1. Chapter 9 South and Central Asia and International Studies
Environment and Population

2. Introduction: Why Study South and Central Asia?
Long history
Harrapan civilization occupied the Indus valley, considered one of the beginnings of civilization
Major geographic scale
Region accounts for 25% of world’s population
By 2050 India will surpass China as world’s most populous country
Cultural complexity
Hinduism and Buddhism originated in South Asia and Islam made its way there by the Middle Ages
Growing economic power
India is a rising economic star and South Asia provides many of the world’s goods and services
Political significance
India has the world’s largest democracy
India and Pakistan have nuclear weapons

3. How Is South Asia Connected to the West?
Relations between the West and India date back to Alexander the Great around 326 BCE
Many English words and phrases that are of Indian origin
We can analyze this connection between South Asia and the West by looking at the influence of the following:
Geography
History
Culture
Economics
Politics

4. Geography Regions in South and Central Asia sometimes overlap
Afghanistan and Pakistan are areas of ambiguity
Most of the time the regions are divided as follows:
South Asia: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka
Central Asia: Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Mongolia

5. [Figure 9.1. Pakistan – The Gilgit River (left) flows in to the Indus River. The author is in the foreground. Photo: S. Toops]

6. Geography – South Asia
Both Pakistan and Bangladesh were once part of the Indian empire
Dominant religions are broken up as such:
Hinduism: India and Nepal
Islam: Pakistan and Bangladesh
Buddhism: Sri Lanka
India and Pakistan are strong political powers due to their nuclear capabilities
Historical center of the region: Indus River
Modern center of the region: Ganges River

7. Geography – Central Asia
Landlocked region
Most countries in this region were former Soviet Republics
All countries in this region are Muslim, except Mongolia which is mostly Buddhist
Economic development in Central Asia has struggled due to the difficult transition from Soviet-style command economies to a more market-oriented system
Many of the current governments are authoritarian

9. History The Indus Valley civilization goes back to 3000 BCE
Early civilizations developed by being able to produce food surpluses
Around the 1500s Dutch, French, British, and Russian colonialists began to conquer the area
British dominated India
Russians dominated Central Asia
By 1949 India was free from colonial rule, forming two new states: India and Pakistan
Pakistan later divided into Bangladesh in 1971

10. [Figure 9.2 The Gandhi monument shows the spinning wheel, symbol of his movement. Photo: S. Andrus.]

11. Culture Religious diversity in South and Central Asia is very high
Influences include Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity in Central Asia
South Asia has Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, and Zoroastrianism
Language diversity is also very high
Central Asian languages: various Turkic languages ( Uzbek, Kazakh), Mongol and Russian
South Asian languages: Indo-European languages (Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Sinhalese) as well as Dravidian languages such as Tamil, Telugu. English is a second language for many.

12. [Figure 9.3. A wedding ceremony in Khiva, Uzbekistan, complete with a trip to the local mosque and wishing well. Photo: S. Toops]

13. Religious Innovation in South/Central Asia
The oldest beliefs originated in the Indus River Valley, which was mainly Hinduism
By 500 BCE, Buddhism was introduced to the region by Buddha himself
By 1000 BCE, Islam made its way into the region by way of the Turkic peoples
Christianity had been in the region since almost the beginning but didn’t really make an impact until Russian colonialism in the 1800s
The last wave of religion was in 1930 as Marxist atheism made its way into the Central Asia

14. Economics
The impacts of South and Central Asian economies are felt worldwide
Oil is a strong export good in Kazakhstan, one of the few countries in Central Asia with a good per capita GDP
Poverty is a much larger issue in South and Central Asia than in East Asia
India is a part of the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), a group of the fastest growing economies
India as seen great economic success due to its educational system and increased communication technologies

15. Politics
The political systems at work in South and Central Asia are closely related to its historical, geographic, cultural and economic issues
Historically Asian government has seen itself responsible to the people
In India’s case, how does such a large country intend to govern over a billion people?

16. Politics – South Asia
Partition of Pakistan and India has caused political tension in the area
Tensions have caused ever changing relationships with China, the US, and Russia
Pakistan has for the most part allied with the US against terrorist groups of the region
Even with the partition, democratic rule has dominated the region
India is the world’s largest democracy
Also the strongest militarily and politically
Complex politics: Killing of bin Laden by US forces in 2011 in Pakistan

17. Politics – Central Asia
Diverse political issues after the political domination of the Soviet Union
Civil wars have persisted in Tajikistan and Afghanistan
Afghanistan found itself at the mercy of the United States after the Sept. 11th, 2001 attacks
US invaded to take care of the Taliban terrorist group that controlled the region
Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan have authoritarian regimes
Mongolia has a democratic system

18. [Figure 9.4 The Khyber Pass is on the border of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Photo: S. Toops]

19. The Silk Road Historic trade artery
A few major events allowed for the reopening of the Silk Road:
Fall of communism in the Soviet Union in 1991
China’s opening to the West in the 1980s
Rich mix of cultural tradition with several groups of people living on the Silk Road
Afghanis
Turks
Uyghurs
Chinese
Kyrgyz
Uzbeks
Russians

20. The Silk Road
The Silk Road was a crossroads nexus of religious, cultural, and economic communication between the East and West
The Silk Road was an important route of cultural transmission and political change
Japan and China: Buddhism
Russia and Britain: The Great Game
Metaphor for globalization and trade linkages in contemporary Central and South Asia
US involvement in Afghanistan

21. [Figure 9.5. Samarkand. The Registan complex of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, was the center of the Timurid Empire. Photo S. Toops]

22. Demographic Issues Two issues facing South and Central Asia:
Population growth
Like China, countries like India have sought to control the population, but haven’t made radical attempts like China and have been mildly successful
Urbanization
Overall urbanization is lower in South Asia than East Asia, but like East Asia there are many large cities as people move from the countryside to the cities
Urban planning will become a major concern

23. [Figure 9. 6. Calcutta is one of India’s largest cities. Photo: S
[Figure 9.6. Calcutta is one of India’s largest cities. Photo: S. Andrus]

24. Environmental Diversity and Challenges in India
India is divided into three environments:
Rice-producing central and southern uplands
Fertile soils and water support high population densities
Alluvial lowland of the fertile Ganges and Brahmaputra valleys
River systems and fertile soil supply the people with crops that include wheat and rice
Himalayan mountains of the North
Too rugged for much settlement with many earthquakes
Home to India’s Adivasi, indigenous peoples

25. The Monsoon in India The monsoon dominates climate patterns in India
Monsoon comes from the Arabic word meaning “season”
The monsoon brings moisture from the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean
The pattern of the monsoon is not regular and sometimes results in crop failure

26. Environmental Issues in India
India has many environmental issues:
Flooding in the Ganges river valley
Deforestation in the Western and Eastern Ghats
Water and air pollution by the large cities…a result of urbanization
Global climate change could have strong affects on India
For example, many people living in the low lying areas near the Bay of Bengal could be displaced due to rising sea levels

27. Political Ecology in South and Central Asia
Central Asia experiences great conflict over water issues
The region has an arid environment
The Aral Sea is shrinking at an alarming rate as the water of rivers entering the sea were diverted to irrigation
Human activity is a major cause of these environmental issues as well
Flooding in Bangladesh is a problem exacerbated by the deforestation of the Ganges headwaters.

28. The Future of India
The economic rise of India is a result of placing a strong value on education
India’s bright future rests on its huge democracy and its economic prospects
Democracy helps link the cultural diversity
Growing economy gives it a greater say in world issues
Future challenges of India include:
Environmental issues
Regional economic inequalities
Social issues such as inequality between men and women

29. Asia Matters: Global Connections
Elements of South Asian culture are known and recognized worldwide
Indian yoga and Indian restaurants
Bollywood (“Slumdog Millionaire” 2008)
Global transnational corporations
Central Asia connected in a different way
History
Contemporary geographies
Connections through Russia to Europe
Connections through Islam and Turkey to the Middle East