India, Pakistan, Bangladesh South Asia India, Pakistan, Bangladesh

Climate and Resources Monsoon - Seasonal wind that dominates the climate of South Asia. Two monsoon seasons, wet monsoon of summer and dry monsoon of winter. Wet Monsoon arrives in late May/early June. Hot and very wet, up to 120 F. Dry Monsoon arrives in October, season of clear skies, low humidity, and mild temperatures. Key to life of farmers: must plant seeds in the months before wet monsoon If monsoon is late, plants die; if there is too much rain, rivers wash away crops

Bangladesh One of the most densely populated countries in the world. Population crowded in delta region between Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. Extremely fertile soil, can plant and harvest 3 rice crops a year. Land however can barely support the amount of people. Land is barely above sea level, so flooding is common during monsoons. Plus every 5-7 years, cyclones sweep in and cause extensive damage to property and takes lives.

Climate and Resources Monsoons affect South Asia unevenly, so climates and vegetation vary Some areas get heavy rainfall, some get little and are desert. Water is scarce, rain plentiful but only falls during wet monsoon. In dry season, people irrigate water from rivers or tap into underground water. Minerals : Iron, copper, manganese, coal, few sources of oil. Culturally diverse, major religions are Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Sikhs, and Buddhism. India - 700 languages, 15 official languages. Money - Rupee

Indus Valley Civilization 2500 B.C. to 1500 B.C. - Lasted 1,000 years and one of the world's earliest civilizations Developed in fertile river valley (again) Cities surrounded by walled fortress; Checkerboard pattern streets, sections for homes and public buildings. To support cities, taxes collected were in form of food. Most people were farmers, grew barley, wheat, peas and kept cattle. Merchants traded with the people of the Middle East.

History that’s a mystery Still many aspects of the Indus Valley Civilization that is unknown. Unable to decipher clay tablets' writing. No one knows why the civilization declined. Evidence suggests decline was natural causes, possibly floods or exhausted soil. People migrated to other parts of the Indian subcontinent.

Hinduism Sacred text - Vedas & Upanishads Brahman - Gods part of single supreme force, that is nameless, formless, and unlimited. Only a few people can truly understand it. Main Gods - Brahma (creator), Vishnu (preserver), Shiva (destroyer). Atman - Every person has an essential self, part of universal soul. Reincarnation - Rebirth of the soul in various forms, from god to flower to snake. Karma - Every deed in this life affects a person's fate in a future life. Caste System - Strict social and religious order. A person born in to a certain caste and remained there for life. Believe caste is result of karma. Dharma - Duties and obligations associated with a particular caste.

Buddhism Four Noble Truths 1. Suffering Universal 2. Cause of suffering desire 3. Only way to end suffering is to crush desire 4. End desire by following Eightfold Path Nirvana - Condition of wanting nothing. Believed in karma and reincarnation, denied existence of gods, thought priests unnecessary, rejected caste system. Buddhism spread across Asia, adapted to their own needs

Founder - Mahavira, rejected power of the Brahmans. Jainism Founder - Mahavira, rejected power of the Brahmans. Grew out of efforts to reform Hinduism. Emphasize ahimsa or non-violence, avoid harming all living creatures. Everything has life, stones, sand, etc. Strict vegetarians   Sikhism - Combined Hinduism and Islam.

Caste System Originally four varna or classes, later a fifth group emerged. Brahmans - Priests, at top of society. Kshatriyas – Warriors. Vaisyas - Landowners, merchants, herders. Sudras - Servants and peasants. Untouchables - Lowest level of society. Over time, caste system grew as it divided people within each class until there were thousands of castes.

Caste was based mostly on occupation, so added sub-castes as occupations changed. Higher castes were considered the purest members of society, contact with the impure lower classes could make them unclean. Caste rules governed cooking, marriage, employment, where you lived, worshipped, and manners. Each occupation had its own caste, so your job was determined at birth. Life very harsh for lowest castes and untouchables, accepted their own unworthiness. Created a sense of stability and order in life, deeply imbedded in law, custom, and religion.

Village Life Basic unit of society. Headman governed village, a respected landlord who inherited position. Made decisions with a council of elders, organized villagers to work on projects like roads, irrigation, and temples. Varied in size from handful to hundreds of families. Castes did jobs needed for daily life. Self-sufficient, produced almost all of what they needed. Landlords held much of the land, landless workers farmed plots belonging to landlord and gave him part of the harvest.

Family Life Identified first with their family, then their village. Joint Family - Traditionally highly valued. Included parents, sons and their wives and children, and unmarried daughters. Also sometimes included the husband's brothers, uncles, and cousins all in one house. Patriarchal - Father was oldest male, had complete control over household. Family interests, rather than individual, were most important.

Marriage Family concern, head of family arranged marriages to protect and benefit family. Marriages often arranged at young age, actual wedding taking place later. Once married, a girl became a part of her husband's family and only visited her family once a year. Great ceremony in weddings, very costly and paid by the bride's family. Bride's family had to provide a dowry, or gift of money or goods to the groom.

Women’s Lives Women had few rights Duty was to marry, wait on husband, and bear sons. Inferior position, but women did have powers. Hindus believed women had shakti or creative energy, but lacked knowledge on how to control it so seen as dangerous unless ruled by men. Men were incomplete unless they married since they did not have shakti. Purdah - Complete seclusion. Higher caste women had to wear veils and rarely left home. Kept separate from all men expect husband and close relatives.

Women’s Lives After Marriage Widows forbidden to remarry Expected to give up all comforts and spend life in prayer. Considered unlucky, so ignored by family. Some women threw themselves on husband's funeral fires rather than endure a hard life. Seen as "virtuous women“; By sacrificing her life, she wiped away sins of husband and herself.