South Asia

1
South Asia

• Dr. Roy Cole
• Department of Geography and Planning
• GVSU

2
Major geographic qualities of South Asia

• Well defined physiographically.
• The worlds second largest population cluster.
• Significant demographic issues.
• Population concentrated in villagessubsistence
  agriculture.
• Strong cultural regionalism.
• Low income economies.
• Second fastest growing economy in the world.

3
Monsoons

• To know India one has to know the monsoon.
• Root of word is Arabic, mawsim (????????????),
  meaning season.
• To the people of India the monsoons are a source
  of life.
• Seasonal reversal of winds.
• General onshore movement in summer.
• General offshore flow in winter.
• Very distinctive seasonal precipitation regime.

4
Potentially negative effects of monsoons

• Widespread flooding.
• Property damage.
• Destruction of agricultural lands.
• Damage to transportation infrastructure.
• Homelessness.
• Disease.
• Malnutrition.
• Serious injury.
• Death.

5
Culture

• A culturally fragmented realm.
• Religious and linguistic diversity.
• Religious Patterns.
• Islam dominates Pakistan and Bangladesh.
• Hinduism dominates India.
• Sikhism thrives in northern India.
• Buddhism is the major religion of Sri Lanka.

6
Culture

• Hinduism.
• Emerged from the beliefs and practices brought to
  India by the Indo-European language speakers in
  6th century BCE.
• Buddhism.
• Born of discontent.
• Made the state religion of India in 3rd century
  BCE.
• Ashoka the Great of Maurya Empire (273-232 BCE)
  caused the faith to be spread to Middle East,
  Burma, Southern India and Sri Lanka.
• Declined after 400 CE as Hinduism expanded.
• Islam.
• Diffused through central India from the 8th to
  10th centuries CE.
• Sultanates established in 13th century.
• Iconoclasm.

7
Hinduism

• Worlds oldest major religion still practiced
  today.
• Culture hearth of the Indus River.
• Diffused south and east down the Ganges.
• Absorbed and eventually supplanted earlier native
  religions and customs.

8
Hinduism

• Not just a religion.
• An intricate web of religious, philosophical,
  social, economic, and artistic elements.
• No common creed.
• No single doctrine that meets universal
  acceptance.
• No direct divine revelation.
• No rigid narrow moral code.

9
HinduismThree major beliefs

• Reincarnation.
• Karma.
• Dharma.

10
Hinduism1. Reincarnation

• Every living thing has a soul.
• When a living thing dies, its soul moves into
  another living creature.
• Souls are reborn in a newly created life.

11
Hinduism2. Karma

• The totality of what a person has done.
• Responsibility for ones life.
• Good acts are rewarded when the soul is reborn
  into a higher ranking living creature.
• Associated with release from cycle of
  reincarnation.

12
Hinduism3. Dharma

• The correct (moral, ethical) way of living.
• A set of rules that must be followed by all
  living things if they wish to work their way up
  the ladder of reincarnation.
• Each persons dharma is different.
• Differs according to ones stage of life and
  caste.

13
HinduismThree common practices

• Puja.
• Cremation.
• Observing caste.

14
HinduismCaste system

• The four castes or Varnas.
• Bramin.
• Highest caste.
• Priestly class.
• Study, teach, perform religious rituals, doctors.
• Kshatriya soldiers, political leaders, kings.
• Vaisha artisans, farmers, landowners, traders,
  merchants, professionals.
• Sudra laborers, servants.
• Out-castes.
• Those without Varna.
• Ritually impure.
• Also called Untouchables and Dalits.
• Slaughtering animals, leather work, sweeping and
  cleaning, laundry, undertaking.

15
Buddhism Origins and spread

• Siddhartha Gautama (563-483 BCE).
• Emperor Asoka (3rd Century BCE).

16
BuddhismSome generalizations

• Reaction to rough edges of Hinduism.
• Focus on knowledge, especially self-knowledge.
• Elimination of worldly desire.
• Do no harm to people or animals.

17
Buddhism Four noble truths

• Sorrow and suffering are part of all life.
• Suffering exists because people desire things.
• When one ceases to desire, suffering ends.
• Following the eight-fold path will lead to the
  end of suffering.

18
BuddhismThe eight-fold path

• Wisdom.
• Right understanding (recognition of the cause of
  suffering).
• Right intention (the will to change, i.e.
  renounce the world).
• Ethical behavior (do no harm).
• Right speech.
• Right action.
• Right means of earning a living.
• Mental discipline.
• Right effort.
• Right mindfulness (contemplate phenomena in the
  present).
• Right concentration (meditation) detached
  awareness.

19
BuddhismDecline on the subcontinent

• Hinduism accepted many of the teachings of
  Buddha.
• Buddhism compromised with the beliefs and customs
  of Hinduism.
• Impact of spread of Islam.
• Destroyed the great Buddhist monasteries.
• Burned libraries.
• Killed monks.
• 8 million Buddhists in India today but less than
  1 of the population.
• Dalit Buddhism.

20
BuddhismOutside Indian subcontinent

• Theravada Buddhism
• Cambodia.
• Laos.
• Thailand.
• Sri Lanka.
• Burma.
• Mahayana Buddhism.
• China.
• Japan.
• Korea.
• Taiwan.
• Singapore.
• Vietnam.
• And within Chinese diaspora.

• Tibetan Buddhism.
• Tibet.
• Parts of northern India.
• Bhutan.
• Mongolia.
• Nepal.
• Russian Federation.