Download Chapter 8 Part 2 Teacher Notes

South Asia
Chapter 8, Part 2: pages 418 - 449
Teacher Notes
REGIONS OF THE REALM
I. Pakistan
Capital: Islamabad
Oldest urban civilization in the region
Critically linked to Islam in the West (Iran) and India/Bangladesh in the East.
Crucial to the war on Terrorism
Pakistani Islam has long been a leader in revivalism & extremists
Indus River is critical to life in Pakistan
1) Post Colonial Reorientation – British relinquished their control in 1947
A. “Forward Capital” – Pakistan moved their capital from Karachi to Islamabad to
enforce its commitment to the North & Kashmir and to stress its religious connections
over Hinduism
B. Centripetal Forces: Very few other than Islam and dislike of India
C. Centrifugal Forces: Sunni – 77%; Shi’ah – 20%
Language: Urdu is the official language, English is the Lingua Franca
Government: often unstable, often replaced by military coups
2) Sub-regions:
A. Kashmir – Jammu/Kashmir – A line of control exists but it is contested by
Muslims/Hindus
Problems:
Indus River, critical to Pakistan, runs through Kashmir
Majority of Jammu are Muslims, why Pakistan claims are strong
Extreme Muslims leading insurgency – much violence
Both Pakistan and India have nuclear bombs
B. Punjab – Core area of Pakistan, 55% of population are here.
Wheat farming, main cities (Lahore), contains the cultural forces of Islam
1
C. Sind – Lower Indus River. The Punjab controls their water – much resentment.
Important farming: wheat, rice & cotton (dominate crop). Karachi is the main
city and it is in chaos.
D. NW Frontier – Militant, conservative, deeply religious area, often will obstruct
national goals – recent agreement with Pakistani Govt. to allow Islamic Law to
dominate.
E. Baluchistan – Desert Region, largest of the territories, smallest population (5%). Has
potential oil, gas and coal reserves. China has been helping, but are meeting
resistance.
3) Prospects:
Pakistan is a nation full of enormous cultural contrasts and conflicts, with many failures
and only a few successes.
Side Note: Pakistan used to be East and West Pakistan, until East Pakistan rebelled,
fought and won their independence in 1971.
Marchland: an area of uncertain boundaries, invaded and used by many armies and full
of refugees and immigrants – blurred identity.
Today: Green agriculture through expanding irrigation.
Exports are textiles and leather
Have a large military
Have nuclear weapons
II. India
Capital: New Delhi
1) Giant of the Realm
World largest democracy
2nd largest population, soon to be largest
British Colonial Legacy: single capital, interregional transportation network, lingua
franca and civil service.
Government: federal system
2
Centrifugal Forces: religion, regionalism and poverty
2) States and People
Post Colonial Restructure:
State borders reflect cultural mosaic and frequently change, even today.
There are 14 major languages and dozens more minor languages.
Number: population of 1.158 billion
Northern Peripheries: more rural and isolated, mountainous and forested
China claims some of the Northern Territory.
3) India’s Changing Map
a.
Raj – Time of British Rule
Provided a variety of government styles: representative, Princely run, direct
and indirect.
Language – Hindi, 1/3 of population, but English is language of government,
business and education.
b. Devolutionary Forces
Problems as a result of the large number of languages, of which only 14 were
made official. Languages are often associated with regions who in turn
sought autonomy.
c. Sikhs
Combined Hinduism and Islam, for the “best” of both. They were the initial
governing class under British rule. Eventually used violence to get their own
state.
d. Muslims
14% of population. While there is a lot of conflict, this society is still voting
and existing within a democratic system. Still have CONFLICT
4) Centrifugal Forces
a. Hindu Caste System: deep rooted segregation based upon class, occupation,
family ties, ancestry, or even race. You are in a caste based upon your behavior
in a previous life/existence.
3
“Untouchables” – at the bottom of the caste system. Make up 15% of the
population. Reform movement lead by Gandhi.
“Backward Caste” – one level above untouchables. 40% of the population
“Brahmans” – highest caste, 18% of population
b. “Hindutva” The attempt to make India in all Hindu principles, in other words,
Hindu nationalism. This is a threat to secularism, which has been able to keep the
peace so far.
c. Communist Insurgency – Naxalite movement. A Chinese Maoist movement.
Took root in rural/poor areas. Terrorists are destroying Indian infrastructure,
police and any chance for economic growth.
d. Islamic Extremism – Rising violence against Indian society.
Kashmir/Pakistan is a key component to this violence.
5) Centripetal Forces – binding forces
a. Hinduism - by nature is peaceful, gentle and introspective
b. Democracy – a birthright since 1947 – several generations now
There was unity in the fight for independence – a common objective for a
nation
c. Accommodation – India has long accommodated change
d. Education – Great pride in Education system with 96% literacy in urban areas
e. Leadership – Strong leaders in the past: Gandhi and Nehru
6) Urbanization
29% of Indians are urban, 336 million
Cities are growing due to influx of rural people
Golden Quadrilateral – (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata)
7) Economic Geography
A. Transportation – very ineffective transportation system, each state requires a
toll.
4
B. Globalization –
Largest employer, farming
Retail sales, second largest employer, this is the “informal sector” 15
times greater than in the US but US is 13 times richer.
No shopping center as of 2000, now over 400, threatens their way of life!
C. Farming – 70% of people live on the land, most of the land is owned by 5% of
the people, poor soil, little water, bad transportation of goods done by
animals
D. Energy – power outages common, makes investing in industry risky
India has large coal deposits but no way to get them moved. Poor ports
mean even less access to coal.
E. Manufacturing – changing slowly and is far too weak. Info Tech business
alone can’t pull them out of poverty.
F. Prospects – Large and growing middle class. Economy is growing 7%
annually - VERY good growth rate.
III. Bangladesh
Capital: Dhaka
- One of poorest nations on Earth
- Natural hazards plaque it – cyclones & tsunamis
Due to location, marshes along the ocean front
Arsenic in their drinking water
- Majority of population are farmers
- One of the most densely populated nations.
- Textiles are the majority of foreign revenues
- While it is a Muslim nation, they don’t have many extreme revivalists
IV. Nepal
Capital: Kathmandu
- Materially poor, culturally rich
- South is a sub-tropical zone
- Middle area is the “Himalayan foothills”
- North – “Himalayan Mountains”
5
- Hindu predominates, but is closely blended with Buddhist ideals
- Language – NEPALI, a version of Indian Hindi
- Maoists insurgents have been unstoppable, it is a failed state.
- Went from a failed state, to a democracy to a failed state in 15 years.
V. Bhutan
Capital: Thimphu
- Constitutional Monarchy – but the King’s rule is absolute!
- Buddhists here have been unkind to their Nepalese citizens
- Isolation sustains its culture, but it does have potential for growth.
VI. Maldives
Capital: Maale
- Thousands of tiny islands, all of which are Muslim
- A tourism mecca
- Higher standard of living
VII. Sri Lanka
Capital: Colombo
- Independence from Britain in 1948
- 70% are Buddhists; they came from India 2500 years ago.
- Commercial/plantation farming rules
- Britain brought Tamils in 1800’s to work the plantations - make up 18%
Tamil rebels have sought independence since then and have recently almost been
wiped out by government forces.
6