SOUTH ASIA:

HISTORY AND
CULTURE
10-11 April 2017
Modern Period

Early 1500s CE Moguls (Muslim warriors)

formed an empire in the region
Akbar = greatest leader ; expanded land,
lowered taxes, supported the arts, treated
people fairly
Later Moguls taxed heavily and led to decline
Modern Period

1600s East India Trading Company

arrives in India British begin to build
trading posts along the coastline
1700s Mogul empire begins to decline
1700s - 1800s British empire takes
control of the subcontinent with trade and
military
Ruled by the British East Trading Company
Modern History British
Rule Pros and Cons
Pros Cons
- Schools - Cheap British textiles
- Infrastructure ruined the local textile
(railroads, bridges, industry
ports) - Few advances in
- Telegraph healthcare high
- Postal service death rates, low life
expectancy
Modern History

Late 1800s Series of famines

Early 1900s Bad conditions lead Indians
to start Independence movement
Mohandas Gandhi encouraged nonviolent
civil disobedience and boycotts
Major fear that the majority (Hindus) would
treat Muslims poorly
Modern History

1947 The British divide the region into

two countries:
India for the Hindus
Pakistan for the Muslims; had East and
West parts
Hindus flee to India and Muslims flee to
Pakistan
Fighting between the groups erupts
Modern History
1948 Ceylon (mod. Sri Lanka) gains
independence from the British
1965 Maldives becomes independent
1971 East Pakistan declares
independence becomes Bangladesh
1983 Civil War in Sri Lanka Tamil people
want self rule
1996 Communist rebels fight Nepalese
government
2006 Nepals king gives up some powers
2008 Nepalese monarchy ends;
communists join the government
CULTURAL APPROACH
CHART - Demographics
South Asia over 1.5 billion people
Population density is high
India 869 people per sq. mile
Bangladesh 2594 people per sq. mile
United States 80 people per sq. mile
More than 2/3 of the population lives in
rural areas
Cities are growing
Mumbai, India has 19 million people
Growing middle class in the cities
Cultural Approach Chart
- Demographics
Ethnic Groups
The Sherpa of Tibetan ancestry; large
population, particularly in the Himalayas in
Nepal
Many of the ethnic groups are considered
ethnic-linguistic groups
Cultural Approach Chart

Politics
Gained independence after World War II
Bangladesh parliamentary republic
India, Pakistan federal parliamentary
republic
Cultural Approach Chart

Religion
Hinduism
Believe that souls want to reunite with
Brahman (the eternal spirit that everything
is a part of) through reincarnation
Dharma the duty that people must perform
Karma the consequences of your action
that affect your next lives
Believed that if you followed dharma and
had good karma, you could be born into a
high social caste
Hinduism is the largest religion in South
Asia; Islam is the second-largest (Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Maldives)
Cultural Approach Chart

Religion
Buddhism
Buddha = the Enlightened One
Founded by Siddhartha Gautama
Teaches that we are too attached to material
objects, which do not last this attachment
is the cause of all pain in the world
By following the Eightfold Path, you can let
go of attachments and reach nirvana (a
state of endless peace and enlightenment)
Dzong Buddhist prayer and study center in
Bhutan
Culture Approach Chart

Aesthetics
The arts have been heavily influenced by
the religions in the region.
Sacred writings have been frequently
illustrated
 Cultural Approach Chart
Aesthetics
Literature the
Mahabharata a very
long sacred poem
88,000 verses!
The Bhagavad Gita (Song
of the Lord) is the most
famous part of this poem
The god Krishna
accompanies a prince to a
battle and tells him that it
is noble to do ones duty
(dharma) even when it is
difficult and painful.
Cultural Approach Chart
- Aesthetics
Music sitar
a long-necked
instrument
with 7 strings
on the
outside and
10 in the neck
Cultural Approach Chart

Aesthetics
Mumbai is nicknamed Bollywood due to
the Indian film Industry
Clothing western clothing is popular, but
some women wear saris (a draped, long,
rectangular cloth)
 Cultural Approach Chart
Intellectual
19 major languages and
hundreds of dialects
India - 15 official
languages
50% of Indias speak HINDI
as their primary language
URDU Pakistans official
language
BENGALI Bangladesh
English is also widely
spoken due to British rule
Cultural Approach Chart
Social
Marriage commonly viewed as the joining
of two families
Parents often arrange marriages
After a woman marries, she becomes a
part of her husbands family
Several generation often live in the same
household.
Cultural Approach Chart
- Economics
India has a growing middle class the
total is more than the entire population
of the US
Increasingly consumers (buyers) of
electronics, cars, houses, and other
products
Outsourcing has created many jobs in
India
Cities still deal with unemployment and
overcrowding