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

• 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