Transcript Cultural Geography B Mr. Ehlke

South Asia
South Asia Geo & Early History
 7 Countries (India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan)
 Geo Features
 Himalayas (Tallest mountains in the world)
 Kashmir Valley (Battle between India & Pakistan)
 Indus River (Supports Pakistan’s population)
 Ganges River (Supports India’s Population)
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Sacred to Indians
Very Polluted
Geography Continued
 Climate
 Wet monsoon summer (3 months of rain)
 Dry winter (9 months)
 Diversity
 4 major world religions (Hindu, Muslim, Sikh,
Buddhism)
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Hindu = Majority in India
Islam = Majority in Pakistan & Bangladesh
Sikh = Minority in both
Buddhism = All other countries
 700 spoken languages (Hindi is largest)
Geography Continued
 The People
 1 in 5 people on the planet are from South Asia
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India # 2 (1,070,000,000) Expected to pass China
Pakistan # 6 (160,000,000)
Bangladesh # 8 (142,000,000)
 Most live in villages/Cities are rapidly Growing
 http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0884418.html
 ¾ of people still depend on farming
Bangladesh
 One of poorest most densely populated countries in
the world
 Very fertile land from constant flooding
 Barely above sea level
 Causes massive flooding
 50 cyclones in the 1990s alone
Early civilizations
 Indus Valley Civilization one of earliest
 Arrival of Aryan’s
 Nomadic/warlike people
 From caucus Mountains
 Sweep through Mid East settle into India
 Set up social class system
(CASTE SYSTEM)
Caste System
 4 classes (Called Varna)
 Brahmans (Priests)
 Kshatryia’s (Warriors/Teachers)
 Vaisya (Land owners & Merchants)
 Sudra’s (Servants & Peasants)
 Position is based on birth
 Can not move up or down
 Can not inter-marry
 5th group not considered a class
 (UNTOUCHABLES)
Religions of India/Hinduism
 Basic Hindu Beliefs
 No founder of formal church
 Comes from ancient Aryan beliefs & practices
 Major religion of present day India
 Sacred Texts
 Vedas & Upanishads
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Ramayana & Mahabharata are also ancient writings
 Polytheistic
 Worship thousands of gods
 Each god is part of supreme force (Brahman)
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Brahman = supreme force of the universe
Hinduism Continued
 Main Gods
 1. Brahma = The Creator
 2. Vishnu = The Preserver
 3. Siva = The Destroyer
 Atman = The essential self in every individual
 Hindu’s believe all things part of the same universal
soul
 Stress non-violence & Respect of nature
 Believe people suffer from pursuit of false goals
 Material riches & Personal pleasures
Hinduism Continued
 Moksha = True goal for all Hindu’s
 Soul freed from body united with Brahman
 Can’t be done in one life/Reincarnation
 Karma = every deed (mental or physical) in this life
affects fate in future lives
 Present situation = result of previous lives
 Caste System
 Strict social class under Hinduism
 Brahman’s believed to be closest to Moksha
Buddhism
 Siddhartha Gautama = Buddha/Enlightened one
 Buddha thought himself a Hindu
 Difference
 Denies existence of gods/Priests are not needed for
Nirvana
 Rejected Caste System
Buddhism Continued
 4 Noble Truths
 1. Suffering is universal
 2. Cause of suffering is desire
 3. End suffering by crushing desire (Nirvana = state of
wanting nothing)
 4. End desire by following noble eightfold path
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*Guide to conduct, Understanding suffering, compassion for
all creatures, Kindness & Truthfulness.
Buddhism Continued
 Three Baskets Of Wisdom (Bible/Holy-book)
 Recorded by followers
 Sects of Buddhism
 Theravada Buddhism
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Monastic life to reach Nirvana
View Buddha as a great Teacher
 Mahayana Buddhism
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Worship Buddha as a god
 4th largest religion in the world
 Nearly 400 million Buddhists
British Rule of India
 When British arrive India = separate states not united
 British attempt conversion to Christianity
 Force Indian Princes to follow their laws
 Outlaw practice of “Sati”
 Draft Indians into British Army
 Sepoy Rebellion
 Rumor that guns greased with pork & beef grease
 Indians forced to fight in distant lands
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Believe they lose caste if they die out of country
 Major uprising of Indian troops/British kill many
Effects of British Rule
 Set up court system & Hospitals
 Improve roads & Communications
 Destroy local economy
 People forced to buy expensive British goods
 Forced to grow cash crops (For British)
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Leads to massive famine
 Educate Higher classes
 Become aware of their situation
 Leads to Indian Nationalism/Gandhi
 Amritsar Massacre
 400 killed 1,100 wounded (Turning point in struggle for
freedom)
Mohandas Gandhi
 Born to a middle class Hindu Family
 Studies Law in England
 Practices law in South Africa
 Fights for civil rights
 Inspiration to men like Martin Luther King Jr.
Mohandas Gandhi
 Inspires India to unite
against British rule
 Satyagraha
 Method to end injustice
 Called it “Life Force”
 Civil Disobedience
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Refuse to follow unjust laws
 Make British aware of injustice
 Gives up Western ways
 Lives as traditional Indian
Hindu/Muslim Conflict
 Differences Polytheistic vs Monotheistic
 Islam teaches all are equal
 Hindu’s follow the caste system
 Muslim’s follow strict laws of Koran
 Hindu’s tolerate many beliefs
 Cattle = Food to Muslims
 Sacred to Hindu’s
India Splits
 2 Nations Created
 Hindu dominated India
 Muslim dominated East & West Pakistan
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East Pakistan becomes Bangladesh in 1970s
 War with Pakistan for independence
 Fighting kills ½ million
 15 million forced to flee homeland
 Currently
 Fighting over Kashmir Valley
 Nuclear War Threat
India since Gandhi
 Leaders
 Nehru
 Improves economy
 Industrializes country
 Improves agriculture
 Indira Gandhi
 Nehru’s daughter
 1975 ends democracy
 Restores it 10 years later
 Sikh body guards assassinated her
Continued
 Rajiv Gandhi
 Son of Indira
 Also Assassinated
Solving India’s problems today
 1. Complete end to the caste system
 2. Improve education (For all)
 3. Slow population growth
 4. Reduce rural poverty
Extra’s
 Major improvements in rights for women
 Education
 Lacks teachers, technology, too many languages
 Cow Poop
 Used in cooking, flooring, and fertilizer
 Untouchables today
 Converting to Islam to improve lives