South Asia Unit 11

Where is SOUTH ASIA?? http://www.askasia.org/image/maps/asias1.htm

Mountains of South Asia The Himalayas Northern Barrier of South Asia World’s Tallest Peaks Mt. Everest (29, 035 feet) http://www.peakware.com/encyclopedia/peaks/everest.htm

More MOUNTAINS Eastern and Western Ghats (India) Twin Escarpments in South India – “V” shaped. http://www.tamilnadutourism.org/geo.htm

Influence of Mountains: Population & Settlements -lower elevations have higher populations Movement -Khyber Pass – “gateway for invasions” Climate -block cold air from the North

CLIMATE of SOUTH ASIA Tropical Wet Regions are varied: Desert Highlands

MONSOONS “Season” (Arabic) Summer Monsoon (Wet) Winter Monsoon (Dry) Violent Mudslides Welcomed by some.

Rivers of South Asia: Ganges River -large delta, pollution, trade, irrigation, transportation, religion Tell students about all the other things the Ganges River is used for. http://www.asd.k12.ak.us/schools/romig/asia/Geo/ganges/geography.html

BRAHMAPUTRA INDUS RIVER Tributaries Fertile Land (Pakistan) Indus River Valley was sight of early civilization BRAHMAPUTRA Flooding

AGRICULTURE!!! Economic Activity for MOST of SOUTH ASIA is… ------------------------- *SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE* Rice,Wheat,Corn

The Green Revolution Increased yields of food production India is able to feed itself Advanced agricultural technology Applies to DEVELOPING countries

TEA, RUBBER, COCONUTS (Sri Lanka) PLANTATION AGRICULTURE http://www.asiatravelinfo.com/sri%20lanka/picturesandsights.asp?Pg=2

Agricultural Terracing

History of SOUTH ASIA: INVASIONS Aryans – spread Hinduism Mughals – Mongolia British – colonized; *1947*

TAJ MAHAL Built by Shah Jahan as a tomb for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. National Symbol of India http://taj-mahal.indiantravelportal.com/

LEADERS IN INDIA Nehru & Gandhi http://www.nuvs.com/ashram/gallery/index.html Nehru & Gandhi

Mohatma Gandhi

Economic growth in India Most of recent Indian economic growth has been in the sector of high technology. They are also considered a nonaligned nation.

For thousands of years geography has made South Asia a crossroads. Trade routes brought merchants and missionaries

Two major world religions began in South Asia: Hinduism Buddhism

2500-1500 B. C. E Indus Valley. Civilization started from 2500-1500 B.C.E Indus Valley Civilization started from immigrants from Iran They built cities such as Majenjo-Daro which was highly advanced.

Roots of Hinduism 1500 B.C.E Aryans invaded from central Asia The Aryans drove out the Dravidians The Aryans brought with them the idea of a caste system.

Caste system is a rigid class system Caste system is a rigid class system. A person cannot move between castes or classes. Hindus believe in reincarnation Cows are sacred. Sacred writing of the Hindus are the Vedas

The Caste System

The Brahma Cow

Vishnu

Shiva

dharma- every person’s moral duty karma- good is rewarded: bad is punished reincarnation- every person is reborn until they are released from the cycle of rebirth.

The Ganges River is sacred to the Hindus. Highly polluted Bathe in the river to purify themselves

Buddhism founded about the same time as Hinduism. Founder Siddhartha Gautama Leader today is the Dali Lama Buddhist believe in reincarnation. People reach the state of Nirvana

Buddha

Since the mid 1700’s Britain controlled India Britain took away a thriving textile industry and exported the raw cotton to mills in England

Britain expected the Indians to purchase their ready made textile products. Many Indian textile workers lost their jobs.

During the late 1800’s Indians developed a strong sense of nationalism. Many Indians were educated in Europe.

One of those people was Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi. He led non violent resistance to England. Indians boycotted British Cloth.

1946 England agreed to give India its independence if they could agree on a government.

The conflict in India was between the Muslims and the Hindus

The only solution was to partition or divide India into Pakistan and India. The Hindus occupied India and the Muslims occupied Pakistan

Later conflicts developed between East and West Pakistan and the country of Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) was created in 1971

Within the past year, Pakistan and India have tested nuclear weapons. They are in conflict of a portion India known as Kashmir.

Cultural Characteristics Silks Batik Wood and Ivory Carvings Ideograms, unique alphabets Jewels

Cultural Landscape Taj Mahal Floating Markets Mosques, Minarets Temples and Shrines Terraced Rice Fields

Batik

Ivory and wood carvings

Ideograms

Jewels

Floating Markets

Hindu Temple in New Delhi