India Human Geography of South Asia

Invasions, Empires & Independence  History dates back more than 4000 years  Began in the Indus River Valley around 2500 B.C.  Two great empires emerged along the Ganges- the Mauryans and Gupta

The Mughal Empire  New invaders from Central & Southwest Asia arrived in the 5 th century A.D.  Muslims conquered the Indus Valley and established the Mughal Empire

Europeans Arrive  In the 1500s, traders arrived looking for spices & cloth  The British East India Company controlled India’s trade  The period of British control was called the raj- it lasted almost 90 years The spice trade

Predict: How do you think India responded to British colonialism?

Indians & Colonialism  Most Indians didn’t like being a British colony  Mohandas Gandhi began a opposition movement based on nonviolent resistance  India won independence in 1947

Independence Brings Division  Muslims of West & East Pakistan (now Pakistan & Bangladesh) chose to separate from India (mostly Hindu) and form their own country  This division created violence between the Hindus & Muslims

World’s Largest Democracy  India adopted a Constitution in 1950 and became democratic  It is a mixture of American and British democracy  States with a strong central government  Parliament with a prime minister

Video Predictions  How many people live in Mumbai?  About how many people live in Dharavi?  On average, how much money do people make per day?  Describe what the conditions might be like in the slum.  Where people live  Pollution issues  Safety  Types of jobs

Predict: What is India’s economy like?

Economic Challenges  Economic progress has been slow  India has one of the world’s largest economies, but per capita income is low  About ½ live in poverty

Dependence on Farming  About 2/3 rely on farming  Most farms are very small and yield few crops  Many struggle to grow enough for their own families

Dependence on Farming  In the late 1990s, 5% of the population owned almost 25% of the land  Large landowners have more political influence so reforms to balance land ownership have been unsuccessful

The Green Revolution  New farming techniques with higher-yielding grain varieties has increased production  Wheat and rice production has expanded  Many peasants cannot afford these improvements though

Growing Industry  Automobile manufacturing  Chemicals  Food processing  High-tech industry  Oil and gas  Textiles

List anything you know about Indian culture. Food, family life, etc.

Marriage & Family  Is at the center of Indian life  Many marriages are still arranged  Indian families are typically very large, with many generations living together  Marriages are usually male-dominated & divorce is rare

Daily Life  Many Indians are vegetarian and eat a diet based on rice, legumes and breads  A spicy dish called curry is popular  Meat consumption is limited by Hindus and Muslims

Education  Most middle-class children attend school  Literacy rates are rising  In slums and rural areas though, literacy rates are low  Improving education is a priority in India

Most Indians are Hindu  Belief in many gods- polytheistic  Reincarnation- rebirth of souls after death  Karma determines how you are reincarnated

Caste System In Hinduism, you can move into a different caste only through reincarnation. This sometimes prevents people from improving their lives.

Famous Landmarks- The Taj Mahal  Estimated to have used 22,000 laborers to build  Built in memory of the Emperors third wife  All four sides are identical  Full height is 561 feet

Writing Prompt- Complete the following in 1 paragraph:  Life Dharavi is......

Tech Workers & Time Zones  What does “outsource” mean?  What is India’s comparative advantage?  How does America take advantage of India’s time zone?  Which city is the IT hub in India?  Why are IT jobs popular with people in India?  About how many Indians speak English?  List 2 reasons that young Indians do not attend school.  What caused the “brain drain” in India?