South Asia

1. South Asia • Pakistan • India • Nepal • Bhutan • Bangladesh • Sri Lanka

2. Physical Geography • Himalayas Mountains • Monsoons & Climate • Ganges & Indus Rivers • Deccan Plateau Cho Oyu, Nepal (Himalayas) Ganges River

3. Himalayas Mountains • a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau and rest of Asia • India is called a subcontinent because the landmass was not connected to the Asian Continent plate. • To comprehend the enormous scale of this mountain range consider that Aconcagua, in the Andes, at 6,962 m, is the highest peak outside Asia, while the Himalayan system includes over 100 mountains exceeding 7,200 meters or higher • Top 3 peaks – Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga Himalayas Seen from Space Formation of Himalayas – Process of Plate Tectonics

4. Climbing Mount Everest • in 1953, Edmund Hillary, a New Zealand mountain climber and beekeeper, and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa, are the first people credited with reaching the Mountain's summit. • Avalanches are a constant threat and they have claimed many lives. Fierce storms may blow up unexpectedly, trapping or blinding climbers. Shifting glaciers can open suddenly, creating deep crevasses, often obscured by snow. • Lack of oxygen is one of the major challenges posed by Everest. The oxygen levels at the top are only a third of what they are at sea level. Humans cannot survive for any length of time at elevation above 26,000 feet, which on Everest is known as the "death zone." At this altitude, the human body is unable to acclimate to the low oxygen and begins to deteriorate. Most climbers must use oxygen and will have difficulty sleeping Hillary & Sherpa Tenzing climbing & taking a tea break.

5. Monsoons India’s climate is dominated by monsoons. Monsoons are strong, often violent winds that change direction with the season. Monsoon winds blow from cold to warm regions because cold air takes up more space than warm air. Monsoons blow from the land toward the sea in winter, and from the sea toward land in the summer. India’s winters are hot and dry. The monsoon winds blow from the northeast and carry little moisture. The temperature is high because the Himalayas form a barrier that prevents cold air from passing onto the subcontinent. Additionally, most of India lies between the Tropic of Cancer and the equator, so the sun’s rays shine directly on the land. The temperature can reach as high as 110oF during the Indian winter. The summer monsoons roar onto the subcontinent from the southwest. The winds carry moisture from the Indian Ocean and bring heavy rains from June to September. The torrential rainstorms often cause violent landslides. Entire villages have been swept away during monsoon rains. Despite the potential for destruction, the summer monsoons are welcomed in India. Farmers depend on the rains to irrigate their land. Additionally, a great deal of India’s electricity is generated by water power provided by the monsoon rains. Pakistan is much drier than India. The summer monsoon winds in India bring moisture from the Indian Ocean; Pakistan is north of the ocean and receives much less rain. The Thar Desert is on the border between India and Pakistan. It covers more than 77,000 square miles, about the size of Nebraska.

6. Ganges River • The Ganges is 1557 miles long (2506 km) • The Ganges Valley, or basin, is 200 to 400 miles (322 to 644 km) wide • The river starts in an ice cave on the southern slopes of the Himalayas, some 10,300 feet (3,140 meters) above sea level. • It flows eastward and empties into the Bay of Bengal. Its mouths forms a vast delta. At the delta it is joined by the southward-flowing Brahmaputra River. Their combined delta is the largest in the world According to Hindus, the river Ganga (feminine) is sacred. It is worshipped by Hindus and personified as a goddess, who holds an important place in the Hindu religion. Hindu belief holds that bathing in the river (especially on certain occasions) causes the forgiveness of sins and helps attain salvation.Many people believe that this will come from bathing in the Ganga at any time. People travel from distant places to immerse the ashes of their kin in the waters of the Ganga; this immersion also is believed to send the departed soul to heaven. Also, having a bottle of Ganges water in the home will help cleanse the sins of someone dieing.

7. Hinduism – Holy Texts: • Upanishads • More Philosophical & Mystical • Composed around 800-400BC • One Supreme Being – Brahman, is within us all • Idea of Karma • Idea of Reincarnation • Bhagavad-Gita • Idea of Dharma – Sacred Duty. What one is supposed to do in life – leads to Caste System. • Details the god Krishna’s talk on the battlefield with warrior Arjuna – defining Dharma Vedas (Sacred Knowledge) • Form Foundation of Hindu philosophy • Divided into 4 books • Hymns of Sacrifice • Composed around 1200BC written in Sanskrit • Attributed to Aryans • Consists of hymns written to the gods & goddesses

8. Hinduism – Main Ideas 1. Born: Everyone has sacred duties - Dharma (roles of castes) which add up ones Karma (good/bad actions or deeds) ?3. Goal of Hinduism: LIBERATION: If one finally evolves or has so many good deeds they get – release from cycle of rebirth and oneness with supreme being. • The Indian caste system has been in use for many years.  Still today the values of the caste system are held strongly.  It has kept a sense of order, and peace among the people.  There are five different levels of the system: Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra, and Harijans.Within each of these categories are the actual "castes" or jatis within which people are born, marry, and die. They all have their own place among each other and accept that it is the way to keep society from disintegrating to chaos.  2. Life then Death : When one dies, there is reincarnation. Depending on Karma, one is reborn to a better or worse life. One pays for mistakes or good deeds in later lives. This justifies the caste system.

9. Hinduism: THREE BASIC PRACTICES • Puja or worship • Cremation of the dead • Regulations of the caste system

10. RELIGIOUS CONTRASTS • HINDUISM • Polytheistic • Many idols • Various sacred writings • Varying beliefs • Absorbed other religions • Venerate cows • Burn dead (& alive) • Caste separation • “State” of secondary importance • ISLAM • Monotheistic • No idols • One sacred book • Uniform dogma - 5 pillars • Intolerant (of other religions) • Eat beef/Sacrifice cows • Bury Dead • Social Equality (in theory) • Theocratic society

11. British 1.      First come to trade – India has better quality of goods. 2.      British government give monopoly of trade to British East India Company (BEIC). 3.      BEIC buy or take land from Moguls, have farmers pay tax to them. Tax is now in cash – if farmers can’t pay they lose land. 40% of farm land ends up in large landownership. 4.      Indians revolt and British Gov’t steps in and makes India colony. 5.      British want India to grow cash crops – cotton, indigo, opium, tea and coffee. 6.      No industrialization of India. British don’t want to take jobs away from their people. History of India Mogul Empire • Muslims, 1500 – 1857. • One builds Taj Mahal as symbol of his love for his wife.

12. Independence & Gandhi • Mahatma Ghandi: a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian independence movement. He was the pioneer of Satyagraha—a philosophy that is largely concerned with truth and 'resistance to evil through active, non-violent resistance—which led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Gandhi is commonly known in India and across the world as the Mahatma or “Great Soul”. • Boycotts, sit-ins, and refusing to cooperate with British. Works against moral democracy (British). • Also worked to help “untouchables” of Caste system. Opposed the partition of India.

13. Green Revolution. 1943: Bengal Famine – 4 million east Indians starve to death. India tries to feed itself (self-sufficient). Through science and modern farming techniques (irrigation of monsoons leads to double cropping, new seeds produce more with plant surviving droughts better, gov’t subsidies). Not self-sufficient but getting better. • Industrialization – rapid growth in cities leads to slums. Calcutta to Jamshedpur has large coal and iron deposits. Still relying on old colonial systems so growth is slow. • “Outsourcing” – high tech support in India. Computers & software problems are handled in India. After Independence • Pakistan and Bangladesh are Muslim and are separated from India – Partition of 1947. There have been 3 wars between Pakistan & India (Even now troops mass in Kashmir (Northern Indian province). Bangladesh broke from Pakistan in 1971.

14. Pakistan • Physical Features: Baluchistan Plateau in west and Thar Desert in east with Indus River Valley in Middle. Mountains keep cold air from coming south and keep country hot. • Indus River Valley – irrigates middle of country, largest hydroelectric producer in world. • Very Islamic – religion keeps country together. Many different ethnic groups with different laguage and customs

15. Afghanistan • Very mountainous – Hindu Kush, rocky, dry country • Buffer State – separates opposing countries. First Russia & Great Britain in 1800’s then Soviet Russia invaded in 1979-1989 • Fundamental Islam – Taliban & Al-Qaida strong holds (see Middle East Notes)

16. Bangladesh • Climate – very hot, rarely drops below 80. 4-5 month monsoons brings lots of rain. • Good times – warm, lots of water, fertile soil lets farmers grow 3 crops a year. Bad times severe flooding cause damage & loss of life • Overpopulation – 131 million. Malnutrition is a constant problem. Can’t grow enough food for the country, have to rely on aid from other countries

17. Nepal Bhutan High in the Himalayan Mountains Southern lowlands get rain and grow tropical crops on terranced fields 75% Buddhist Discourages tourism and visitors • High in the Himalayan Mountains. Mount Everest there. • Southern lowlands get rain and grow tropical crops on terranced fields • 90% Hindu • Welcomes visitors. Sherpas – ethnic group that helps climbers

18. Sri Lanka • Tropical Island off southeast coast of India • Plantations in southwest – coconuts & rubber. Grows 1/8 world’s tea • Deforestation – cut down 2/3 of island’s rain forest. Has caused droughts and climate change • Social unrest – ¾ of population is Sinhalese Buddhists while ¼ is Hindu Tamils. Both speak different languages with different alphabet. Tamils fight a civil war to gain rights and freedom. Rapper M.I.A. is a Tamil.