The Indian subcontinent

South Asia

8 Independent Nations India Pakistan Bangladesh Nepal Bhutan Island nations of Sri Lanka and Maldives Afghanistan in the northwest is also often considered part of South Asia.

Large landmass in Southern hemisphere- broke up (Gondwanaland) 1 landmass pushed north-collided-mainland Asia Himalaya and Hindu Kush mountains moved. Formed barriers separating South Asia from the rest of Asia.

Religious Traditions Hinduism is the chief religion of India. No founder No formal church Ancient Aryan beliefs and practices

What is the symbol of Hinduism? Aum is the main symbol of Hinduism. It is the sound heard in deepest meditation and is said to be the name most suited for God.

Sacred Texts Vedas Upanishads ( oo pan ih shadz) Internal truths that were reveled to wise men Upanishads ( oo pan ih shadz) Helped to explain the ideas contained in the Vedas The Ramayana (rah mah yuh) and the Mahabharata (muh hah bah rah tuh) Two of the most famous hindu epics.

Brahman Hindus worshiped thousands of Gods. Each god is part of a single supreme force called brahman. the eternal, unchanging, infinite, immanent, and transcendent reality which is the Divine Ground of all matter, energy, time, space, being, and everything beyond in this Universe

3 Main Gods Brahma- creator Vishnu- preserver Siva- destroyer Each has own family. Sects- group with distinctive religious, political or philosophical beliefs. Atman (AHT MUHN)- an essential self, part of a universal soul.

Karma “to do” Every deed, mental or physical, in this life affects a persons fate in future life.

Buddhism Guatama’s enlightenment Realized there was suffering and misery Set out to find the cause of misery 6 years-found the answer Known as Buddha or “enlightened one”

The Buddha’s Teachings Four Noble Truths 1) Suffering is universal 2) Cause of suffering is desire 3) only way to end suffering is to crush desire 4) the only way to end desire is to follow the Noble Eightfold Path. Denied the existence of Gods Rejected the caste system

Noble Eightfold Path The Noble Eightfold Path: right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

Other Religious Traditions Mahavira, the historical founder of Jainism elder contemporary of the Buddha known as Jina (literally, conquerer) after he overcame the wretched cycle of rebirth by achieving enlightenment. Jain devotees often commissioned manuscripts of sacred literature for temple libraries in order to gain spiritual merit. Many of these manuscripts contain vibrant illustrations that depict Mahavira meditating or teaching.

Satellite View of South Asia

The Size of South Asia

Countries Afghanistan China Iran Bhutan Nepal Pakistan Myanmar India Bangladesh Sri Lanka

cities Kabul Islamabad Lahore Kathmandu New Delhi Benares Thimbu Karachi Dacca Calcutta Bombay Madras Colombo

Ten Geographic Qualities 1. Sub-region of Asia - Indian Subcontinent 2. Mostly Dry Flat Plateau Area 3. Soon to be the largest population concentration in the world -1.3 Billion 4. Center of Hindu Religious Concentration 5. Hundreds of languages & ethnic groups

6. Colonial Exploitation of this resource rich area 7. Highest Mountains in the world 8. Historically an Asian crossroads for trade

9. Region is dominated by monsoon rains 10. Culturally vibrant Hindus, Moslems, Jaines, Seiks

Topography of South Asia

South Asia: Physical Map

Bodies of Water Indus R. Brahmaputra R. Ganges R. Bay of Bengal Arabian Sea Indian Ocean

Surrounded by the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean. Highways (link)

Indus River- empties into the Arabian Sea. Principal river in Pakistan Majority of Pakistan's live in the Indus River Basin South Asia’s earliest civilization developed in the Indus Valley. Ganges Most holy river Thousands of pilgrims come to purify themselves in the river.

Mountains & Peaks Hindu Kush Khyber Pass I I Karakoran Mts. Himalayas Mt. Everest ▲ Himalayas Vindhya Hills Eastern Ghats Western Ghats

Himalayas- stretch 1500 miles east to west, snowcaped. Many of the worlds tallest mountains Mt. Everest, on the border of Nepal and Tibet Hindu Kush (death) Khyber Pass- is a mountain pass that links Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Hindu Kush

The Khyber Pass

The Himalayas “him” [snow] “aalaya” [home] Mt. Everest is 29,035 feet. It is the highest mt. peak in the world.

The Himalayas

“Fire Rim of the Pacific”

Earthquake Zones in India

Deserts / Plateaus Tibetan Plateau Thar Desert Deccan Plateau

Completed Map Hindu Kush Khyber Pass I I Karakoran Mts. Tibetan Plateau Kashmir Mt. Everest ▲ Punjab Indus R. Himalayas Brahmaputra R. Indo-Gangetic Plain Thar Desert Ganges R. Vindhya Hills Bay of Bengal Deccan Plateau Eastern Ghats Western Ghats Arabian Sea Indian Ocean

Climate of South Asia

Climate Regions of South Asia

Natural Hazards Many natural hazards--monsoons, typhoons, volcanoes, and earthquakes Monsoon--a seasonal shift in the prevailing winds that influences large climate regions Typhoon--a destructive tropical storm occurring in the western Pacific Ocean or the China Sea, similar to a hurricane

Monsoon “To know India and her people, one has to know the monsoon.” To the people of India the monsoons are a source of life. Key to farmers Influenced art and literature of South Asia Very distinctive seasonal precipitation regime (RESULTS OF CATASTROPHIC RAINFALL) Widespread flooding Property damage Destruction to agricultural lands Damage to transportation infrastructure Homelessness Disease Malnutrition Serious injury Death

Monsoon

Winter Monsoons: Nov.-April

Summer Monsoons: May-Oct.

Temperature

Demographic Data for South Asia

People of South Asia Did you know that more people live in India than in Central America, North America and South America – altogether! The population of Hindus approximately 3 times bigger than population of the USA. More than 60% of the world's population live in Asia. In China live 1.3 billion of people and in India 1.1 billion. In South Asia live more Muslims than in the whole Middle East, yet Muslims in South Asia is less than 15% of total population.

Patterns of Life Indian society developed into a complex system based on class and caste systems. Caste- based on the idea that there are separate kinds of humans. Higher caste- purer than lower Rules were meant to help people remain spiritually pure. Governed cooking, eating, marriage, employment Ex)Braham could only eat food prepared by another Braham.

Modernization and the Caste System People from different castes mix. Former untouchables might be allowed to draw water from the village well and worship at the village temple. Children attend public schools (separate rooms)

Five different levels Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra, and Harijans. Within each of these categories are the actual "castes" or jatis within which people are born, marry, and die.

Brahman Priest

Kshatriya ruler, warrior, landowner

Vaishya merchants

Shudra artisans, agriculturalists Service worker (lowest class)

Harijan "outside" the caste system (once known as "untouchables") Gandhi said it was wrong to call people 'untouchable', and called them Harijans, which means children of God.

Cultural Geography of South Asia Population 1.4 billion concentrations on coasts & rivers high overall population due to large base numbers & high growth rates Large numbers in Pakistan & Bangladesh

Clear sign of diversity here is language. Nepal, size of Illinois has 13 languages. India has more then 700 languages and dialects. What’s a dialect?

Dialect- regional version of language with its own words, expressions, and pronunciations. Most widely spoken language in India is Hindi. India recognizes 15 official languages

Language Families in South Asia

Improving Education When India became independent, 10% could read and write. Today 80% of elementary age children get some schooling, and 52% of Indians can read and write.’ Free and required for all children up to 14 years of age. More boys attend then girls

INTERESTING FACTS India is the 1/3 the size of the United States with 5 times the population Bangladesh has about half the population of the United States alone South Asia is the fast growing of the large population concentrations and will soon surpass China as the largest

What is this a picture of?

Taj Mahal located in Agra, India. It is one of the most recognizable structures in the world. It is widely considered as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and stands as a symbol of eternal love. Taj Mahal is the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Islamic and Indian architectural styles

South Asia in the World Today “Love your neighbor, but do not thrown down the dividing wall,” Indian proverb Respect for others-cautioned Dealing with one another and the world

Nuclear Weapons India and Pakistan Armed with nuclear weapons 1998-successful weapon tests Increase tensions between to powers Went to war in in 1947, 1964 (Kashmir) And 1971 when India helped Bangladesh break away from Pakistan.

India and the World After India won independence, the Cold War influenced its foreign policy. India chose to follow a nonalignment policy. Rejected alliance with either superpower, it welcomed aid from both U.S and Soviet Union.

Pakistan and the World Took a strong anti-communist stand during the Cold War. Soviet-threat Joined military alliances set up by the U.S to stop Soviet expansion.(got aid) Soviet weakened- Pakistan loosened ties and turned to Muslim countries of Middle East.

Ties to Middle East Pakistan and Middle East- close ties As an Islamic nation sought friendship with Iran and Turkey. Accepted aid from oil-rich nations in Persian Gulf. Work in Middle East and send money home.

Afghanistan Buffer state, small country located between larger, hostile powers.

Looking to the Future Chipko Movement- group founded in 1972 to prevent the destruction of the nations forests. Women would protect trees with their bodies Gandhi’s philosophy of satyagraha, nonviolent resistence

Environmental Issues Narmada Valley Project- angered environmentalists. Calls for building three major dams and more then 3,000 smaller ones. Pros: water to irrigate millions of acres of land, electricity Cons: flooding, destroy wildlife, submerge shrines.

Crisis in numbers Population growth- land size More then a quarter of people of South Asia are under 15 years of age.

Limiting Growth Governments see the need to limit growth Encourage family planning Slogan “a small family is a happy family” Mixed success

Art and Literature Most sculpture from South Asia relates to three world religions that emerged in India—Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism. Each of these faiths constructed exquisite and distinctive monuments in honor of its deities and spiritual teachers. shrines and temples contain sculpted images that lead devotees to contemplate cosmic powers or greater realities. http://www.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/online/southasian/default.htm