Southern Asia (India and the
Indian Perimeter)
Chapters 25 and 26
Countries of South Asia
Pakistan
India
Nepal
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Sri Lanka
India Natural Environment
Three major landforms
– The Himalaya Mountains
– The Gangetic Plain
– The Deccan Peninsula
Himalaya Mountains
Cotton
– 2nd largest exporter in world
– India’s largest export is textiles (cloth)
Animals – Bengal Tigers, Indian
elephants, monkeys, and cobras.
https://www.yo
utube.com/wat
ch?v=I64LLdmHRc
(5:00)
Indian Elephant
https://www.yo
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ch?v=vWWXx
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(2:00)
Common Indian Monkey
https://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=rJFmLtM
GSqs (3:18)
Cobra
India’s History
Aryans (nomadic Central Asian cattle
herders) conquered India in 1500 B.C.
They introduced Sanskrit language to the
area.
By 1000 AD the Islamic Empires took over
the area. They built the Taj Mahal.
By the 1700’s, the British gained control of
the area from the French in the “Seven
Years War”
Sanskrit
Taj Mahal
Agra, India
1632
Built by Mughal
emperor Shah
Jahan as a tomb
for his second
and favorite wife
Mumtaz Mahal.
She died giving
birth to their 14th
child.
Took 22 years to
build.
The British East India Company controlled India for
the British in the 1700’s
Sepoy Rebellion
– Many Indians did not like British rule.
– In 1857 there was a rebellion from Indian sepoys
(Indian troops under the command of British
officers)
– The sepoys killed the officers and their families.
– Both sides reported vicious acts of cruelty, but in
the end the British crushed the revolt.
– Because of the sepoy revolt, the British did not
treat the Indians as equals.
In 1885 the Indian National Congress was formed to
request more rights from the British, but the request
was denied.
The Sepoy Rebellion
Mohandas K. Gandhi
– A young lawyer who led the independence
movement in the 20th century.
– He was known as Mahatma (great soul) Gandhi.
– Gandhi believed that nonviolent noncooperation
was the best way to bring positive change.
– He led hunger strikes, boycott of British goods,
and protests.
– His efforts were effective and Britain granted
independence to India after World War II.
Mahatma Gandhi
Partition of India
– Britain and the Indian congress wanted India
to be one country.
– Muslims in India wanted to be a separate
state.
– Tensions grew, and to avoid war, Britain
divided the colony into the countries of India
and Pakistan.
– Pakistan became mostly Muslim.
– India became mostly Hindu.
– This left many Hindus in Pakistan and many
Muslims in India.
– About 14 million were displaced in the world’s
largest mass migration
– Panic let out and 1 million people died in
massacres and riots trying to get to the
country of their religion.
– These riots even killed Gandhi, when he was
shot and killed by Hindu extremist in 1948.
– There is religious tension between the areas
to this day.
Hinduism
Aryan religion included the basic ideals
that became part of Hinduism.
A pantheon is all the gods of a religion.
Hindi is the major language of India
Hinduism consists of thousands of
deities (gods).
Hindu Temple in
Singapore
Hindu Temple
Hinduism centers on 3 beliefs:
– Reincarnation (being reborn in different
forms)
– Dharma (doing one’s duty in life)
– Karma (positive and negative forces
caused by a person’s actions)
Brahma – god of creation
Vishnu
god of
protection
Shiva – the destroyer
Caste system
– Brahmins (priests and intellectuals)
– Kshatriyas (warriors)
– Vaisyas (traders and merchants)
– Sudras (laborers)
– Dalits (unclean or oppressed)
World’s Largest Hindu
Temple in New Delhi, India
Temple in Delhi, India
A Sadhu or holy man
India Today
One out of every 6 people live in India (1.3 billion
people)
India’s economy is extremely varied
– Outsourcing – make many products for other
countries for cheaper than the country using
them
Farming is the basis of the economy, but online
merchandising is growing.
Cities are overcrowded, noisy, and smog filled.
70% of India lives in villages that have not
changed much for generations. Electricity and
paved roads are recent developments.
India’s Issues and concerns
Rapid growth /Over Population (33%
of the country is younger than 14)
Poverty (many never attend school
and do not have basic standards of
life)
Political violence (particularly with
Pakistan and the Muslim culture –
Both countries now have nuclear
capabilities)
Bombay
The Indian Perimeter
The countries of the Indian Perimeter are:
– Pakistan
– Bhutan (landlocked)
– Nepal (landlocked)
– Bangladesh
– Sri Lanka
Monsoons greatly affect the climate and
vegetation of the area.
Mount Everest (29,035ft) is located in
Nepal
Mount Everest is the highest mountain
in the world.
Mount Everest, Nepal
By the 1500’s the Aryans had moved
into the area.
The Muslim Mughal Empire ruled the
1500’s to the 1700’s
Over time Great Britain controlled
almost the entire subcontinent.
The British gave up control in 1947
Bangladesh gained independence from
Pakistan in 1971.
Sri Lanka became independent in 1948.
Bhutan became fully independent in
1949.
The area has 3 main religions
(Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam)
Christianity though publicly outlawed is
practiced by some.
Temple in Nepal
Bangladesh is overwhelmingly
agricultural.
Nepal and Bhutan are very poor and
still mainly agricultural.
Pakistan and Bangladesh have more
than 130 million people.
The streets of Bangladesh
Katmandu, Nepal
Sri Lanka
India Perimeter Issues and
Challenges
The greatest challenge of the Indian
Perimeter is poverty.
Political issues over Kashmir region
between India and Pakistan.
Military leaders have overthrown the
Pakistan government three times in recent
years.
Sri Lanka faces issue between Hindu
Tamil minority and Buddhist Sinhalese
majority.