Pakistan and the Rest

Pakistan and Bangladesh (25.2)

The partition of India

• When India gains its independence from the British in 1948, India winds up getting partitioned into two countries, according to religion: Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan.

• Pakistan was at first divided into West and East Pakistan.

• This was a problem. East Pakistan gains its independence from West Pakistan in 1971 and becomes Bangladesh.

• There are political problems here and there with both.

• Pakistan has suffered several military coups. The current president, Pervez Musharaf, got to be president by overthrowing the previous guy in a bloodless coup in 1999, after which he suspended the constitution and declared martial law.

• Corruption and Islamic extremism can also be problems.

Economies

• They’re both primarily based on agriculture, but have large populations with small per capita incomes.

• The per capita income is only $2,200 in Pakistan and $2,000 in Bangladesh.

• Many farmers work small plots and engage in subsistence farming: growing just enough food for themselves, but not much, if any, to sell.

• Industry is small, but growing.

• Microcredit has helped.

• Very small loans, perhaps just $20, to people who otherwise would have trouble getting loans.

• The purpose is to help build businesses.

Culture

• They’re Muslim societies, but Pakistan tends to be stricter in applying Muslim law.

• It’s also a center for Madrassas: Islamic schools that are often rural and extremist.

• Language and ethnicities

• Pakistan has several ethnicities and speaks Urdu.

• Bangladesh is mainly ethnic Bengalis and speak a derivation of Sanskrit.

• They’re family-centered with small dwelling.

• Poetry is sometimes popular as well as a form of music called qawwali.

Nepal and Bhutan

• Nepal and Bhutan are fairly isolated due to the Himalayan Mountains.

• Both countries are kingdoms called constitutional monarchies.

• This means they have kings, but the kings’ power is limited by constitutions. Nepal even has a parliament.

Nepal's King Gyanedra is the world's last Hindu monarch

King Khesar of Bhutan

• Economies

• Due to the terrain, the economies are limited and are heavily based on farming, including terraced farming.

• There’s also foresting and mountain tourism is a burgeoning sector.

Nepal

• Both countries have several ethnic groups

• Nepal also has the Sherpa people, who are a Buddhist Tibetan people who have gained renown as mountain guides.

Religion

• Most of Nepal is Hindu, but there are strong Buddhist influences because it used to be Buddhist until Indian rulers brought in Hinduism.

• Bhutan’s official religion and language is Buddhism.

• The Bhutan Buddhists also make mandalas, highly ornate geometric designs to aid in meditation.

• Political problems

• Nepal has had some problems in recent years.

• While Nepal is a monarchy, there’s a significant number of Maoist Communist rebels in the country who seek to overthrow the government and institute communism.

• It didn’t help that in 2001, the crown prince went on a killing spree, murdering his parents, brother, and sister because he was apparently unhappy at being denied his choice of bride.

• He was shot in the chest during the incident, laid comatose for three days (during which he was officially king), and then died.

• The new king has had problems with the Maoists and, from 2005 to 2006, he dissolved parliament and ruled with absolute power.

• When parliament was reinstituted in 2006, it promptly went about stripping the monarchy of most its power.

Sitar

1. What/when was the partition of India?2. What area are Pakistan and India still fighting

over?3. What is microcredit?4. What is the primary religion in Pakistan?5. What is a constitutional monarchy?6. What are sherpas?7. Why does Buddhism have roots in Nepal?

Ch. 25, sections 2-3 questions (pgs. 573-583)