South Asia

1. South Asia • Background • South Asian region consists of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Sikkim, and Bhutan • region enclosed by Himalayan and Karakorum Mts. in the north, the Arabian Sea in the west, and the Bay of Bengal in the east • most of the region under the colonial power of Britain until after WWII • countries divided on religious lines with India predominately Hindu and Pakistan mainly Muslim

2. Karakorum Mts Deccan Plateau

3. old and new exist side by side • India can built nuclear reactors, make nuclear bombs, support a sophisticated hardware and software industry • yet only 50% of the population can read; only 20% has adequate sanitary facilities, and 2/3’s of children are malnourished • India, second poorest region of the world

4. Historical influences • 3,000 BC Dravidian people forced out of Indus Valley into southern India • taller, lighter skinned Indo-Aryan tribes replaced the Dravidian people in the north • Sanskrit language and Hinduism associated with these Indo-Aryan peoples in north India • Buddhism also strong in early India • caste system arose out of differences between Aryan and non-Aryan peoples

5. Aryans had stratified social system with priests (Brahmins), warriors (Kshatriyas) and farmers and merchants (Vaisyas); Sudras, the laborers, born to be servants to the other three castes, especially the Brahman. • non-Aryans with menial occupations including the untouchables • attractiveness of Buddhist faith was that it rejected the rigid caste system of Hinduism, but Buddhists were largely expelled from northern India, migrated south to Sri Lanka or Myanmar (Burma)

6. Mughal Empire in 12th C brings Islam to Indian sub-continent • Islam popular among lower classes, preached more social and political equality, but Islam never replaced Hinduism in central India • Islam strongest in northwest in Lahore • 18th C Mughal empire broke up, many small kingdoms established by Muslim or Hindu rulers • Portuguese (Vasco de Gama) arrive first, Dutch second, then British in 17th C • British East India Company, a dominant force in India

7. British East India Co. backed by British Indian army increased its hold on India, particularly strong in Bengal, Sri Lanka, and Punjab. • After Sepoy Mutiny in 1857, British government took control of India; East India Co. abolished; princely states remained • typical core/periphery economic relationship between Britain and India in 19th and 20th C with India producing raw materials for the “mother country”. Indian economic development retarded • India produced cotton on irrigated land in the Indus and upper Ganges plain.

8. British saw their role as one of “civilizing” India by means of Western education, introduction of new technology, building public works, and introducing system of English law • built railroads, irrigation canals, other infrastructure projects • tea, rubber and coconut plantations established in India • Indian Tamil labor worked on plantations • emphasis on export crops with a neglect of traditional agriculture growing rice

9. Indians fought with Britain in WW I, demanded more influence in government, progress toward self-government slow • Agitation for independence prior to WW II led by the Indian Congress Party in India and the Muslim League in Pakistan. Muslims wanted their own political organization; feared Hindu domination • India and Pakistan get their independence in 1947 • demands for a separate Muslim state because of fears that Muslims would be a underprivileged and persecuted minority in India

10. majority of Muslims in Punjab and Bengal • Mahatma Gandhi, spiritual and political leader of India; Jawaharlal Nehru, pragmatic political leader and first prime minister of India • Mohammed Ali Jinnah, father of modern Pakistan • British independence plan called for dividing provinces of Bengal and the Punjab between India and Pakistan • Muslims and Hindus caught in “wrong country” were encouraged to move to avoid ethnic bloodshed • 12 million people displaced in migrations between India and Pakistan; over 1 million died in brutal ethnic clashes

11. issue of Kashmir • Muslim insurgents in Kashmir proclaim provisional government • 75% of population in Kashmir were Muslims but the territory had a Hindu maharaja as ruler of Kashmir • mahraja announces accession of area into new Indian Republic • India sends troops to Srìnagar, the capital of Kashmìr • war erupts in Kashmir • debate in UN leads to cease fire, promise of a plebiscite which was never held because India objected • conflict over Kashmir between India and Pakistan remains hot emotional issue

12. Physical Divisions of India: (1) Outer Wall of Mountains; (2) North Indian Plain; and (3) Peninsula Plateaus • Outer Wall of Mountains • mountains from Arabian Sea to Kashmir with Hindu Kush Mts separating Afghanistan from India and Pakistan • mountains from Kashmir to Assam and Myanmar (Burma); Karakorum range separates India from China; • Himalayan Mts. also separate India and China along a 1500 mile border

13. 92 of 100 highest peaks in world found in this region with Mt.. Everest at 29K and K2 at 28 K • military action across the border between India and China in 1962; quite since that time. • Northern Indian Plain • large alluvial plain across three countries- Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh • Indus River and its tributaries in Pakistan • Ganges River and its tributary the Jumma River from Punjab to Bengal • Brahmaputra River from Assam to Ganges Delta • 40% of the Indian population lives on the Ganges Plain • capital city of New Delhi (11 mil); Bombay (17 mil) and Calcutta (12 mil) on northern Indian plain

14. Peninsula India • southern peninsula triangle of plateaus known as the Deccan Plateau • most of region approximately 2,000 feet in elevation • rivers cut deep trenches through the Deccan making irrigation difficult • prevalence of water tanks that catch rain • western side of peninsula contains Western Ghats • eastern side of peninsula contains Eastern Ghats • heavy population along western coastal plain (Malabar coast) and eastern coastal plain (Coromandal coast) • main metropolitan cities of peninsula are Madras with 4.3 mil and Bangalore with 4.1 mi

17. Climate • extremes of climate in the Indian subcontinent • temperatures vary from the very cold temperatures in the northern mountains to tropical heat of peninsula India • precipitation varies from some of the driest climates to some of the wettest • hottest temperatures occur in late spring just before the monsoon • India lives and dies by the monsoon • If rain comes late to Central India, it can cause tremendous suffering and hardship • winter temperatures are relatively warm and dry

18. high pressure over Punjab and winds blow over the Indian subcontinent to the ocean • early summer, unbearable heat is broken by the summer monsoon • summer monsoon from June to September • two arms of the wet monsoon- one strikes Western Ghats and drops high rainfall on western side of Mts. • second arm of wet monsoon approaches Bay of Bengal • rain in Assam can reach 400 inches per year • rain up the Ganges falls as one goes northwest • tropical cyclones in Bay of Bengal can bring devastating summer floods in Bangladesh

19. Water resources • water vital to extend agricultural cycle • canals, reservoirs, dams built in northwest India • construction of wells and tanks to stretch water reserves • motor-driven pumps are high priority of government • Population • India has world’s second largest population behind China • rate of population increase higher in India • rate of growth was 250 million in 1920; 440 million in 1960; 775 million in 1990; estimated population of 1.3 billion by 2025

20. family planning pushed by Indian government, but not as coercive as China • government plan to push male sterilization led to fall of the government of India Gandhi in 1977 • Indian population growing at 2% per year which adds one million people/month • high infant mortality keeps birth rate high in rural areas • Muslim population disapproves of birth control • significant population of India still lives in rural areas

21. Ethnic /Religious Diversity • Hindus constitute 80% of population; Muslims about 11%; Christians and Sikhs 2% each; Buddhists and others 5% • rise of religious militancy among Hindus; Muslim mosques attacked; invasion of Sikh temples to capture militants; recent elections show support for radical Hindu politicians. Future problems predicted • diversity of languages with only 30% speaking Hindi; 15 other official languages in Indian states • 1,600 different languages spoken in subcontinent • English, language of educated elite and commerce

22. 15 million Indians live abroad in South Africa, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Persian Gulf States, England, Caribbean, Fiji • many Indian entrepreneurs and shopkeepers throughout the world • significant “brain drain” to West among Indian educated elite. • remittances from expatriates were $3 billion in 1992

23. Differences between Hindus and Muslims • Islam monotheistic and insists on rigid obedience to religious practices, no idols or statues; Hinduism pantheistic and open to diverse points of view, representation of many gods • Islam believes in equality of all people; Hinduism adheres to caste system with rigid hierarchy • Islam views cattle as source of food; Hindus believe the cow is sacred, forbidden to kill them • Islamic rituals austere and solemn; Hindus sing, chant, dance and engage in noisy celebrations • religious zealots on both sides exacerbate political tensions

24. Economic Development • India has one of largest economies outside of core European countries with areas of highly productive agriculture and growing manufacturing, yet most people remain poor • parts of economy expanding and diversifying • farming declined from 44 to 31 % of GDP; manufacturing rose from 22 to 29% of GDP; services rose from 34 to 40% of GDP • from 1947-1991 India chose not to become a major part of world economy, concentrated on increasing food production and self-sufficiency

25. avoided close links with core countries and multinational corporations • bureaucrats from central government controlled economy following socialistic principles • after 1991 Indian economy in crisis, Soviet trade ended, Western countries urged India to restructure by opening up country to foreign investment and producing commodities for export trade • direct foreign investment increase from $150 to $660 million between 1991 and 1994 • investment in Indian company shares rose from $156 million to $4.1 billion

26. more decision-making power in economic area given to Indian states • private capital flourished, tremendous economic growth in short period of time; poor did not benefit from these changes • infrastructure projects in power supply, telecommunications and road construction promoted • farming output particularly in states of Punjab and Haryana in northwest improved dramatically • rural areas in these states generated growth and income for poor

27. Green Revolution in India increased yields of irrigated rice and wheat by more than 300% • production of food grains tripled from 50 million tons to over 180 million tons • local infrastructure concentrated on rural electrification, all weather roads, good bus and truck transportation • irrigation in Punjab and Haryana produced dramatic results; other parts of India languished without adequate water supplies (irrigated cotton) • poor monsoon rains in 80’s created problems in South India

28. durum wheat (used in pasta) vegetables, fruits, and flowers promoted with processing facilities to make French fries, tomato puree, wines, etc. which are exported to Persian Gulf • tea is a major industry in Assam hills, MNC’s active in tea plantations • Ganges Plains still retain traditional farming methods, small plots, landless laborers in the poverty trap • Ganges/Brahmaputra Delta site of jute industry; factories in Calcutta cut off from jute-growing areas in Bangladesh

29. coastal deltas drained for rice and cotton production • hilly areas grow millet and sorghum that can tolerate drier conditions • huge number of livestock, particularly cattle which are sacred in India. Hindus do not eat beef • mineral resources in northeast part of Choto Nagpur Plateau • large reserves of bauxite • some natural gas and oil supplying 75% of India’s needs • large fishing industry off coasts

30. forest resources limited except on southern slopes of Himalayas • growing manufacturing sector from small-scale craft industries to large iron and steel complexes • main steel industries in Bihar and Orissa • car and vehicle assembly linked to MNC’s like GM, Ford, Chrysler, Peugeot, Volvo, Mitsubishi, Daewoo, and VW. India produces with Suzuki its own car, the Muarati • textiles a major industry with exports to US and EU

31. high tech industries concentrated around Bangalore in Karnataka state. MNC’s like 3M, Motorola, IBM, Texas Instruments have plants in Bangalore. Some high tech also in Mysore • Mumbai (Bombay) in Maharashtra and adjacent Gujurat are important manufacturing centers • Mumbai also commercial capital of India • active film industry concentrated in Bombay produces 500-600 titles per year • Uttar Pradesh produces tanned leather goods, brass goods, and carpets using child labor • service jobs growing particularly in private sector

32. health and education need additional resources • India produces too many college graduates but not enough graduates with basic education • health problems are enormous with 300,000 children dying of diarrhea each year, high infant mortality, major public health problems because of impure water and bad sanitation • Overall, India is making significant economic progress, but the benefits of these gains needs to filter out to the general population

33. Environmental Problems • Water and air pollution due to industrial development • Environment disaster at Bhopal which killed 2,500 • Deforestation along Brahamaputra River from Nepal to delta. Destruction of forests along Ganges as well. • Wildlife extinction and protection- elephants, tigers, small animals • Chipko movement of “tree huggers”

34. Pakistan and Bangladesh • Background • Pakistan and Bangladesh share the same cultural and political heritage as India but little else in common except the Islamic faith • initially they were one country, divided into two different locations, West Pakistan and East Pakistan • revolt in East Pakistan led to the creation of Bangladesh in 1971 • Pakistan is a country of arid lowlands with high mountains on the periphery • Bangladesh is a country with low, well-watered lands with a hilly eastern region

35. Pakistan has a major problem managing scarce water resources • Bangladesh has major problems dealing with floods that devastated the country in 1974, 1988, and 1991 • Population • Bangladesh only 1/5th the size of Pakistan but has approximately the same size population- 146 million people in Pakistan vs. 125 million people in Bangladesh • birth rate slightly higher in Pakistan • problem of Bangladesh is to feed and find jobs for its people • many laborers from Bangladesh find employment in the Persian Gulf or Malaysia

36. lack of an educated workforce hampers development in Pakistan • Karachi, largest city in Pakistan with 10 million; Lahore with 5 million is center of Islamic culture in Pakistan • Islamabad with 300,000 people is the new capital of Pakistan located near India/Kashmir border • Dacca is largest city and main port of Bangladesh with a population of 3 million • Chittagong is main port of Bangladesh with population of 3 million • Urdu is official language of Pakistan, but few speak it; Punjabi is more commonly spoken language

37. Economic Development • Pakistan and Bangladesh are both poor countries but GDP of Pakistan twice as large as Bangladesh’s GDP • British built some infrastructure (roads and irrigation facilities) in Pakistan; Bangladesh was largely ignored • both states heavily dependent on agriculture • 75% of the labor force in Bangladesh are farmers growing jute, rice, tea or sugarcane • cotton chief agricultural commodity grown in Pakistan • best farmland in Pakistan in hands of a small group of wealthy farmers with great political power • no large reserve of minerals in either country though Pakistan has some gypsum, rock salt and soda ash

38. Political problems • political instability in Pakistan alternating military rule and corrupt civilian political rule • breakdown of law and order in Pakistan due to social dislocation produced by the Afghanistan war after 1979 • arms acquired by Islamic fighters used inside Pakistan to rob bank, kidnap prominent persons for ransom • 1971 civil war in Bangladesh destroyed 70% of the roads, bridges, port facilities and electric generating facilities • tropical cyclones in 1971 results in great loss of life with more than 100,000 people killed in floods • Bangladesh one of the poorest and most densely populated countries of the world

39. Pakistan