South Asia EU and Morocco Review of North Africa & SW Asia Questions Scope and Features Major Qualities

THE REALM Five Regions India Pakistan Bangladesh Mountainous North Southern Islands

Major Geographic Qualities of South Asia Well defined physiographically Monsoon climate The world’s second largest population cluster 1.4 billion Grinding poverty 22% of world’s population, 3% of land area Population concentrated in villages North Indian Plain – Uttar Pradesh British colonial legacy, India, a federal state Religion and nationalism Boundary issues Kashmir

WHAT CLIMATE VARIABLES HELP TO EXPLAIN THIS DISTRIBUTION?

Aw: The World’s monsoon climates

MONSOONS Monsoon Seasonal reversal of winds India is the ‘textbook example’ 50% of arable land irrigated by monsoon Over half world’s population is in monsoonal regions It is a wind, not the rain Seasonal reversal of winds General onshore movement in summer General offshore flow in winter

Monsoons

Impact of the Monsoon Impact exacerbated by deforestation Regional variation Vital to rice production in India But: Widespread flooding and property damage Transportation Housing Erosion and destruction of agricultural land Disease Malnutrition Death Impact exacerbated by deforestation

Culture Religion Islam is dominant in Pakistan and Bangladesh. But 150 million Muslims in India Hinduism is dominant in India. Sikhism in northern India, Punjab Buddhism is dominant in Sri Lanka.

Culture Hearth: The Indus River Early agriculture & hydraulic civilizations Arts and trade routes emerged from isolated tribes and villages to towns and beyond. Hinduism emerged from the beliefs and practices brought to India by the Indo-Europeans c. 600 BC Buddhism – Prince Siddhartha 300 BC Diffusion of Islam 700-1600 CE

Two more Early Culture Hearths

LANGUAGES

RELIGION

HINDUISM The world’s oldest religion Culture hearth of the Indus River Valley Diffused south and east down the Ganges

HINDUISM Intricate web of religious, philosophical, social, economic, and artistic elements No common creed No single doctrine No direct divine revelation No rigid narrow moral code Caste system: rigid social stratification

Colonial Transformation 1 East India Company – 1599 Benefits from factionalization Warring principalities Islam-Hinduism-Buddhism Drives out French, Dutch and Spanish rivals Indian Mutiny (Sepoy Rebellion) of 1856 British Viceroy assumes control 1857-1947

Colonial Transformation 2 Benefits of Colonial Era British civil service and public administration Centralization of political control of rival states Railway network Irrigation canal network Discouraged suttee, infanticide, child marriage Costs of colonial era Dependency and indignity Resources extracted for Britain’s benefit Independence and partition, 1947

Independence and Partition ISLAM Independence and Partition 15 million refugees