Unit One of Asia

1. Unit One of Asia Geography, Culture, and Environment

2. Japan - Effects of Climate • Climatic conditions have a major effect on population distribution, agriculture, and industrial development in Asia. • Western Japan has harsh winters due to Siberian winds • The central and eastern portions of Honshu have mild winters without much or any snow. • Where weather is milder, the population is usually larger – all major Japanese cities are on the East Coast.

3. Topography • Japan is a rugged, mountainous group of islands. • Mt. Fuji reaches 12,500 feet into the sky • The distance from coast to coast is less than 200 miles anywhere in the islands • Almost 80 percent of the land surface is mountainous • 20 percent of the land is arable (good for farming)

4. Japan is called the “Land of the Rising Sun.” • Japan is a part of the “Ring of Fire” which is a great chain of volcanoes lying along the west coast of the Americas and then curving down the eastern shores of Asia • There are about 3,400 islands in Japan • The main ones are called Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku

5. INDIA - Climate • An alpine climate is very cold and exists in the high mountains such as the Himalayas. • Plants can grow there, but they are limited. • Few people live in alpine climates. • A temperate climate is much milder - it is easier to grow crops and to sustain populations in temperate climates. • A monsoon is a pattern of seasonal winds that return every year. • The people of South Asia depend on such winds for their crops. • Hot, dry winds blow from the northeast of India from December to March. • Then, from June to September, monsoons blow from the southwest, brining 80% of South Asia’s yearly rains. • Since so much of the population is depended on agriculture, these summer monsoons are essential to a good growing season. • since it covers a vast area it is called a subcontinent

6. China • It ranges from a subarctic climate in the north, to a tropical climate in the south. • Most of China’s population is concentrated in the east and southeast, where the climate is milder. • Probably the most important geographic fact has been its isolation (separation). • High mountains (Himalayan) and wide deserts (Gobi) isolated this area from other parts of Asia. • These natural and protective barriers allowed the Chinese to develop their culture without constant interruption from the outside. • China also enjoyed conditions favorable for the development of a great culture as they had wide plains, fertile soil, great rivers, and coastal harbors. • Geography explains why Chinese civilization turned out to be unique (one of a kind)

7. Rivers • Chinese civilization began on the banks of one of its major rivers; the Yellowriver (Huang He) • It was develop there because of the rich soil called loess. • The other river that Chinese civilization developed around was the Chang (Yangtze) • While the rivers serve as a source of life, it also brings death and destruction. • The rivers often overflow their banks, flooding large areas of the surrounding countryside. • Because of these floods, the Chinese people call the Yellow river “China’s sorrow.”

8. Mekong River is one of the longest rivers in Southern & Eastern Asia. • It stretches almost 2,700 miles long, runs through western China, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, before emptying in the South China Sea.

9. Deserts • Taklimakan Desert: • The Taklimakan Desert in northwest China is a vast region of sand desert sitting in a depression between two high, rugged mountain ranges. • The desert is hemmed in to the north by the snow-covered Tien Shan Mountain range and to the south by the rugged Kunlun Mountains. • Desertification and shifting sand dunes are a major concern for the farmers and grazers who live at the desert's edge.

10. Gobi Desert: • Is a vast stretch of land roughly 1,000 miles long between 300 to 600 miles wide. • The desert lies between the Altai and Hangayn mountains and stretches across parts of Mongolia and China. • Much of the desert is made up of bare rock, rather than sand. • Winters are harsh, January average low -40 degrees Fahrenheit & July average high 113 degrees Fahrenheit. • Severe dryness limits vegetation; few plants and shrubs that grow. • Few people live in the desert, those that do, tend to live as nomadic herders.

11. Overall Effects of Geography – INDIA • In general, geography affects where people live, what they do there, and how they move around. • The Indo-Gangetic Plain offers an example to demonstrate this. • This large plain area lies between the Himalayan mountain ranges and the Deccan Plateau, within India. • Much of this area benefits from the three large rivers of South Asia: the Ganges, the Indus, and the Brahmaputra. • These rivers have their sources in the Himalayas. • These rivers and their many tributaries carry silt from the mountains that fertilizes farmlands on the plains.

12. These rivers also provide a reliable source of irrigation. • As a result of its steady sources of water, its fertile soil, and its long growing season, the Indo-Gangetic Plain is densely populated. • In mountainous areas, travel is much more difficult. • Mountain passes are important in these areas because they allow people to travel through or over mountains. • The Khyber Pass has been used for centuries, and has been the way that invading armies took over South Asia from the northwest. • Presently, the Khyber Pass connects Afghanistan to Pakistan. • India has a high population density. • It has 898 people per square mile compared to 354 for China and 79 for the US.

13. Southeast Asia Geography • countries include Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Philippines, Singpore • 500 million people • has neither cultural or political unity • there are many races, religions and customs

14. it is an area of islands and peninsulas • Indo-Chinese Peninsula, Malay Peninsula, islands of Indonesia and Philippians • archipelagoes (a group of islands) • along some of the seacoasts are lowlands that are densely populated • The Great Lake • Tonle Sap in Cambodia is the only major lake in SE Asia • END SEC. 1

15. Hinduism • It is the oldest religion • Around 1500 BC, Aryan people migrated to the Indus Valley, where Pakistan is today (Hindu means Indus) • Hinduism does not have any founder or any prophets. • By 1200 BC, the earliest sacred books of Hinduism appeared. They are called the Vedas and include the story of the Aryans. • By 4th c. BC, Hinduism had spread through all of India. • As it spread, Vedic Hinduism mixed with local religious practices.

16. Hindu’s worship many forms of one God called Brahman • During the 6th century BC, groups of people had different ideas from the traditional Vedic thinkers. • These groups included Janis and Buddhists, two sects of Hinduism. • A sect is a smaller group of people that have differing beliefs from the larger group. • Another group of people, called Upanishad thinkers, had different ideas from the traditional Vedic thinkers. • Almost all of the Upanishads are dialogues between a teacher and student. • They question the nature of both the individual soul, called atman, and the collective soul, called Brahman.

17. All these deities are but Manifest forms (attributes and functions) of the impersonal Brahman

18. The 3 most important Hindu gods are: • Brahma - known as the Creator. • Vishnu - Known as the Preserver • Shiva(Siva)- known as the Destroyer. Brahma Vishnu Shiva

19. Everyday practices • Puja: worship either at temple or shrine at home • Arti: worship that takes place in front of statues of the gods – offerings given • Ahimsa: all life is sacred – so many are vegetarian • Cows are especially sacred – give freely of themselves (work, milk) • Holy Place – river Ganges (used for spiritual cleansing, funeral rites, and other Hindu rituals) – city of Varanasi • Festivals – Holi, Diwali

20. Diwali Diwali • Hindu festival of lights “row of lights” lasting five days. • In at least one region, the “row of lights” are lit on the new-moon night to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth (In the Indian culture, wealth is not viewed as a corruptive power. Instead, a wealthy person is considered to have been rewarded for good deeds of a past life). • homes are thoroughly cleaned, windows are opened candles and lamps are lit to welcome Lakshmi. Gifts are exchanged and festive meals are prepared during Diwali. Celebration means as much to Hindus as Christmas does to Christians.

21. During King Asoka’s rule in the 3rd century BC, Buddhism gained more followers in India. • The number of Hindu followers lessened. • Starting at 320 AD, Hinduism became popular once again. • As the popularity of Hinduism increased, it also absorbed beliefs and practices of both Buddhism and Jainism. • Beginning as early as the 7th century AD, Islam became established in India. • It later spread throughout much of the country, and is the second most practiced religion in India today.

22. As Indian merchants moved to SE Asia, the Hindu religion spread to new areas. Local chiefs converted to Hinduism and the religion took hold in their region. • In the late 1800s, many Hindus left India and went to places like East Africa, islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and islands of the Caribbean. • Again, as they traveled, their religious ideas moved with them. • Hinduism has a long history, and it has spread to various parts of the world. • It is still the major religion of India. • Roughly 80% of the Indian population practices Hinduism.

23. Main Ideas • believe in reincarnation - "to be made flesh again", is a doctrine that some essential part of a living being survives death to be reborn in a new body. • Karma - Through the law of karma, the effects of all deeds actively create past, present, and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one's own life, and the pain and joy it brings to him/her and others. • if a person does what he or she is suppose to do, his or her soul will be rewarded in the next life • dharma is a set of rules that must be followed by all living things of they wish to work their way up the reincarnation ladder

24. The Caste System • began 3,000 years ago • when Aryans took over India they thought of themselves a superior and the conquered Indians as subordinate so started the class system • untouchable (AKA dalits) is the lowest class that deals with sweeping the streets, handling dead people and animals, and tending to pigs that feed on the village garbage; they must live away from the others and are not permitted to use the village wells • it divides the population into hereditary (passed from one generation to the next) social groups

25. 1) Brahmin (priest), 2) Kshatriya (soldiers), 3) Vaisya (merchants & farmers), 4) Sudras (laborers), 5) untouchable • you belong to same caste all your life; jobs are passed down from father to son • according to the rule of karma, if one is an untouchable, one has no one to blame but one’s self so instead of complaining, that person had better do a good job to move up the ladder • moksha is the final resting place

26. Varna (Social Hierarchy) Priest Brahmins Kshatriyas Warriors Vaishyas Merchants/Landowners Shudras Commeners/peasents/servants Pariahs [Harijan]  Untouchables

27. Ashrama:Four Stages of Life 1-20 Years Old The student, who is devoted and obedient to his teacher The householder, who supports his family and the priests and fulfills duties to the gods and ancestors The hermit, or retiree who withdraws from society to pursue ascetic and yogic practices The guru, who renounces all possessions and wanders from place to place begging for food

28. Literature • Vedas • collection of hymns, sacred prayers, chants, and epic poems about heroic deeds. • are a large body of texts originating in Ancient India& they form the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism • Upanishads • a collection of rituals and ceremonies written about 2,500 years ago • The Upanishads speak of a universal spirit (Brahman) and an individual soul, (Atman)and at times assert the identity of both. Brahman is the ultimate, both transcendent and immanent, the absolute infinite existence, the sum total of all that ever is, was, or shall be. • The Mahabharata • longest poem in the world with about 200,000 lines (5,000 pages) • It’s a discussion of human goals, attempting to explain the relationship of the individual to society and the world and the workings of karma. • The Ramayana • Indian soap opera written in 400 BC • It depicts the duties of relationships, portraying ideal characters like the ideal servant, the ideal brother, the ideal wife and the ideal king.

29. Teachings of Buddhism • began in India by Siddhartha Gautama born 567 BC • was a prince who did not life the difference of rich-poor • he left the palace for 6 years to wander the earth but did not find wisdom • so he sat under a tree for 49 days until he became enlightened (Buddha means “enlightened one” • it is more a way of life than a religion, has no gods, no belief in a soul or a main god

30. 4 noble truths 1. existence is suffering, 2. suffering comes from desire, 3. cure for suffering is extinction of desire, 4.for no desire must have right views, effort, mindfulness, intentions, speech, conduct, livelihood, concentration • key ideas; 1. self-salvation is a person’s most immediate responsibility, 2. nirvana is the goal of all Buddhist. Nirvana is a state of extinction or release from the Wheel of Rebirth (reincarnation), • worship at a Pagoda

31. Wisdom • Right View – know the truth • Right Intention – resist self-centeredness • Ethical Conduct • Right Speech – refrain from unkind, negative speech • Right Action – respect all life • Right Livelihood – work for the good of others • Mental Discipline • Right Effort – exert oneself in freeing the mind of evil (egocentric thought) • Right Awareness – elevate one’s thoughts beyond the haze of emotion and mood • 8) Right Meditation – practice the discipline of meditation • The Eightfold Path

32. Everyday practices • Live by this moral code: • Do not take the life of anything living • Do not take anything not freely given • Abstain from sexual misconduct and sensual overindulgence • Refrain from untrue speech • Avoid intoxication • Do not lose mindfulness • Meditation: • training the mind to empty it all of thoughts. When this happens what is important comes clear

33. The Spread of Buddhism • During the beginning of the Common Era (AD), it was easy for Buddhism to spread, as followers traveled the common trade routes of the time such as the Silk Road. • The Silk Road connected Asia to Europe. • After Xuanzang’s Buddhist studies in India, he brought more than 600 copies of sutras back to China with him. • A sutra is a Buddhist text. • Once Buddhism took hold in China it then spread to the Korean peninsula during 4th to 6th centuries. • From Korea, Buddhism moved to Japan.

34. As a result of trade that occurred via Sri Lanka, Buddhism reached SE Asia, especially the countries of Malaysia, Indonesia, present-day Cambodia, and southern Vietnam. • Buddhist ideas reached northern Vietnam mostly from China. • Since Buddhism spread over a wide area during many centuries, it is practiced differently in many parts of the world. • Buddhism, like many other religions, continues to have many sects, with the two major ones being Mahayana and Theravada.

35. Jainism • do not have Gods and do not pray • do not believe in violence “ahimsa” • don’t fight back and don’t farm since it is killing plants or animals • it was not that big of a religion • Jainism is one of the oldest religions that originated in India. • Jains believe that every soul is divine and has the potential to achieve God-consciousness. • Jains have an ancient tradition of scholarship and have the highest degree of literacy in India.

36. Sikhism • they were a religion founded by Guru Nanak (1469 - 1539) as a mix of Islam (monotheism) and Hinduism (reincarnation) • after Nanak died, his work was carried out by gurus (teachers) • the Golden Temple is their main shrine; they are militaristic and men never cut their hair or beard • There is only One God. • The soul goes through cycles of births and deaths before it reaches the human form. • Sikhism condemns blind rituals such as fasting, visiting places of pilgrimage, superstitions, worship of the dead, idol worship etc. • Sikhism preaches that people of different races, religions, or sex are all equal in the eyes of God.

37. Chinese Philosophy & Religions The philosophies of Confucianism and Daoism originated between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC during a period of civil war and great unrest. Confucianism and Daoism are considered philosophies and not religions because they were not concerned with God or life after death. They were mainly concerned with ways of improving society and achieving a better life on earth.

38. Confucianism • Confucius was born in 551 BC and died in 479 BC. • The philosophy that is known as Confucianism come mainly from the speeches and writings of Confucius. • Confucianism is an ethical system rather than a religion (Ethics deals with human behavior and conduct) • Confucius was mainly concerned with how human begins behaved toward each other and paid little attention to such matters as sin, salvation, and the soul. • He developed a system of government, society, and justice which we call Confucianism. • Confucius was revered as a sage or wise person. • His sayings are collected in a book called the Analects.

39. The Five Basic Relationships • Confucius hoped that if people knew what was expected of them they would behave correctly. • The relationships are 1)ruler and subjects; 2) father and son; 3) elder brother and younger brother; 4) husband and wife; 5) friend and friend. • The right to rule belong to superiors over subordinates; that is, to older people over younger people, to men over women. • Family life was seen as a training ground for life in society. • The family is responsible for educating the child to be a good member of society. • Confucius emphasized the importance of education, the aim of which is to turn people into good family members, responsible members of society, and good subjects of the emperor.

40. It was the duty of the ruler and his officials to set a good example for the people. • The Chinese believed that a dynasty ruled as long as it held the “Mandate of Heaven”, that is, the right to rule. • If the people of China suffered, they were sure that Heaven had taken away its protection of the Emperor, so they rebelled. • When the rebellion was successful, the Mandate of Heaven was given to the leader of the rebellion so he became the emperor of a new dynasty.

41. F. Daoism (The Way) • The philosophy of Daoism (AKA Taoism)stated that people should live naturally. • Society does not allow people to live naturally as society forces humans to live according to rules which are not natural. • This results in suffering and problems. • To escape from this unhappiness, people must free themselves from all the rules that are forced upon them by society; they must find the Dao, or “Way” of the universe. • The Taoist believed that society corrupted people and separated them from their true nature.

42. Shintoism • Shintoism as a religion developed only in Japan • Shinto means “the way of the gods” • Shintoism is based on the worship of nature and good spirits called kami. • This religion has no bible or no formal prayer book • It is based on the feelings of human beings toward the world around them

43. The kami (nature spirits) live in shrines, animals, birds, plants, mountains, waterfalls, storms, and in most natural things. • The Four Affirmations of Shinto • Tradition and the family: The family is seen as the main force for traditions to be preserved. Main celebrations relate to birth and marriage. • Love of nature: Nature is sacred; to be in contact with nature is to be close to the Gods. Natural objects are worshipped as sacred spirits • Physical cleanliness: Followers of Shinto take baths, wash their hands, and rinse out their mouth often. Shinto stresses purifying that which is unclean, such as dirt, wounds, and disease. Touching the dead is considered unclean. • Matsuri: The worship given to the kami and the ancestral spirits.

44. Torii Gate

45. SE Asia Religion • Diversity of Religions • animism - worship of nature; first religion • Buddhism came from India (Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos) • Hinduism came from India; was big but has died out; only in Bali • Islam, 600 years ago (Malaysia, Burundi, Indonesia, S. Philippians) • Indonesia has the largest Muslim pop in the world • Christianity in Philippians from Spain

46. Zen Buddhism • The main idea of Zen is to find self-understanding, called satori or enlightenment • believers in Zen feel that prayer and religious worship are a waste of time • Personal character and discipline are important • Meditation (thinking) is the main form of worship • The goal of Zen is to bring the person to satori - to help people go from thinking to knowing. • END SECTION 2

47. The Asian Family • The Asian people have always considered the family to be the most important part of society. • The individual thought of himself as a member of the family. • If the individual was successful, the prestige of the family was increased but if the individual was a failure, that brought shame on the whole family. • Arranging marriages was the responsibility of the parents. • The bride and groom had little to say about the choice of their mate or marriage arrangement. • In most cases the bride had not seen her husband before. • The most difficult adjustment was to her mother-in-law as the mother-in-law was responsible for training and discipline her daughter-in-law. Marriage

48. Women in Traditional Asia • Women were never considered equal to men. • When there was famine, girls were often sold by their parents who regarded them as just another mouth to feed. • Girls sometimes as young as six were often betrothed (promised marriage). • If the girl’s parents experienced bad times, she would be sent to work in the house of her future husband. • Young brides were often mistreated by their mother-in-laws. • If a woman's husband died, she was not allowed to remarry. • NOW • Since after World War II, women gained equal rights with men. • Women can now seek divorce and own property. • There are little forced marriages

49. Indian Language • Hindi is major native language, English major business language, 13 recognized language, but over 200 other languages • Sanskrit is the ancient, holy language; 3,000 years old, used by upper & educated class • different language has divided India into many small states • following words come from Indian languages: bungalow, khaki, loot, pajamas, punch, thug

50. The Peoples of China • China is made up of many different peoples. • About 94% of the people are know as Han Chinese • The other 6% of China is made up of 55 different groups. • Most of the minorities live in the sparsely populated western China. • The minority peoples differ from the Han Chinese in language, religion, race, custom, and history. • Some minorities (like Tibet) want independence, but China will probably never loosen its control over the regions because they have most of China’s natural resources.