IndiaMs. MitchellCultural Revolutions

India 7th largest country (land-size)

2nd largest country (population size) with 1.2 billion people

Most populous democracy in the world (parliamentary)

Shares borders with China, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma (Myanmar), Bangladesh, and Pakistan

Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism all originated here

Achieved independence from Britain in 1947

Hinduism Most prominent religion in India

Third largest religion in the world after Christianity and Islam

No single founder, formed of diverse traditions

Often called the oldest living religion—also considered the most complex

“According to Supreme court of India ‘unlike other religions in the World, the Hindu religion does not claim any one Prophet, it does not worship any one God, it does not believe in any one philosophic concept, it does not follow any one act of religious rites or performances, in fact, it does not satisfy the traditional features of a religion or creed. It is a way of life and nothing more’.”

Caste System Traditional division of social order and class in

India

Divided into higher castes and lower castes

People are born into a caste and it determines place in life and occupation

Not able to transcend your caste

Said to be disappearing in urban India but still very prominent in rural India

Now against the law to openly discriminate against someone because of their caste

The Caste System: Social Order and Class

Castes—”Varnas” Kshatriya

Second highest caste Warriors and rulers Take on all forms of public

service—administration, maintenance of law and order, defense

Sudras Lower caste but not as

low as untouchables Unskilled workers/Semi-

Skilled workers

Brahmins Highest caste Priests Scriptural education and

knowledge

Vaisyas Third highest caste Skilled traders, merchants,

and minor officials Engage in commercial

activity as businessmen

OutsourcingWhere do the jobs go? And what is this doing

to India’s economy and social structure?

Outsourcing and Bangalore Outsourcing: the contracting out of a business

process, jobs, services, etc.

To save money, meet shortages, provide support 24/7 Example: Tech support, banking, radiology,

journalism, etc.

Bangalore, India has become one of the most popular spots for US companies to outsource IT jobs. Texas Instruments became the first multinational

corporation to set up a base in Bangalore in 1985 “Silicon Valley” of India

The White TigerBy Aravind Adiga

The NovelWritten by Aravind Adiga in 2008. Only 33 years

old when it was published. Won the Man Booker prize that same year.

Entire novel is a series of letters between an Indian man, Balram Halwai, and the Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao.

Letters written over seven consecutive nights. Set in present day.

Letters trace Balram’s life from childhood in a rural village (Laxmangarh) to life as a successful entrepreneur in Bangalore

Explores issues of…Religion

Caste

Loyalty

Corruption

Poverty

Themes and MotifsGlobalization

Individualism

Freedom

Immoral Corruption

Social class/caste

“The Darkness”

“The Rooster Coop”