1. SOUTH ASIA: CULTURES AND HISTORY

3. KEY TERMS
CASTE: in the Hindu religion, a social group into which people are born and which they cannot change; each group with assigned jobs.
COLONY: a territory ruled by another nation.
BOYCOTT: a refusal to buy or use goods and services to show disapproval or bring about change.
PARTITION: a division into parts or portions.

4. MOHENJO-DARO
In 1921, while digging scientists found the ruins of an ancient city near the River Indus.
The city was amazingly well-planned with wide straight streets and large buildings.
It had sewerage system.
Civilization of Mohenjo-Daro is called Indus Valley Civilization.

5. NEW RELIGIONS
The Indus Valley Civilization flourished from 2500 B.C. to 1600 B.C. Just when it started weakening new comers came to the region and brought different languages and beliefs to the region.
This mixed culture is called Aryan Culture and the people are called Aryans.
The Aryans rules Northern India for about 100 years.

6. The Aryans divided the people into four classes:
Priests and the educated.
Rulers and warriors.
Farmers, artisans and merchants.
Laborers.
This division was later called the Caste System.

7. FROM EMPIRES TO NATIONS
Today South Asia has independent countries, but in ancient times a series of empires rose and fell
In 1900s this region was under the European rule.

8. THE MAURYA EMPIRE
IN 321 B.C. Chandragupta Maurya conquered many kingdoms.
After his death his grandson Asoka became emperor in 268 B.C.
After one bloody battle, Asoka gave up war and violence. He changed his beliefs to Buddhism and vowed to rule peacefully.
Asoka has stone pillars set up across India. Carved into the pillars were his beliefs in fair government.

10. The Maurya Empire lost power after Asoka’s death.

11. THE GUPTA EMPIRE
500 years after the Mauryas, the Guptas united the Indian Subcontinent once again.
They set up a strong government that was supported by trade and farming.
Gupta mathematicians developed the system of writing numerals that we use today.
These numerals are called “Arabic” numerals.
People built splendid temples of stone decorated with carvings.

12. Weak rulers lead to the fall of the Gupta Empire.

13. THE MUGHAL EMPIRE
In the 700 A.D. people from the North introduced the religion Islam in India.
Islam started spreading in India.
The followers of Islam who settled in India were called the Mughals.
Akbar who ruled from 1556 to 1605 allowed all people to worship freely, regardless of their religion.
He also supported arts and literature.

14. Akbar’s son Shah Jahan built many grand buildings
Akbar’s son Shah Jahan built many grand buildings. The greatest is Taj Mahal which stands till today.
He built it as a magnificent tomb for Mumtaz Mahal, his wife,
The cost of Taj Mahal and numerous other buildings drained the money out of the empire and it ultimately collapsed in the 1700s.

15. THE BRITISH IN INDIA
By the late 1700s much of Indian subcontinent had come under British rule.
Until 1858, a company called British East India Company controlled most of India.
From 1858 till 1947 India was controlled by Britain as a colony of Britain empire

16. INDEPENDENCE AND DIVISION
In 1900s a great Indian leader Mohandas K Gandhi called the people to resist the British rule and boycott all their products.
He played a major role in forcing Britain out of India.

18. PARTITION IN 1947
Muslims realized that even after the British leave, their rights will not be granted as the Hindus are in majority so under the leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah they fought to have a separate nation.
Which was granted to then on the 14th of August, 1947.

20. In this partition about one million people were killed.
Gandhi himself was murdered by a Hindu who was angered at Gandhi’s concern for Muslims.

21. CONFLICT IN SOUTH ASIA
In 1971, Indian troops helped East Pakistan break away from Pakistan and form a separate nation called Bangladesh.
They still have the issue of which country will control Kashmir, an area which is on the border of India and Pakistan.
In 1998, both the countries became nuclear powers.

22. SOUTH ASIAN CULTURES TODAY
RELIGIONS:
Hinduism and Islam are the major religions.
80% of the people in India are Hindus.
Hinduism is also the major religion in Nepal
Islam is the major religion in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Sikhism began as a religion that combined Hindus and Muslim beliefs.
Jainism believe violence towards any living thing is wrong.

23. LANGUAGES:
Dravidian is spoken in Southern India.
Hindi is also very popular in India.
30% of the people speak Hindi.
English is also very widely spoken and is the official language in both India and Pakistan.
Urdu is the national language in Pakistan.