SOUTH ASIA
(CHAPTER 8)
THE REALM
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Five Regions
India
Pakistan
Bangladesh
Mountainous
North
Southern Islands
MAJOR GEOGRAPHIC QUALITIES OF
SOUTH ASIA
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Well defined physiographically
The world’s second largest population cluster
Low income economies
Population concentrated in villages subsistence agriculture
Boundary problems - Kashmir
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FEDERAL SYSTEM
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ADOPTED BY INDIA IN 1947
PROVIDES REGIONS AND PEOPLES WITH SOME
AUTONOMY AND IDENTITY
Monsoons
--“To know India and her people,
one has to know the monsoon.”
--To the people of India, the
monsoons are a source of life, but
it also causes destruction.
-- Very distinctive seasonal
precipitation regime
CULTURE
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A culturally fragmented realm
Religious and linguistic diversity
Religious Patterns:
 Islam is predominant in Pakistan and
Bangladesh.
 Hinduism is predominant in India, generally.
 Sikhism thrives in northern India.
 Buddhism is predominant in Sri Lanka.
CULTURE HEARTH
The Indus River
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Where an early culture emerged and developed
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Arts and trade routes emerged from isolated ethnic
groups and villages to towns and beyond.
Hinduism emerged from the beliefs and practices
brought to India by the Aryans (6th century BC)
Buddhism born of discontent; made the state
religion of India in 3rd century BC
Islam swept through central India from the 8th -10th
centuries AD
EARLY CULTURE HEARTHS
LANGUAGES
RELIGION
HINDUISM
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One of the world’s
oldest religions
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Diffused south and
east down the
Ganges River (see
text for holy site).
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Absorbed and
eventually
supplanted earlier
native religions and
customs
HINDUISM
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Not just a religion; an intricate web of religious,
philosophical, social, economic, and artistic
elements
No common creed, no single doctrine
No direct divine revelation
No rigid narrow moral code
MAJOR TENETS OF HINDUISM
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Three main ideas are important in
understanding the Hindu religion and the
Caste System
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Reincarnation
Karma
Dharma
REINCARNATION
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Every living thing has a soul.
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When a living thing dies, its soul moves
into another living creature.
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Souls are reborn in a newly created life.
KARMA
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Every action brings about certain results.
There is no escaping the consequences
of one’s actions.
Good behavior is rewarded when the
soul is reborn into a higher ranking living
creature; bad behavior is punished when
the soul is reborn into a lower ranking
living creature.
DHARMA
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A set of rules that must be followed by all
living things if they wish to work their way
up the ladder of reincarnation.
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Each person’s dharma is different.
THREE
BASIC PRACTICES
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Puja or worship
(also, Hindus do not
eat beef)
Cremation of the
dead
Regulations of the
caste system (note
video)
ORIGINS AND SPREAD OF BUDDHISM
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Siddhartha Gautama (563 - 483 B.C.) –
a.k.a Buddha. Born in Nepal.
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Buddhism came from Hinduism (just as
Christianity came from Judaism).
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Emperor Asoka adopted it as the state
religion (3rd Century B.C.)
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Adherents object to harsher features of
Hinduism (e.g. Caste System)
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Focuses on knowledge, especially selfknowledge
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Elimination of worldly desires,
determination not to hurt or kill people or
animals
E. J. PALKA
FOUR “NOBLE TRUTHS” OF BUDDHISM
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Sorrow and suffering are part of all life.
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People suffer because they desire things they
cannot have.
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The way to escape suffering is to end desire, to
stop wanting, and to reach a stage of not wanting.
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To end desire, follow the “middle path,” i.e., the
path that avoids the extremes of too much
pleasure and desire.
FALL OF BUDDHISM ON THE
SUBCONTINENT
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Hinduism was broad and tolerant, accepting many of the teachings
of Buddha, so many stayed with Hinduism
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Also, Buddhists in India were willing to compromise with the
beliefs and customs of Hinduism
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Final blow to Buddhism came in the 8th century, with the arrival of
Islam, which:
-- Destroyed the great Buddhist monasteries
-- Burned libraries
-- Killed monks
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Today there are only 1 million Buddhists in India – in the region
where it started!
RELIGIOUS CONTRASTS
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ISLAM
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Monotheistic
No idols
One sacred book
Uniform dogma - 5 pillars
Intolerant (of other religions)
Eat beef/Sacrifice cows
Bury Dead
Social Equality (in theory)
Theocratic society (state
religion encouraged)
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HINDUISM
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Polytheistic
Many idols
Various sacred writings
Varying beliefs
Absorbed other religions
Don’t eat beef/Venerate cows
Burn dead (cremation)
Caste separation
Having the religion as part of
the “State” is of secondary
importance
INDIA
INDIA
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ENCOMPASSES 3/4s OF SOUTH ASIA’S
TOTAL AREA
A FEDERATION OF 28 STATES, AND 1
National Capital Territory.
POPULATION OF 1.124 BILLION PEOPLE –
the world’s largest democracy.
28% URBANIZED
14 MAJOR AND NUMEROUS MINOR
LANGUAGES
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (INDIA)
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38% LIVE BELOW THE POVERTY LINE
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A MIXTURE OF TRADITIONAL VILLAGE FARMING AND
MODERN AGRICULTURE
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HANDICRAFTS, OLD AND NEW BRANCHES OF
INDUSTRY; CLOTHING INDUSTRY (note video)
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MULTITUDE OF SUPPORT SERVICES AND NUCLEAR
POWER
E. J. PALKA
E. J. PALKA
GREEN REVOLUTION
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THE SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER YIELD,
FAST-GROWING VARIETIES OF RICE AND OTHER
CEREALS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
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INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PROGRAM-1960s
FOCUSED ON THE FOOD CRISES
INCREASED PRODUCTION PER UNIT AREA VIA:
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MIRACLE CROPS
NEW IRRIGATION SYSTEMS
INTENSIVE USE OF FERTILIZERS
INDIA’S GREAT CITIES
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MUMBAI (BOMBAY) - 18.9 MILLION
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KOLKATA (CALCUTTA) - 14.6 MILLION
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ACHIEVED “PRIMACY” BASED ON ITS
SITUATION. It was the nearest Indian Port to
Europe.
500,000 HOMELESS
FORMER BRITISH COLONIAL CAPITAL (17721912)
DELHI (NEW AND OLD) - 16.2 MILLION
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BRITISH AND INDIAN SEAT OF GOVERNMENT
PAKISTAN (AT PARTITION, 1947)
India
West Pakistan
East Pakistan
PAKISTAN
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ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF
PAKISTAN
POPULATION OF 166.9
MILLION
80% SUNNI MUSLIMS;
16% SHIA MINORITY
34% URBANIZED
KASHMIR
(Jammu and Kashmir)
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Although its population is mainly
Muslim, much of Jammu and Kashmir
became part of India in 1947. India and
Pakistan have fought two wars over the
territory, and there has been a
separatist insurgency in the area.
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INDEPENDENCE & PARTITION
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FACED WITH THE CHOICE OF JOINING
EITHER HINDU INDIA OR MUSLIM
PAKISTAN
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HINDU MAHARAJA BUT MUSLIM
POPULATION
JANUARY 1949 – U.N. CEASE FIRE
1980 to 88 – Muslim extremists continue
insurgency
BANGLADESH
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INDEPENDENT SINCE 1971
FORMERLY EAST PAKISTAN (see previous slides)
85% MUSLIM, 12% HINDU
147.3 MILLION PEOPLE
DENSITY = 3,914/sq mi
2.1% ANNUAL GROWTH RATE
NATURAL HAZARDS – CYCLONES
THE MOUNTAINOUS NORTH
THE SOUTHERN ISLANDS
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MALDIVES
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>1,000 ISLANDS
<115 SQ MI / 300 SQ KMS
POPULATION OF 300,000
OVERWHELMINGLY MUSLIM
HIGHEST GNP IN THE REALM
SRI LANKA
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FORMERLY CEYLON
INDEPENDENT SINCE 1948
SRI LANKA
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20.1 MILLION PEOPLE (70%
BUDDHISTS)
PLANTATION AGRICULTURE:
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TEA, RUBBER, COCONUTS
SOUTH (MAJORITY OF POPULATION)
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ARYAN
BUDDHISTS
SPEAK SINHALA (INDO-EUROPEAN)
NORTH (18% OF THE POPULATION)
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DRAVIDIAN
HINDU
TAMIL LANGUAGE
SRI LANKA
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SINHALESE vs. TAMILS
TAMILS DEMAND EQUAL
RIGHTS:
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EDUCATION
EMPLOYMENT
LAND OWNERSHIP
LANGUAGE AND POLITICS
LTTE – LIBERATION TIGERS
OF TAMIL EELAM
E. J. PALKA
E. J. PALKA
E. J. PALKA
E. J. PALKA
E. J. PALKA