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The Indian
Subcontinent
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India
Religion- Hinduism, Muslim, Christian
Population- > 1 billion people (5x USA)
Size: 1/2 the size of the USA
Literacy- 65% men 37% women
Per capita GNP- $2500
Early History
• Began in Indus Valley (now Pakistan)
• In the 5th century AD, invaders from
Central and SW Asia conquered the
area
• By 1500 the Mughal Empire was
firmly established throughout India
• Muslim rule brought new customs
that conflicted with those of the
native Hindus
Europeans Arrive
• Europeans began arriving around
1500 looking for spices, cloth and
other goods not available in Europe
• The British set up the British East
India Company and gained control of
the trade in India by 1757
• In 1857 Britain gained direct rule
over India, which lasted until 1947,
called raj
Resistance
• Most Indians did not like colonization
• Gandhi emerged as the leader of the
opposition movement based on
nonviolent resistance/civil disobedience
• In August 1947 India became an
independent democratic nation
India and Pakistan
• The Muslims of West and East
Pakistan (Bangladesh) chose to
separate from India, which was
strongly Hindu
• About 1 million people died in the
conflict
• 10 million moved across borders
Bangladesh
• Although East and West Pakistan
shared a religious bond, the 1100 mile
separation drove them apart.
• Bangladesh was established in 1971
Economic Challenges
• About ½ of India’s population lives in
poverty
• 2/3 farm but only enough for family
Modern India
• Blend of traditional and new ways
• Arranged marriages, male dominated,
divorce rare
• Most middle class children go to
school, but in city slums and rural
areas school attendance is irregular
and literacy rates are low
Indian Culture
• Hindi official language
• Dominant force in most lives is
Hinduism – 80% of population
Taj Mahal
• Built by Shah Jahan for
his Wife (Mahal) who
died after giving birth
to their 14th child.
• Construction began in
1631 and took 22 years
and 20,000 workers to
complete.
• It is located in Agra,
India.
Taj Mahal
Hinduism
Hinduism
Some consider Hinduism to be the world's
oldest religion.
Unlike most other religions, Hinduism has no
founder and no single set of beliefs.
Hinduism is a way of life as well as a set of
religious teachings
A Hindu is free to worship only a single god,
many gods, or no gods at all
To Hindus, religion includes everything from
one's outlook on life and worship to one's
daily life and social status.
Reincarnation
Hindus believe that, after a person
dies, his or her soul is reborn into a
new life.
This happens over and over again in a
seemingly endless cycle.
Karma
The form into which a soul is reborn
depends upon the karma that the soul
acquired in its previous life.
If a soul lives a very bad life, it gathers
lots of bad karma and will be reborn
into a lower form.
If it lives a good life, it collects good
karma and will be reborn in a higher
form.
By leading a good life and accumulating
enough good karma, the individual
soul may eventually escape from the
cycle of rebirth and achieve union
with Brahman, the Universal Soul.
Way of Life
Hinduism states that one worships the gods simply
by living the way prescribed for the status into
which he or she is born. Thus, someone born to
the working caste accumulates good karma by
working hard and respecting those of a higher
station.
A good Hindu obeys his or her family priest,
performs daily religious rituals, and respects the
gods. Most important, though, is living according
to one's caste obligations and doing good deeds.
Dharma
• Each person is born into a caste and
has a certain moral duty (dharma)
that is specific to that caste
• A person can move into a different
caste only through reincarnation
• Limits ability of people to improve
their lives
Caste System
• Cornerstone of Hinduism
• System of social classes
• Four basic castes made up original
system but over time they were
divided into smaller groupings
How does India’s Caste
System work?
Consist of 4 categories: Brahmans (priests),
Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaisyas (merchants)
and Sudras (servants)
• People outside caste system are
considered untouchables
• Caste system dictates not only one’s
profession, but also whom one can marry,
social contracts and all other aspects of
life
Brahman – priest,
teacher, judge
Kshatriyas – warrior,
police, soldier
Vaishya – shopkeeper,
landowner
Shudra – Carpenter,
service providers
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Within the caste of
Shudra there are many
different groups. Each
one of these groups
performs a service. Their
specific service is a
birthright and is somewhat
similar to unions in the
U.S. Duties range from
making furniture to
building houses.
Harijan - untouchables
• The lowest caste in the
heirarchy. They are a part of
what used to be known as the
untouchables. They were
called untouchables because
people belived that they were
so dirty that they were not fit
to be touched by other people
in higher castes. Their jobs
involve doing most of the
cleaning, or what we might call
"dirty work."