South AsiaHistory and Government

Map of South Asia

The Region’s Countries

0Pakistan

0 India

0Nepal

0Bhutan

0Sri Lanka

0Bangladesh

0Maldives

Quick History . . .0 Early Civilization

0 2500 BC – civilization in this area began in the Indus Valley (now Pakistan)

0 The Arayans (light-skinned people from Iran)0 Established small kingdoms on the Ganges Plain; pushed out the dark-

skinned Dravidians (southward)

0 Major Empires –0Mauryan: united most of India; spread of Buddhism0Gupta: ruled during peaceful times0Mughal: (ca. 1500s)

0 Formed with the new wave of invaders in the 5th century0 Muslims conquered and occupied the area in the Indus Valley/Ganges Plain0 Started the struggle between Muslims and Hindus in the region

Quick History . . . (cont.)

0 1757 – Great Britain gains control over India0 This dominance by Great Britain was made possible by the trading

company, the British East India Company.

0 1857 – revolt by the Indians; the British government establishes direct rule

0 August 14, 1947 – India became independent0 Led to a division of India

0West and East Pakistan chose to separate from India (major Muslim population) - - - would become Pakistan and Bangladesh, respectively

0The division of India = violence between Muslims and Hindus

Quick History . . . (cont.)

0 1950 – India adopted a constitution and became a democratic republic0 The largest in the world (population is over 1 billion)

0 1971 – problems for East & West Pakistan (Civil War)0 The 1,100 mile separation caused more problems than the religious ties

that bound the two regions.0 East Pakistan wanted their own country, but West Pakistan did not want

that to happen CIVIL WAR0 East Pakistan would win independence (with help from India)

0 Nepal and Bhutan were able to maintain the independence because of their isolated locations.

The Region’s Governments

0 Democratic Republic0 Simply Defined – a government without a king or queen; people elect

representatives to make decisions0 Example: India – takes from both the US and Great Britain

0 The US: a federation of states held together by a strong central government0 Great Britain: parliamentary democracy

0 The majority party’s leader become the prime minister

0 Islamic Republic

0 Constitutional Monarchies0 The power of the monarch is shared with a constitutional body0 A modern adaptation of monarchy0 Examples: Nepal, Bhutan

Important Individuals

0 Siddhartha Gautama0 A prince that would eventually seek answers to the question of

mankind’s suffering0His search would lead to the development of the Buddhist beliefs, and

his transformation to Buddha

0 Mohandas Ghandi0 Also referred to as Mahatmas Ghandi

0Mahatmas = “the Great Soul”0 Led India to independence0 Believed in the use of nonviolent resistance; peace and love were

more powerful than violence

Important Groups

0Sherpas0 Originate from the high Himalayas are the traditional

mountain guides of the Everest region0 One of multiple groups that trace their ancestry back to

Tibet

0Ethnic Groups of the Islands:0 Sinhalese – people from the northern plains of India that

crossed over to Sri Lanka0 Tamils – Dravidian Hindus from southern India

20th Century Issues

0 Conflict Between Muslims and Hindus

0 1946 – Britain agreed to independence of India if the Indian leaders could agree on a form of government0 The Muslims and Hindus could not reach an agreement; riots broke out between

the two

0 1947 – it was decided that the best solution was to partition the subcontinent in Hindu and Muslim countries0 Hindu – India0 Muslim – Pakistan

0 August 15, 1947 – formal independence of Indian and Pakistan0 People of the different religions actually relocated to the area where their

religion was the dominant faith.