SOUTH ASIA

WARM-UP 4/7- NAME 3 PHYSICAL FEATURES THAT YOU THINK ARE IMPORTANT TO THE REGION.

SOUTH ASIA

Subcontinent- a large landmass that is smaller than a continent

• South Asia is sometimes called a subcontinent or the Indian subcontinent

South Asia includes the following countries:

• India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives

The region has more than one billion inhabitants- 1/5 of the world’s population

SOUTH ASIA

Millions of years ago, the land of South Asia was part of East Africa.

It split off and drifted northward and collided with Central Asia

• The collision created the Himalayan Mountains • The Himalayan Mountains contain the world’s highest

mountains• Mt. Everest- the world’s tallest peak

The Hindu Kush mountains are at the west end of the Himalayas

SOUTH ASIA

Southern Plateaus

• The Deccan Plateau• Covers a lot of India • Arid region

SOUTH ASIA

Rivers, Deltas, and Plains

• Three great river systems• Indus• Ganges• Brahmaputra

• Have their origins in the Himalayas • Fertile plains

• These rivers provide crucial irrigation for agricultural lands • Alluvial Plains- lands that are rich farmlands• Indo-Gangetic Plain- one of the worlds most fertile farming

regions and one of the most heavily populated in India

SOUTH ASIA

Off shore islands-

• Sri Lanka• Tear shaped island off the coast of India

• The Maldives• Archipelago- group of islands

SOUTH ASIA

Natural Resources

• South Asia is home to a wide variety of natural resources • Rich soil for agriculture • Waterways provide transportation• Forests provide timber• Minerals

SOUTH ASIA

Climate and vegetation

• Climate regions: tropical wet, tropical wet and dry, desert, semiarid, humid subtropical, highland

• Vegetation: Tropical rain forest, tropical grassland, desert and dry shrub, temperate grassland, deciduous and mixed forest, highland

SOUTH ASIA

Monsoons and Cyclones

• Monsoons- seasonal winds• October-February, dry winds blow across South Asia from the

northeast• June-September, the winds blow in from the southwest,

bringing moist ocean air• Heavy rains fall, especially in southwestern and Ganges Delta

portions of South Asia

• The rainfall is crucial to life on the subcontinent, but the monsoons can cause severe hardship for millions

SOUTH ASIA

Monsoons and Cyclones

• Cyclones- a violent storm with fierce winds and heavy rain• Most destructive in Bangladesh• A severe cyclone can cause widespread damage and kill

thousands

WHERE IN THE WORLD WEDNESDAY

WHERE IN THE WORLD WEDNESDAY

1. What landmark is it?

1. Taj Mahal

2. Where is it located?

1. India

3. Which culture created it?

1. Commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the remains of his cherished wife

4. Why was it created?

1. It was built to house the remains of his cherished wife

5. What defining characteristics standout to you?

NOTABLE PHYSICAL FEATURES • Ganges River

• Himalayas

• Indus River Valley

• Assignment- use your atlas and/or textbook to fill out the graphic organizer

GANGES RIVER • Location

• Located in northern India, the river flows form the Himalayas eastward to the Bay of Bengal

• Calcutta is a major population center • How does the physical environment affect settlement

patterns in this area?

• High population density along the river and its delta region due to water accessibility and fertile lands

• Water provides irrigation for agriculture

HIMALAYAS• Location

• Located along the countries of Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Bhutan

• Southern boundary of the Plateau of Tibet• Tallest mountains in the world

• How does the physical environment affect settlement patterns in this area?

• Remote landlocked villages• Lack of mobility and trade routes decrease the amount of

settlement

INDUS RIVER VALLEY • Location

• Located in Pakistan, the Indus River flows from the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea through the valley

• Karachi is a major port city • How does the physical environment affect settlement

patterns in this area?

• Large population centers• Fertile soils and rich alluvial plains

• Afghanistan

• Bangladesh

• Bhutan

• India

• Maldives

• Nepal

• Pakistan

• Sri Lanka

• Brahmaputra River

• Indus River

• Ganges River

• Arabian Sea

• Bay of Bengal

• Indian Ocean

• Himalayas

• Hindu Kush

• Mt. Everest

WARM-UP 4/8

• What physical features affect settlement patterns in South Asia? How do they affect settlement patterns in the region?

INDIA • Ganges River and Deccan Plateau promote settlement

• Great Indian Desert does not promote settlement • Monsoons create a wet and dry season

• Fertile soils (forests and plains)• Coal, iron ore, natural gas, arable land

• Most people are in agriculture

• Major population areas- Delhi- Ganges Plain, Calcutta- near the mouth of the Ganges, Chennai and Mumbai- coastal cities

• Issues- soil erosion, air pollution, water pollution, growing population overstraining natural resources

NEPAL• Himalayas do not promote settlement

• Highlands and humid subtropical

• Affected by monsoons• Resources- Quartz and water

• Most people are involved in agriculture

• Population areas- Kathmandu-capital

• Issues- deforestation, polluted water, agricultural runoff, landlocked

THE MALDIVES• Coral islands- not heavily populated area

• Tropical affected by monsoons

• Resources- fish

• Most people involved in agriculture, tourism is also a large economic activity

• Population area- Male- capital city

• Issues- tsunami devastation, climate change

SRI LANKA • Island nation

• Tropical, affected by monsoons

• Resources- limestone, granite, uranium

• Most people involved in agriculture

• Population center- Colombo the capital

• Issues- Deforestation, climate change, pollution

PAKISTAN • Indus River Valley promotes settlement

• Mountains in north limit settlement• Mostly hot, dry climate and arctic in the north limits

settlement away form the Indus River Valley

• Resources- land and natural gas

• Most people are involved in agriculture

• Population centers- Karachi (coastal, Arabian Sea), Lahore (northeast near Indian border)

• Issues- water pollution and limited freshwater

BANGLADESH • Brahmaputra River delta promotes settlement

• Tropical climate, mild winters, hot summers, affected by monsoons

• Resources- natural gas, arable land

• Most people work in agriculture

• Population centers- Dhaka (capital)- along the river near the bay

• Issues- flood prone lands have heavy populations, water pollution, soil degradation, severe overpopulation

WARM-UP 4/13- WHAT MAJOR RELIGIONS ARE PRACTICED IN SOUTH ASIA?

CULTURAL HEARTHEarly cultures developed along Indus River

Major religions emerged

• Hinduism• Buddhism• Islam

HINDUISM• Not just a religion- also determines social and economic elements

• Hindu Religion• Major faith of India and Nepal• Forms of worship differ by

region• Over 33,333 gods due to

the different denominations • Complicated faith without a

uniformly accepted belief system

BASIC HINDU BELIEFS

Reincarnation

• Living things have souls, upon death souls transfer into new living creature

Karma

• Every action brings certain results• No escaping consequences of one’s actions

Dharma

• Set of rules that need to be followed to be reincarnated up a caste

BUDDHISM

• Philosophy that began in India• Based on the teaching of Siddhartha Gautama

(Buddha)– Objects to the harsh features of Hinduism

based on caste• Focus on knowledge- esp. self knowledge• Eliminate worldly desires- peaceful• Goal to reach enlightenment- reincarnated until

fully reached

THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

• Life is difficult• All hardships and suffering comes from

inappropriate desire• To avoid suffering, avoid inappropriate

craving• To stop inappropriate craving, follow the

Eightfold Noble Path.

THE EIGHTFOLD NOBLE PATH

• Proper views• Proper aspirations• Proper speech• Proper conduct• Proper livelihood• Proper effort• Proper mindfulness• Proper meditation

ISLAM• Arrival of Islam

• Around 700 A.D. Arab armies conquered lower Indus Valley

• Mughal Empire, a powerful Muslim state, dominated

• Conversion in northwest (Pakistan) and Northeast (Bangladesh) and island nations (Maldives/Sri Lanka)

OTHER RELIGIONS

• Jainism• Religion that emerged around 500 B.C. as protest

to orthodox Hinduism• Stressed extreme non-violence

• Sikhism• Faith incorporating elements of Hinduism and

Islam• Monotheistic and believes in reincarnation• Originated in Punjab in 1400s• Sikh men noted for work as soldiers and

bodyguards

OTHER RELIGIONS

• Zoroastrian• Ancient religion focusing on struggle between good

and evil• Found in Mumbai area

• Christians• British missionaries converted animists to

Protestantism

LEARNING TASKFill in the boxes with the following religion:

• Big boxes: Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism• Small boxes: Zoroastrianism, Jainism, Sikhism, Christianity

For each religion:

• Write one sentence summarizing the major ideas.• Draw one picture associated with the religion• Write where you find it

Hinduism Buddhism

Islam Zoroastrianism

Christianity

Jainism Sikhism

Globalization & Diversity: Rowntree, Lewis, Price, Wyckoff

•Hindus tend to be vegetarians (ahimsa and reincarnation beliefs foster this)•Cows are sacred animals•Believe in reincarnation•Brahman, if it is God, is an impersonal one•Follow caste system – no social or religious mobility within one lifetime•Formerly practiced sati (widow would throw herself on husband’s funeral pyre)

•Muslims see Hindus as polytheistic infidels not to be tolerated•Muslims eat meat (cows) – not pork•Muslims are strict monotheists•Muslims believe in a personal God•Muslims reject the concept of castes – equality of believers•Reject reincarnation

Comparison of Hinduism and Islam

A caste system is the way the people in the Indus River Valley civilization were divided up into social classes.

• Using the groups (jocks, artsy students, etc., I know it’s stereotypical…) that exist in Ellison High School, create the way you believe the caste system here would go. Must include 6 different levels.

WARM-UP 4/14

EARLY HISTORY

EARLY HISTORY

Started out as civilization with many nomadic tribes spread throughout

Aryans invaded.

• Aryans were a race mixed from Indo-European races

• Rajas fought one another trying to gain more power and area.

Mauryan Dynasty

• First Indian Dynasty• Came together to protect themselves

from Alexander the GreatAsoka

• Kind ruler • Led to India becoming major cross-

roads

POLITICAL SYSTEMS

ECONOMICS

Focused on farming

Silk Road

• Helped with trade to Mesopotamia and China

Sanskrit: writing system began by Aryan scribes.

Vedas: Hindu hymns and religious ceremonies

CONTRIBUTIONS Science: Knew Earth was a sphere and rotated

on axis Knew it revolved around the sun

Algebra: Aryabhata discovered it Concept of “zero”

SOCIAL STRUCTURE

Family is very important

• Grandparents, parents and children all lived together

• Oldest male had say in the householdWomen’s dominance by man

• Only males could inherit property, unless special situations

• Divorce not allowed• Suttee

CASTE SYSTEM Social hierarchy

began in Ancient India

Based on Hindu faith

Classes were determined based off of birth You were born into

your caste and couldn’t move up

Belief in reincarnation- able to move up if live life well

CASTE SYSTEM

BrahmanPriests and Teachers

KshatriyaRulers and warriors

VaishyaWorking class- trade, business, officials

SudraPeasants, artisans, and manual workers

UntouchablesDirty jobs- Outcasts- Dalits

Different castes had different jobs and roles in society

CASTE SYSTEM Caste system ruled Indian society for thousands of

years During colonization by Europeans the caste system

was used to help governments control people In 1947 the Indian government got rid of the

mandatory separation of classes Today, the idea of caste system is banned, but is still

evident in the way that society interacts

TODAY’S ACTIVITYFill out the caste system. For each box:

• Write the name of the class• Explain the jobs associated with this class

Pick one of the following assignments for each level.

Be sure to label which class you are doing in which box!

• 1 – Draw a picture of what someone in this social class dresses like

• 2- write two sentences describing how you feel about other classes

• 3- create a timeline detailing what your typical day would look like as someone of this particular class

• 4- explain how religion is important to someone in this class

• 5- draw a picture of you at work in this class

HISTORY- COLONIZATION

The British colonized the region in the late 1800’s to exploit the abundant natural resources

Indians tried to fight against British rule, but were unsuccessful and they were placed under a system called the British Raj- as a result many Indians were discriminated against and lived in poverty

• Mohandas K. Gandhi led revolution against British control in the 1930’s and 40’s.

• India achieved independence in 1947• Gandhi used nonviolent resistance- a protest movement that

does not use violence to achieve its goals.

HISTORY- COLONIZATION/PARTITION

The end of British rule in 1947 brought partition- or division of British India

• After the British left India, Pakistan split from India and a few years later Pakistan itself divided to create Bangladesh

• Partition led to a lot of violence between Muslims and Hindus• About 1 million people died in the conflict

MODERN DAY

Modern day challenges include poverty, overcrowding, ethnic/religious conflicts, and economic development.

India is the second most populated nation in the world with over 1.2 billion

India spends a lot of its annual health-care budget encouraging Indians to have smaller families

Education- essential to break the cycle of poverty and provide South Asians with the means to raise their standard of living

INDIA

India became a democratic republic in 1950

Population of more than 1 billion- the world’s largest democracy

Like the U.S.- India has a federation of states held together by a strong central government

Like Britain- they have a parliamentary democracy

• The leader of the majority party in parliament becomes prime minister and head of the government

INDIA

Many different ethnic, cultural, and religious factors influence politics

• Hindus and Muslims-

India is mainly

Hindu, but do have

a large number of

Muslims therefore

they must take their

interests into account

INDIA

Economics

• Another challenge of India is to promote economic growth and raise standards of living

• India has one of the world’s largest income, but per capita income is low

• About half of India’s people live in poverty • About two-thirds rely on farming- majority of farms are very

small• The Green Revolution- scientists introduced new farming

techniques and higher-yielding grain varieties to improve production

INDIA

Cotton textiles are also very important in India

India is also a major producer of iron and steel, chemicals, machinery, and food products

INDIA

Modern life

• Marriage and family are at the center of Indian life• Families are large• Some still have arranged marriages • Marriage is male-dominated• Divorce is rare• Most Indians eat a vegetarian diet based on rice, legumes,

and flatbreads• Some Indians eat meat, fish, and chicken, often in spicy

dishes called curry

INDIA

Modern life

• Popular sports- soccer, field hockey, and cricket• As the economy changes, more people are finding work in

factories and offices• Education is important for change in India• Literacy rate has risen steadily since the 1950’s• In slum areas- literacy rates are low and school attendance is

irregular • Government has placed a high priority on improving public

education

INDIA

Culture

• Many languages- more than 1,000 languages and dialects are spoken in India

• Hindi is the official language and English is widely spoken too• Hinduism- the most influential factor in India

• Make up 80% of population• They believe in many gods and reincarnation- rebirth of souls

and death• Karma • Caste system- system of social classes- the Brahmans

(priests and scholars), the Kshatriyas (rulers and warriors), the Vaisyas (farmers and merchants, and the Sudras (artisans and laborers)

PAKISTAN AND BANGLADESH

Economy

• Large, rapidly growing populations• Bangladesh is one of the poorest countries in the world• Subsistence farming- many families rely on what they grow

themselves • Indus Valley- farmers here grow enough cotton and rice to

allow for export • Fishing is also important for their economy

PAKISTAN AND BANGLADESH

Neither are highly industrialized, but both countries are trying to increase their industrial base

Exports- cotton garments, wool carpets, and leather goods

PAKISTAN AND BANGLADESH

Most of the people here are Muslims

The countries differ somewhat in their Islamic practices

• Pakistan is stricter in imposing Islamic law on citizens• Women are not allowed to have contact with men who are not

relatives, when women appear in public they must have wear veils

• In Bangladesh it is not as common

PAKISTAN AND BANGLADESH

Pakistan is more diverse

They have five major ethnic groups and each has their own language and regional areas in the country

In Bangladesh most people are Bengalis

PAKISTAN AND BANGLADESH

Life revolves around the family

Arrange marriages are common and families tend to be large

Most people live in small villages, in simple homes made of materials like sub-baked mud, bamboo, or wood

The large cities are busy places, with crowded traffic and people

PAKISTAN AND BANGLADESH

Poetry is important and traditions of oral literature is strong

Music and dance is also important

Tradition of folk dances with elaborately costumed dancers act out Bengali myths, legends, and stories

NEPAL AND BHUTAN

Both are located in the Himalayas

The mountains have helped to keep these countries isolated

Both countries have constitutional monarchies- kingdoms in which ruler's powers are limited by a constitution

Governments challenges- balance interest of two powerful neighbors, China and India

NEPAL AND BHUTAN

Economy-

• Decades of isolation and difficult topography have limited economic growth

• They have limited natural resources• They rely heavily on agriculture- most farm plots are small

because of the rough terrain• Timber industry is important • Most trade is with India• Increasing tourism- Himalayas are poplar for tourists

NEPAL AND BHUTAN

Rich cultural traditions-

• Various ethnic groups life here• Religious customs- religion is important• Hinduism and Buddhism are the most common religions• Folk art and festivals are popular • Artisans make metal bells, swords, and jewelry• They also weave colorful textiles from silk, cotton, and wool• People celebrate and perform dances based on religious

stories

SRI LANKA AND THE MALDIVES

Religion and ethnicity are key factors

Buddhists- 75% of population

Hindus- 18% of population

Muslims- 7%

Also a small community of Christians

SRI LANKA AND THE MALDIVES

Economy

• Sri Lanka has the highest per capita income in South Asia • Economies are mainly based on agriculture • Sri Lanka is one of the world’s leading tea-producing

countries• Sri Lanka is also famous for gemstones- including sapphires,

rubies, and topaz

SRI LANKA AND THE MALDIVES

Economy of the Maldives is a little bit different

• Farming is limited by lack of land• Most food is imported• Fishing is one of the main economic activities• Tourism is the main economic activity

SRI LANKA AND THE MALDIVES

Challenges

• 1980’s- civil war in Sri Lanka and the tourist industry collapsed

• War damaged the country’s infrastructure

ASSIGNMENT 4/14

Create a timeline to show the history of South Asia.

You should have information for

• 1. Early Civilizations• 2. Empires• 3. Colonization/partition • 4. Modern day

You need to describe each era AND include an illustration to represent each era.

WARM-UP 4/15

• The Ganges River

• A trans-boundary river of Asia which flows through the nations of India and Bangladesh

• The Ganges is considered to be the most sacred river in the Hindu religion

• Hindus visit the river daily to offer flowers and food to Ganga Ma or “Mother Ganges”

• They also drink the water and bathe in the river to cleanse and purify their sins

• Hindus also bring their dead to the river for cremation along its banks and afterward their ashes are spread in the river. In some cases their corpses are thrown into the river.