Early History:

1st civilizations Indus Valley (2500 years ago)

developed a writing system, strong central government, rich overseas trade

Environmental changes led to decline of this civilization

Stranded cities

Hittite Script

Early Indian Civilizations

• Aryans: warlike people– Spread north into India

and gradually spread culture

– Dravidians were pushed south to farm (today: Deccan plateau)

– Spoke Sanskrit: Hindi developed from sanskrit

• Example Himalaya: meaning “Home of Snows”

• Aryan Religion– Basic ideas became

part of Hinduism– Pantheon: all the gods

of a religion

• Introduced strict system of social class– Caste System:

developed in which people could not change their social status

Early Indian Civilizations

Islamic Empires

• Muslims arrive in the north in 1000c.e.– Kingdom was founded

in 1200 c.e. in Delhi

• 1398 Timur invaded India and sacked Delhi

• 1500’s Genghis invades India

Empires

• 1500’s Genghis invades India

• Grandson Akbar: allowed people to practice their own religion– Muslim– Indians still practiced

Hinduism

• Shah Jahan– Built Taj Mahal– Religious tolerance ended with

Aurangzeb

• Europeans will soon take an opportunity to rule the area

European Influence

• Europeans arrive in 1490’s– Wanted to trade– Expand their empires– Expand Christianity

• New companies– Britain’s East India

Company– Indian Cotton became

important to Britain

• Fight over India– Britain and France

British Rule• 1700’s British Rule

– Defeated French and took over majority of subcontinent

– East India Controls region from Britain

• Foreign rule angers Indians– Rebellion breaks out among

sepoys– Sepoys killed officers and their

families– Both side report vicious acts of

cruelty– Britain crushed revolt

• Ended East India Company’s rule and ruled them directly in 1858

British Rule• India, Pakistan, Bangladesh,

and Sri Lanka = British Colony

• “Jewel in the Crown”• Cotton, Jewels, and tea

flowed into Britain• To ensure efficient flow of

goods built:– Railroads– Roads– Ports

• Introduced– English Language– Education system– Law and government

Independence

• Indians did not like the treatment they received at the hands of the British– Many spoke of

Independence

• 1885: Indians organized Indian National Congress– Asked for more rights– Larger share of

government jobs– British refused

Independence

• Mohandas K. Gandhi – Led independence

movement– Mahatma or “Great Soul”– Believed in nonviolent non-

cooperation was best way to achieve independence

– Boycott British goods– When thrown in jail he went

on a hunger strike– Efforts were effective – After WWII Britain granted

independence

Independence• Hindu’s vs. Muslim

– Muslim demanded a separate state in the north

• To avoid civil was separation of two states was granted: India and Pakistan

• Kashmir was divided between the two regions

• Lines did not solve the problem– Fighting broke out– 16million people fled to the

country with their religion– 1million people died

• 1948 Gandhi was shot and killed by a Hindu extremist

Independence

• Today Worlds most populous democracy

• Large number of people vote

• India has 28 states• Government is

shaped after Britain’s government

Religions

• Hinduism: see other power point

• Islam

• Sikhism

• Jainism

• Christianity

Religion

• Islam– Largest majority in

India– 2nd largest Muslim

population in the world– 11-14% of population – Reflects the heart of

the former Muslim empire

Religion

• Christianity – Arrived in 500 c.e. – Est. along west coast– 20million Indians

• Buddhism: – less than 1% of population

• Sikhism– Combines Muslim belief in

one God with Hindu belief in reincarnation and karma

– Rejects the caste system• Jainism

– Strict moral code based on preserving life

Culture

• Clothing Sari– Cloth that is wrapped

around the body – Choli is warn

underneath– Men wear the lungi:

length of fabric wrapped around the waist

– Skihs and turbans

Culture

• Food: – Curry flavors gravy base

served over rice– Varies widely country’s

different climate, crops, and culture

• Festivals– Each religion has special

days– Holi: northern and central

India = celebrates spring and triumph of good over evil

– Pongal = three day harvest festival of southern India parades cattle elaborately decortaed

The Indian Perimeter

Pakistan

History

• Empires– Persians– Alexander the Great– The Mauryan and the

Gupta– Turkic Muslims in 1000

c.e.• Brought Islam with

them• Became the main

religion

The Modern Period

• Region Granted independence in 1947

• Divide by religious lines• West and East Pakistan

(Bangladesh)– Major cultural differences

(i.e. languages were different)

– Government was in West Pakistan, east felt they had no power

– 1971 East Pakistan broke away became Bangladesh

Bangladesh

The Modern Period • Sri Lanka

– British colony 1802 – 1948 became independent

• Maldives– British Protectorate: gave up

certain decision making processes for protection

– Full independence in 1965• Bhutan

– British Protectorate – Fully independent in 1949– India still runs foreign policy

• Nepal– Ruled by series of dynasty’s– Constitutional Monarchy– Ethnic troubles, illiteracy, and

poverty – Hard to build a strong

Democracy

People and Languages

• Pakistan– Religion: Islam– Language: Urdu and

regional languages• Similar to Hindi

– Persian Script – Read right to left– Many also speak

English

People and Language

• Nepal:– Indo-Aryan ancestry– Speak Nepali– North speak Sino-Tibetan

Languages

• Bhutan– 3 major ethnic groups

• Bhote

• Nepalese

• Tribal People

– Speak: Dzongkha; English is used in Schools

People and Languages

• Bangladesh– Bengalis– Mix of Turks and

Southwest Asians– Speak Bengali

• Sri Lanka– 75% are Sinhalese– 25% are Tamils

• Live in north and east

– Decades of bloody conflicts

Education

• Generally low literacy rate

• Too few schools • Too few teachers• Women are less likely

than men to be able to read– Result of cultural

attitudes

Religion

• Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Maldives are Muslim

• Nepal and Bhutan are Hindu – Tibetan region: Buddhist – Nepal only official Hindu

state

• Sri Lanka– Sinhalese – Buddhist– Tamils – Hindus

• Religion is reflected in traditions and customs

Badshahi Mosque

Influence of Religion

• 1. Powerful influence on daily life

• 2. Prayer flags flap in the wind, sending out sacred messages called mantras

• 3. In India sadhus (Hindu teachers) can be found every where

– wear yellow robes– carry a bowl and blanket– live on gifts from those who

– want to improve their karma• 4. Consider cows to be sacred• 5. Women in Pakistan dress

modestly in accordance with Islamic law