

Killed or enslaved the entire population of Delhi

1529, another Mongol army invaded – led by Babur founded the Mughal Empire

Mughal – is the Persian word for Mongol

A Clash of Beliefs

Differences in beliefs of Muslims and Hindus was too great

Led to conflicts

Muslim armies destroyed Hindu temples

Muslims and Hindus learned to live together

Blending of Hindu and Muslim traditions

New language – Urdu – combined Persian and Hindi – written in Arabic script

The Mughal Empire

Founded by Babur in 1526 – lasted more than 300 years

United most peoples of South Asia

Golden Age occurred during the reign of Akbar the Great –grandson of Babur

1556 – 1605

Adopted religious toleration

Abolished the special tax on Hindus

Appointed Hindus to jobs in government

Taj Mahal build by Akbar’s grandson, Shah Jahan as a monument to his wife

Power weakened in the 1700s

Caused by wasteful spending

Akbar’s successors ended his policy of toleration

Closed Hindu schools

Dismissed Hindus from government jobs

These actions led to a revolt by Hindu princes

Arrival of Europeans

Section 3 – Patterns of Life

The Caste System

Indian society developed into a complex system based on class and caste

The four varna – classes – of Aryan society

Brahmans – priest – top of society

Kshatrisuas – warriors

Vaisyas – landowners, merchants, herders

Sudras – servants, peasants who waited on others – bottom of society

Firth group emerged

Untouchable – the lowest level of society

Caste system based on the idea that there are separate kinds of humans

Higher caste people considered purer – closer to moksha

New subcaste emerged as new occupations developed

Higher caste persons risked spiritual pollution if they had contact with lower caste

Each occupation had its own caste – jobs were determined at birth

Rules determined which gods caste members worshipped

Where they lived and what they wore

Caste system created a sense of stability and order

Each caste looked after their own

At the same time different casts depended on one another

The caste system was deeply imbedded in law, custom, and religious tradition

Village Life

The basic unit of society

Headman governed the village

Villages varied in sized

Villages were generally self-sufficient

Villagers relied on cattle for plowing, transporting goods, and milk

Some scholars suggest that cattle became sacred in part because of their economic

importance

Family Life

Indians identify first with their family then with the village

Value joint family – a form of the extended family

Family was patriarchal

The oldest male was “Father”

Had complete control over the household

Strong family ties created a sense of order

Often marriages were arranged

The higher a family’s caste, the more costly the marriage would be

Women’s Lives

Within family and society women had few rights

Duty was to marry, wait on her husband, and bear sons

Hindus believe that women alone had shakti – creative energy

Women were thought to lack the knowledge to control their power

They were seen as dangerous unless ruled by a man

Higher-caste women had to obey especially strict rules

Required to live in Purdah – complete seclusion

Rarely left home

Kept separate from all men except their husbands and close relatives

Widows were forbidden to remarry

Expected to spend her life in prayer

Widow considered unlucky

Ignored by family members

Some widow threw themselves on their husbands’ funeral fires

The became sati – “virtuous women”

Sati wiped away the sins of the husband and herself

Section 4 – India Under British Rule

In 1498 the Portuguese captain Vasco da Gama reached India

Dutch, French, and British soon followed

The Mughal emperors kept tight control of European activity until the empire declined

The British had come as traders then turned their attention to conquest

Mughal Emperors and European Traders

Portuguese quickly built a trading empire in Asian

In the 1600s the Dutch broke the Portuguese trade monopoly in Asia

Monopoly – complete control over a market or a product

English and French also sought trading rights from the Mughals

In the 1700s the Mughal Empire entered its decline

Rival princes set up their own almost independent kingdoms

Britain and France took advantage of the empire’s decline

Competed to control the small kingdoms

By the 1760s British forces had overcome the French

East India Company Rule

Robert Clive, an administrator of the East India Company

Won control of the wealthy Indian state of Bengal

Appointed local rulers who favored the interest of the East India Company

The East India Company forced Indian rulers to sign treaties granting it

greater power

Gained enormous wealth from India

Set up a law code and a court system

Took control of more land

Some areas ruled directly – others ruled indirectly through local princes

British Rule

The British government took steps to check the increasing power of the East Indian Company

By 1950s Indians had many grievance against British rule

Outlawed ritual suicide by widows and other Hindu practices

Indian princes dislike being told what to do

High taxes anger farmers

Hindus and Muslims resented efforts of missionaries

Sepoy Rebellion

Sepoys – Indian troops who served in the British army

Sepoys heard rumors that their guns were greased with beef or pork fat

To Hindus cows are sacred – Muslims forbidden to touch pork

New law required them to fight for Britain in foreign lands

Hindus believed they would lose caste if they traveled overseas

Rebellion broke out in 1857

Lasted several months

The British put down the rebellion

In 1858, the British government took over India as a colony

Ruled most of India directly

What remained in the hands of local rulers required them to sign treaties

Treaties gave control of their foreign and military affairs to the British

British reformed law codes and controlled the court system

British moved away from using Indian soldiers

Set up their own civil serve

Set out to create a new class of British-educated Indians

Effects of British Rule

Brought economic and social changes to South Asia

Improved roads and modernized ports

Built railroads and telegraph systems

Helped the British increase trade and control their colony

Also brought Indians in different regions closer together

Helped to destroy the traditional Indian economy and tied India economically to Britain

By the mid-1800s the Industrial Revolution was in full swing in Britain

India became a market for their goods

Local Indian industries were discouraged

Laws limited the British imports of Indian-made goods

Indians had to buy expensive British-made products

To pay for the goods Indians began growing cash crops

Social changes

Improved health care and sanitary conditions

Led to an increase in population

Young people moved to cities to find jobs

Set up schools and colleges to educate higher-caste Indians

Stressed the English language and culture

A British educated middle-class emerged

Education increased the resentment against foreign rule

Contributed to the growth of Indian nationalism

Indian Nationalism

Strongest among the British-educated elite

At first disagreement among nationalist

Some wanted to modernized India and reform the system of British rule

Others favored a return to Hindu traditions

Build a new India blending the best of Hindu and western cultures

Hindu nationalists won support among poor peasants and other working people

In time rejected foreign rule completely and demanded independence

Indians formed various groups to work for change

INC – Indian National Congress – 1885

Most members were Hindus

Called for gradual change, urged the opening of more government jobs for

Indians

After WW I took a more forceful stand under the leadership of

Mohandas Gandhi

Supported home rule

Pressured, Britain promised self-government to India in time

Muslim League – 1906

Tension and distrust kept Hindus and Muslims apart

By 1930s, came to believe that the subcontinent must be divided in two

A nation for Hindus and one for Muslims

Chapter 9

South Asia in Transition

Section 1 – Freedom – And Partition

Growing Unrest

During and after WW I, Indian nationalist increased their demand for freedom

Britain responded with harsh new laws

Limiting freedom of the press and other rights

Banned public gatherings

April 13, 1919 – gathering of more than 10,000 Indians in Amritsar

British troops opened fire

379 Indians killed, 1,100 injured

Amritsar Massacre deepened distrust of British and increased call for separation from British

Mohandas Gandhi

Attorney – united many groups within the nationalist movement

Won backing of common people and Indians who had benefited from British rule

Gandhi’s principles

Developed ideas about the use of nonviolent resistance to end injustice

Called the method satyagraha – “truth force”

Influenced by Hindu and Christian traditions

Influenced by Henry David Thoreau

Civil disobedience – the refusal to obey unjust laws

Appealing to Hindus of all classes

Gave up western ways – encouraged traditional Indian industries

Followers called him Mahatma – “Great Soul”

Rejected some features of the caste system

Salt March

1930, used satyagraha to protest the tax on salt

Marched to the sea and made their own salt

Gandhi and 50,000 others arrested

British responded to nonviolent Indian protest with force

Moving Toward Independence

Indian National Congress refused to support Britain in WW II unless Britain promised

Immediate independence

Britain refused

Gandhi organized a “Quit India” movement

Policy of non-cooperation

Continued campaign of civil disobedience

By 1945 war weakened Britain realized it could no longer keep India

Hindu-Muslim conflict over independence

Deep difference in religious beliefs

Muslims believe their rights would not be respected

The Subcontinent Divided

1946, rioting broke out between Hindus and Muslims

1947, British parliament passed the Indian Independence Act

Ended British rule

Provided for the partition of the Indian subcontinent into two independent nations

Hindu dominated Indian – Jawaharlal Nehru – Prime Minister of India

Muslim majority Pakistan – Jinnal – Governor General of Pakistan

Violence led to the death of more than 500,000

Millions of Hindus fled Pakistan for India

Millions of Muslims fled India for Pakistan

January 1948, a Hindu extremist assassinated Mahatma Gandhi

Section 2 – Political Challenges

India’s Government

1949, Indian leaders wrote a constitution

Created a federal system

Central government and governments of 25 states and territories

Parliamentary democracy – government ruled democratically by a national representative

body that has supreme legislative powers

President is head of state but has little power

Leader of the political party that wins the most seats in parliament becomes prime minister

Two houses of parliament

Upper house – Rajya Sabha – Council of State – chosen by the state legislatures

Lower house – Lok Sabha – House of the People – direct voter elections

Indian has more than a dozen national political parties

Many based on different caste, language, and religious groups

If no party wins a majority in elections a coalition government is formed

Coalition – ruling alliance of several different political parties

Dividing and Unifying Forces

Poverty and illiteracy are still widespread

Caste system poses problems as India seeks to modernize

Efforts to help the lower casts and poor have been met with strong opposition

Untouchable suffer most

Constitution declared untouchability illegal

Outlawed discrimination against untouchables

Opened government jobs

Caused protest from higher castes

Cultural diversity is another dividing force

Some ethnic and language groups have demanded their own states

Sikh separatism

Make up 2 percent of population

Strong military traditions

Increased violence

Hindu-Muslim conflicts continue to plague India

The main reason for the success of India is their commitment to democratic traditions

The bond of Hindu religion and traditions

India’s Leaders

Jawaharlal Nehru

Led Indian for 17 years after independence

Hoped to create a secular, casteless India

Secular – country with no official religion

Indira Gandhi

Nehru’s daughter

Tried to modernize the country

Faced economic woes and charges of corruption

1984 - Assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards

Rajiv Gandhi

Indira Gandhi’s son

Became prime minister after the death of his mother

1991 – assassinated by Tamil guerrillas

Section 3 – Economic Development

Economic Goals

India’s new leaders were determined to become free of economic dependence

Nehru adopted many socialist principles

Regulated the economy and issued a series of five-year plans

Set up a mixed economy

Government control of large industries – mining, transportation, energy

Private ownership of smaller businesses – production of consumer goods

Industrial Growth

During early independence, industry made impressive gains

By the 1960s, India ranked as the seventh most industrialized nation

Growth slowed in the 1970s

In part due to the rise in petroleum prices

India must import much of its oil

Economic slowdown forced economic reforms

Government moved to privatization of industries

These changes got India’s economy moving again

During the 1990s, Indian had one of the world’s fastest growing economies

Poverty remains widespread in India

To keep up with rapid population growth, India needs to create millions of new

jobs each year

Progress in Agriculture

Farming continues to be the heart of the Indian economy

About three-quarters of all Indians live in rural areas

Most are struggling subsistence farmers

Leaders worked hard to improve farm production

Major investment into new irrigation systems

Helped farmers to plant a second, dry-season crop

Landless peasants worked as tenant farmers

Tenant farmers – farmers who rent land from a large landowner and pays wither

in cash or with a portion of the crop

Government set up a program of land reform – redistribution of land

Limited success

Landowners with political clout block enforcement of the law

Tenant farmers did not have the money to buy the land

New technology – Green Revolution – improved output in the 60s and 70s

Today, India prows enough food to export some crops

Section 4 – Changing Patterns of Life

Village Life

Villages have changed little

Have kept their traditional economies

Some have cottage industries

Cottage industries – small businesses run from the home

Growing number of villages have electricity, clinics, schools, telephones

Some villagers buy factory-made goods

A few can afford tractors

Government has taken steps to improve health care

Health clinics bring better medical care to rural areas

As a result a decrease in infant mortality

Infant mortality – the rate at which babies die

Modernization and the Caste System

Government has tried to weaken the caste system

Caste affects occupations

Higher caste can afford education for their children

People from different caste mix more freely

Urbanization has weakened caste distinctions

Often the background of your city neighbor is not known

Educated, westernized Indians reject caste differences

Improving Education

Indian leaders knew that education was necessary

Government built schools in each state

Today 80 percent of elementary age children get some schooling

Literacy rate is 52 percent

More boys get educated than girls

High caste students are more likely to continue their education

Family Life

Couples are marrying later

Many marriages are still arranged

Family structure is also changing

CIA dwelling families live in nuclear not joint families

Women have gained some legal rights

Have the right to vote, own property, and divorce, widow can remarry

Section 5 – Other Nations of South Asia

Pakistan Since Independence

At independence Pakistan consisted of West Pakistan and East Pakistan

West Pakistan bordered the Middle East and had frequent droughts

East Pakistan bordered Southeast Asia and suffered from frequent floods

West Pakistan dominated the government

Promoted industry and provided aid to the people of the west

East Pakistan resented the unequal treatment

1970 cyclone caused enormous damage to East Pakistan

The government was slow to act

1971, with the help of India East Pakistan broke away and became independent Bangladesh

Most of the population in Pakistan lives in rural areas

Government has invested heavily in agriculture

Pakistan has built chemical, auto, and steel factories

Has developed a strong textile industry

Illiteracy is high and millions live in poverty

Pakistan has experience long periods of military rule

Pakistan has felt the effects of the Islamic revival

1991, the Koran was made the supreme law of the land

it has not been widely used

Bangladesh

Densely populated

Natural disasters and a huge population have limited progress in Bangladesh

Without massive aid, Bangladesh cannot improve its communications and transportation

system

Afghanistan

Mountainous landlocked nation

Over centuries settled by the Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, and Uzbek trial groups

Each group developed its own language and customs

During the 1800s resisted British and Russian efforts to take over their land

1979 to 1989, Soviet troops supported a harsh communist government

Late 1990s, Taliban, a fundamentalist Muslim group gained power

Imposed an extreme form of Islam on the country

One of the poorest countries in the world – war has left the country in ruins

Sri Lanka

Won independence from Britain after World War II

1972 changed its name from Ceylon to Sri Lanka

Developed economy based on export crops – tea, rubber, and coconuts

Literacy rate of more than 75 percent

Ethnic and religious divisions

70 percent of Sri Lankans speak Sinhalese and practice Buddhism

18 percent speak Tamil and practice Hinduism

Tamils charged that they faced discrimination in education, jobs, and land ownership

1980s, Sinhalese-Tamil tensions burst into violence

Disrupted the entire country

At first India supported the Tamil separatists

Later prime minister Rajiv Gandhi sent Indian troops to help Sri Lanka fight the Tamil

Tamil extremists felt betrayed – assassinated Gandhi in 1991

In 2002, the Tamil rebels and the government agreed to a cease-fire

The two sides began peace talks

Small Nations of the Subcontinent

Bhutan and Nepal are landlocked countries in the Himalayas

Bhutan is a monarchy – most of the people are Buddhist

Nepal is a monarchy – most of the people are Hindu

The two countries are among the least developed and most isolated nations in the world

Chapter 10

South Asia in the World Today

Section 1 – Regional and Global Issues

Indian and the Subcontinent

In size and strength, India dominates the subcontinent

Since 1947, relations between India and Pakistan have remained tense

Violence following partition left a legacy of bitterness and distrust

Created territorial disputes that remain unresolved

Kashmir – a region of India

Indus River and many of its tributaries flow through Kashmir

The nation that controls Kashmir controls the source of irrigation water

Kashmir had never been under British control

At partition, Kashmir tried to stay independent

When Muslims rebelled, Kashmir asked India for help

Pakistan sent troops to support the Muslims

UN cease-fire left Kashmir divided between India and Pakistan

One third went to Pakistan the remainder to India

Solution satisfied no one

Since the 1980s, Muslim separatist have fought to create an independent Kashmir

Pakistan want a plebiscite – popular vote – to let the people of Kashmir decide

Believes the Muslim majority would vote to join Pakistan

India opposes the vote

Fears a vote would encourage other separatist groups

2001 tensions rose again after a terrorist attack on the Indian parliament

A new war between India and Pakistan poses greater risk

Both countries are armed with nuclear weapons

Both nations see nuclear weapons as symbols of national pride

Before they had nuclear weapons, the nations went to war three time

1947 and 1964 they fought over Kashmir

1971 was broke out when India helped Bangladesh beak away from Pakistan

Tension between the countries reduce the chance of them reducing their stocks of weapons

Indians relations with Bangladesh are often strained

Bangladesh wants India to build more flood control projects

Indian is slow to invest in these projects

India has closed its borders with Bangladesh to stop the flow of people trying to

escape poverty in Bangladesh

Indian and the World

During the Cold War India chose to follow a policy of nonalignment

Welcomed economic aid from both the US and the Soviet Union

After independence, India sought friendly relations with China

In the 1950s, Chinese forces occupied Tibet

This occupation strained India Chinese relations

Border disputes have flared to violence

Pakistan and the World

Took a strong anti-Communist stand during the Cold War

Saw the nearby Soviet Union as a threat

Joined military alliances set up by the US

Received military and economic aid from the US

Since the break up of the Soviet Union, Pakistan has loosened ties with the US

Turned toward the Muslim countries of the Middle East

Close geographic and cultural ties

Afghanistan and the World

Afghanistan is a buffer state – a small country located between larger, hostile powers –

Between Pakistan and the former Soviet Union and China

1979 to 1989, Soviet forces were in Afghanistan supporting a communist government

More than 3 million Afghans fled into Pakistan

Aided by Pakistan and the US, Afghan fighters resisted communist rule

When Soviet troops withdrew, Afghan warlords battled for power

1997, Taliban imposed a harsh and extreme form of Islam

Protected Osama Bin Laden

US military campaign drove the Taliban from power

Section 2 – Looking to the Future

“Hug-the-Tree” Movement

Started by women in northern India to save Himalayan forest from destruction

Environmental Issues

Concern about the effects of modernization on the environment

Many kinds of development have negative as well as positive effects

Narmada Valley Project (NVP)

Calls for the building of 30 major dams and more than 3,000 smaller dams

Supports – provide water for irrigation, produce electric power

Critics – flood farmland, destroy wildlife, displace people, submerge

sacred shrines

1984, Bhopal chemical plant accident

Released deadly gas into atmosphere

Killed more than 2,000 people

Other issues include:

Large-scale limestone quarrying, nuclear power plants, deforestation,

chemical insecticides and fertilizers

Crisis in Numbers

Threats to the environment closely linked to the population explosion

Growing numbers of people compete for scarce resources

At the current growth rate, India’s population will soon overtake that of China

Causes of rapid population growth

Improved medical care – more people live longer

Decrease in infant mortality rate

Effects of rapid population growth

Greater population density

Agriculture can not keep up with demand

Strain on limited resources

Education and jobs for the young

Family planning through education has had limited effect

People in cities have smaller families

Rural landowners have smaller families

Poorer farmers do not have access to family planning resources

Age-old traditions

Farmers depend on children to work the land and care for elderly

Continue to have children until a more highly valued boy is born

The World of Cities

Rapid population growth contributes to urbanization

Most newcomers to cities are landless peasants

Not enough jobs or housing

Poor live in crowded slums

A small but growing middle class

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download