IndiaChapter 25, Section 1

Early History

• Civilization began in Indus Valley around 2500 B.C.E.

• Aryans invaded about 1,000 years later

Early History

• Aryans established small kingdoms on the Ganges Plain

• Later Persian and Greek invaders occupied the Indus Valley

Early History

• Two great Indian Empires:

–Mauryan Empire - spread

Buddhism

–Gupta Empire – age of

peace and prosperity

Early History

• Mughal Empire – Muslim

rule over Indus Valley by

early 1500s

–Brought new customs

Europeans Arrive

• Europeans began

trade with India

in the 1500s

• British East India

Company gained

control by 1757

Europeans Arrive

• In 1857, Great Britain est. direct rule over India

• Mohandas Ghandi began nonviolent resistance

Europeans Arrive

• India gained independence on August 14, 1947

• Independence brought division

–Muslims vs. Hindus

Government

• India became a democratic republic in 1950

–World’s largest democracy

–Reflects elements of both the American and British systems

Government

• India is a federation of

states, like the U.S.

• Like Britain, it has a

parliamentary democracy

Economic Challenges

• India has one of the

world’s largest economies,

but per capita income

remains low

Economic Challenges

• Dependence on Farming

–2/3 of population rely on

farming

Economic Challenges

• Dependence on Farming continued…

–Land Reform: more balanced distribution of land among farmers

–Green Revolution: new farming techniques and higher-yielding grain varieties

Economic Changes

• Growing Industry

–Cotton has always been a

major product

–India is now a major producer

of iron, steel, chemicals,

machinery and food products

Indian Culture

• Many languages

–Constitution recognizes 18

major language groups, but

Hindi is the official language

–English is also a common

language

Indian Culture

• Hinduism

–80% of India’s population

–Polytheistic

–Caste System- system of social

classes in which each person is born into

caste and can only move into a different

caste through reincarnation

Pakistan and Bangladesh

Chapter 25, Section 2

Early History

• Indus Valley Civilization

–Began around 2500 B.C.

–Featured well-organized

cities

–Fell around 1500 B.C.

Partition and War

• British rule ended in 1947

–This brought partition, or

division of British India

–Two countries created: India

(Hindu) and Pakistan (Muslim)

–Led to violence between

Hindus and Muslims

Partition and War

• Civil war began in Pakistan in

1971

• East Pakistan wanted its

independence

• East Pakistan eventually became

independent Bangladesh

Military Rule

• Short periods of elected gvt

have altered with long periods

of military rule

• Pakistan has fought many

wars with India over Kashmir

Struggling Economies

• Subsistence Farming

–Work small plots of land and

struggle to grow enough

crops to feed their families

–Grow cotton and rice for

export

Struggling Economies

• Small Industry

–Most factories are small and

lack capital

–An important development has

been microcredit, which makes

small loans available to

entrepreneurs

One Religion, Many Peoples

• Islamic Culture

–Ramadan

–Pakistan is stricter in

imposing Islamic law

–Purdah - seclusion of

women

One Religion, Many Peoples

• Ethnic Diversity

–Pakistan has 5 major ethnic

groups

•Each group has its own

language

–The people of Bangladesh are

mostly Bangelis

Modern Life and Culture

• Life revolves around family

–Arranged marriages and

large families are common

• Poetry

• Music and dance