History and Governments of South Asia

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History and Governments of South Asia
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• 1-Harappa and Mohenjo Daro, located in the Indus
  River valley, may have been the first cities in
  South Asia. Describe them in detail.
• Brick buildings, well-planned.
• Carefully laid-out streets.
• Ceremonial gateways.
• Buildings to store grain.
• Cities had plumbing, sewers.
•  

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• 2-What caused the fall of the Indus Valley
  civilization?
• Earthquakes and floods may have damaged the
  cities.
• The Indus River may have changed course.
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3-About 1500 B.C., nomadic herders known as
  Aryans were settling in parts of northern
South Asia. The Aryans developed a spoken
language called Sanskrit. They passed on hymns
and religious teachings by word of mouth.
When Sanskrit later became a written language,
these traditions were recorded in sacred, or
holy texts called the Vedas.  
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4-Define varnas The Vedas show that the
Aryans were organized into four varnas or broad
social groups  
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5-List the 4 varnas 1-priests 2-warriors 3-farme
rs 4-unskilled laborers and servants
 
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6-Explain caste jati At first, people of
different groups could marry and change
jobs. Over time, a caste system arose. A caste
is a social group that one is born into and
cannot change. Called jati by people in South
Asia Still exists in India, but not as important
as it once was.  
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• 7-Write 8-10 facts about Hinduism. Be sure to
  define reincarnation, dharma, and karma.
• One of the worlds oldest religions and the third
  largest.
• Developed gradually as beliefs of ancient Aryans
  mixed with beliefs of
• others in the region.
• The eternal spirit is called Brahman.
• Believe that every living has a soul that wants
  to reunite with
• Brahman. To achieve this reunion, a soul must
  repeatedly undergo
• Reincarnation-being born into a new body after
  dying.
• Hindus believe that a soul passes through many
  lives, becoming purer
• each time, before reaching Brahman.

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• 7-Write 8-10 facts about Hinduism. Be sure to
  define reincarnation, dharma, and karma.
• To ensure their next lives are better, Hindus
  believe they must
• perform their duty, or dharma.
• Each caste has its own dharma.
• The consequences of how a person lives are known
  as karma.
• Hindus believe that if they do their duty, they
  will have good karma.
• This will move them closer to Brahman in the next
  life.

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• 8-Write 6-8 facts about Buddhism. Be sure to
  define nirvana
• Arose in South Asia in the 500s B.C.
• Founded by a prince named Siddhartha Guatama.
• Siddhartha gave up wealth and family in search of
  truth.
• He became known as the Buddha, or Enlightened
  One.
• The Buddha taught that people suffer because they
  are too attached to material things.
• The Buddha believed that people can be released
  from these attachments to material
• things by following the Eightfold Path.
• By following the eight paths, people can escape
  suffering and reach nirvana a state of
• endless peace and joy.

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• 9-Write 5 or more facts about the following South
  Asian Empires
• Mauryan Empire
• Asoka was the most famous Mauryan ruler.
• Brought much of the subcontinent under his
  control.
• Asoka dedicated his life to peace and became a
  Buddhist.
• Sent Buddhist missionaries throughout Asia, but
  he allowed
• people to practice other religions.
• Trade and culture thrived under Asokas rule
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• 9-Write 5 or more facts about the following South
  Asian Empires
• Gupta Empire
• Set up by ruler Chandragupta I in Northern India.
  A.D. 320
• Under the empires Hindu rulers trade increased
  and ideas
• were exchanged with other parts of the world.
• Science, mathematics, medicine and the arts
  thrived.
• South Asian mathematicians developed the numerals
  1 to 9.
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• 9-Write 5 or more facts about the following South
  Asian Empires
• Mogul Empire
• Formed in the early 1500s by Muslim warriors
  known as Moguls.
• The ruler Akbar added new lands to the empire,
  lowered taxes and
• supported the arts.
• Akbar brought peace to his empire by treating all
  of his people fairly.
• The majority of Hindus were allowed to worship
  freely and to serve in
• the government.
• Later Mogul leaders heavily taxed the people
  many of whom rebelled.
• Foreign invaders further weakened the empire
  which was near collapse
• by the early 1700s.

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• 10-Why did the people of South Asia resent the
  British East India Company?
• The British East India Company introduced
• European ideas and practices.
• People in India felt that the British were trying
  to
• change their culture.
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• 11-What led to the British to take direct control
  of India in 1857?
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• Indian soldiers in the British East India
• Companys army rebelled against their British
• officers.
• The revolt spread across northern India.
• The British sent more troops and put the
  rebellion
• down.
• After this, the British government took direct
• control of India.

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• 12-Describe the positive changes the British
  brought to India.
• They set up a well-run government and founded
• schools.
• They built railroads, bridges and ports.
• They introduced the telegraph and a postal
  service
• throughout India.

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• 13-What were the hardships caused by British
  rule?
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• Cheap British textiles flooded local markets and
• destroyed the textile industry.
• Taxes fell heavily on the poor.

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14-By the early 1900s, independence movements had
  spread across South Asia. The most popular
Indian leader was   Mohandas Gandhi.
  Gandhi opposed violence in all forms.
Instead, he protested British rule using
nonviolent civil disobedience ---   the refusal
to obey unjust laws using peaceful
protests.  
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15- Gandhi and his followers held strikes   and
boycotted, or refused to buy British goods.
  Their goal was to bring independence to the
subcontinent.  
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16- Gandhis movement won widespread support
  among Hindus. Muslims, however,   feared
that the much-larger Hindu population   might
mistreat them in an independent
India.  
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• 17-How did the British divide India in 1947?
• The British divided India into two independent
• countries.
• Areas that were mostly Hindu became the country
  of India.
• Areas that were mostly Muslim became the country
  of Pakistan.
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• 18-Explain what happened after this division.
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• Many Hindus in Pakistan fled to India
• Many Muslims fled to Pakistan.

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• 19-Explain the relationship between India and
  Pakistan today.
• Religious differences.
• Land disputes
• Both claim ownership of the region of Kashmir.
  Both have fought wars over this.
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