IndiaChapter 29 Section 1 - 2

Indian independence from Britain

• From the mid 1700’s until 1947, (about 200 years) India was a colony of Britain. • British colonial rule brought a lot of benefits to

India.

• End of slavery

• Improving schools

• Building railroads.

• Also brought language, and sports (cricket and soccer)

Indian independence from Britain

• India once had a powerful textile industry.

• The British replaced Indian cloth with cheaper British cloth• Grow cotton in India, send it to Britain to be

made into cloth and then sent back to India.

• Millions of textile workers in India lost their jobs.

• There was also lots of inequality. Government and Army were organized with British officials in all positions of power. Indians were expected to take lower positions.

Mohandas Gandhi

• In the late 1800’s, Indians developed a strong sense of Nationalism.• Nationalism – Pride in one’s nation

• Western ideas of individual rights and self governance began to spread among the English speaking middle class – lawyers, teachers, doctors…

• A young law student named Mohandas Gandhi eventually led India to independence.

• Later, people called him Mahatma (“The Great Soul”)

Mohandas Gandhi

• Gandhi would use nonviolent resistance against the British.• Nonviolent resistance – to oppose an enemy or

oppressor by any means other than violence.

• Gandhi would boycott British cloth.• Boycott – refuse to purchase or use.

• He stopped wearing western clothes and began to wear clothes made from yarn he made himself.• He would devote 2 hours every day to spinning

yarn and encouraged others to do the same.

• Because of this boycott, the sale of British cloth fell sharply.

Mohandas Gandhi

• Gandhi’s program of nonviolent resistance grew to involve millions of Indians.

• Gandhi and his followers began to be supported by other countries.

• By 1935, the British gave in and agreed to establish provinces that were governed entirely by Indians.

Religion

• Most people in India are Hindu.

• However, there is also a large population of Muslims in India.

• The two groups couldn’t agree on what form of government to have and feared being ruled by the other.

• So, they divided India into two separate countries. India is mostly Hindu, and they created the country of Pakistan which is mostly Muslim.

Religion

• Most people in India are Hindu• Hinduism is a polytheistic religion that teaches the

unity of all life

• They believe every living thing has a soul, so they treat animals with great respect.

• Cows are sacred and wander through city streets.

• Hindus also believe in reincarnation.• The soul of a human being or animal is reborn and only

after your soul becomes pure, will you get into Brahma (heaven).

• If you do good, you come back as a higher life form, if you are a bad person, you come back as a lower life form.

The caste system

• Hindu society is organized into a caste system.

• Each caste has duties and must follow certain rules.

• You can improve your position in the next life if you do your job in this life.

Nepal

Nepal

• Home to the Himalayas which has the tallest mountain in the world, Mt. Everest. (almost 9km above sea level)

• The lowlands are hot and humid

• Grow tropical crops (citrus fruit, sugar cane, rice, etc)

• Nepal is about 90% Hindu. Hinduism is more common in the lowlands and Buddhism is more common in the mountains.

ChinaChapter 31

Four Regions - Northeast

• Northeast China is mostly lowlands. There is a lot of industry and agriculture.

• This is the site of one of the earliest culture hearths in Asia. Why?• Culture Hearth – The area where an ethnic/

cultural group began.

• The Capital of China is located in the Northeast. The city of Beijing.

• Beijing is the most populated city in China

• Every dynasty has ruled from Beijing

Four Regions - Southeast

• Also heavily agricultural and industrial• Mostly grow rice instead of wheat.

• Some farmers will use double cropping to save space.• Double Cropping - planting

more than one type of crop

• Farmers also carve “steps” into mountains to create more space to grow.

Four Regions - Southeast

• This is also one of the most populated areas in China. There are 5,000 people per square mile. (1,900 per sq. km.)

• The Southeast is the fastest growing region in China• The government has encouraged new

business to this area by lowering taxes and reducing the number of forms and licenses a business needs to operate.

• Many Chinese and foreign companies have relocated here.

Four Regions - Northwest

• Mostly rocky and sandy • Home of the Gobi Desert

• A major trade route goes through Northwest China called the Silk Road.• Silk Road – A major trade route that stretched

from China to eastern Mediterranean.

• Along the Silk Road are oasis towns that began as a place to rest • Some have grown to as large as 1.5 million

people.

Four Regions - Southwest

• Southwest China is dominated by mountains and high plateaus.

• Much of this region is known as Tibet• 14,000 feet above sea level.

(Torreon is only about 2,500 feet)

• Mostly traditional society based on the Buddhist religion

• Led by the Dalai Lama

Four Regions - Southwest

• In the 1950’s China invaded Tibet and by 1959 and destroyed the Buddhist monasteries

• Farmers were allowed to join agricultural communes, but they were used to herding

• Dalai Lama was forced into exile in India

• The communist Chinese government has tried to destroy the Tibetan culture, but the more restrictions they put, the more the people are determined to regain their independence.

The Yellow River

• The Yellow River (Huang He River) is also called “China’s Sorrow”. • In the spring when the snow melts and heavy

rains flood the river and land that surrounds the river. Many people have died in these floods. (1887 – 1 million people died)

• Heavily used for irrigation and for use by people. Some years, the river has dried up completely.

• Government plans to divert water from the Yangzi River in order to meet the needs of the people on the Yellow River.

• Is this a good idea? Why or why not?

Chinese people and Culture

• There are 1.3 billion people in China. If they were to all walk past you in a parade, it would take over 10 years to see every person.

• The first communist leader Mao Zedong believed in the power of numbers and encouraged people to have lots of children.• What problems could this cause?

Today…

• The global population is just over 7,000,000,000 (7 billion) people. China has just over 1.3 billion. That means that in the world, about 1 in every 7 people are Chinese.

Population control policies

• Due to overpopulation, the government has instituted a 1 child policy.

• Families are only allowed to have 1 child • If that child has a disability, you can get

permission to have a second child

• If you have enough money, you can pay a tax to have a second child

• Many people will go to Hong Kong or even the U.S. to have children

• What do you think happens if the parents can’t afford to keep a child?