South Asia/India Powerpoints

Question 1

Environmental elements

Answer 1

Ganges-Brahmaputra and Indus river systems, annual wet monsoon

Question 2

Population

Answer 2

one of the world’s largest population clusters, 1.417

Question 3

Demography

Answer 3

South Asia demographic problems with the most dimensions and urgency

Question 4

Underdevelopment

Answer 4

Highest rates in South Asia

Question 5

Agriculture

Answer 5

compared to other parts of Asia, inefficient and unproductive

Question 6

People

Answer 6

majority live in villages and subsist from the land

Question 7

Cultural Regionalism

Answer 7

India (Hinduism) vs. Pakistan (Islam)

Question 8

Foreign influence

Answer 8

European colonialism has left its impression on the political geographical framework of South Asia.

Question 9

Government

Answer 9

World’s largest and most complex federal state.

Question 10

Harappan civilization

Answer 10

river civilization, complex, language, declined after 2000 BCE, similar to Sumer

Question 11

complex cities (mohenjo-daro)

Answer 11

3 mile radius, planned streets, indoor plumbing

Question 12

Vedic Age

Answer 12

Aryan migrations/invasions, foundations of hinduism

Question 13

Aryan invastions

Answer 13

Indo-Europeans, Sanskrit, Brahman religion, skin based original caste system.

Question 14

Aryans

Answer 14

pastoral warriors

Question 15

Chandragupta Maurya

Answer 15

Founder of Mauryan empire
Unified North India
Divided empire into provinces and districts for tax assessments and law enforcement
Gave up his throne and became a Jain

Question 16

Emperor Asoka

Answer 16

Converted after battle of Kalinga
Built extensive roads
Conflict between methods of keeping power and Buddha’s demands of becoming a selfless person
Decline followed his rule (cruel, harsh rulers)

Question 17

Asoka’s Law Code

Answer 17

10 stupas in 30 places in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan
Mostly in Sanskrit, one in Greek and Aramaic
Buddhist principles

Question 18

Disintegration and Reorganization

Answer 18

Between Mauryan and Gupta Empires

Question 19

Gupta Empire

Answer 19

Golden Age of India
Advancements and extensive trade

Question 20

Decline of Gupta Empire

Answer 20

White Huns invasion
Won but weakened, eventually disintegrated.

Question 21

Muslim India

Answer 21

Arrived in 600s/700s
1200 Turkish Muslims invade
Unified India

Question 22

Mogul Empire

Answer 22

Established by Babur
Capital at Delhi
Akbar ruled the most land
Grandson Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal

Question 23

Arrival of Europeans

Answer 23

1400s/1500s
Mogul Empire declines in 18th century
Small Kindoms emerge (Rajahs)
British Empire fills power vacuum

Question 24

British East India Company

Answer 24

Initially dominated India
Policies led to unrest and Sepoy Mutiny (1859)
British Government assumed direct rule

Question 25

Hinduism

Answer 25

Pantheistic, Elastic and eclectic, polytheistic
330 million

Question 26

The Vedas

Answer 26

written during the Vedic period
Hindu core of beliefs

Question 27

Main Religious figures

Answer 27

Brahman (it, the soul) –> Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver), Shiva (the destroyer)

Question 28

Wheel of Karma

Answer 28

Karma –> Dharma –> Caste –>

Question 29

Dharma

Answer 29

your behaviors, your caste duty
defines your:
occupation, marriage, social discourse, religious duties

Question 30

Karma

Answer 30

“what is”, inescapable
justifies social order
a person’s actions and its consequences in regards to hinduism

Question 31

Moksha

Answer 31

eventual goal of liberation from the cycle of reincarnation

Question 32

4 Noble Truths

Answer 32

1. Suffering exists, to live is to suffer
2. Suffering is caused by desire and attatchments
3. Solution is to eliminate them
4. So follow the 8-fold path

Dukkha, Tanha, Nirvana, 8-fold

Question 33

Theravada Buddhism

Answer 33

Oldest, “Way of Elders”
Monastic life, meditation and wisdom to achieve Nirvana
Goal: become a Buddha

Question 34

Mahayana Buddhism

Answer 34

Northern Asia
Buddhism for the masses, guidance from Boddhisatvas
Goal: salvation of humanity from self-sacrifice of enlightened few

Question 35

Tibetan (Vajrayana) Buddhism

Answer 35

Mix of T+M
Lamas are Boddhisatvas
Tibetan Book of the Dead (Bardo Thodol)

Question 36

Zen Buddhism

Answer 36

Meditation School
Sudden enlightenment (satori) through meditation, arriving at emptiness (sunyata)
Meditation masters (Roshi)
Beauty, art, and aesthetics

Question 37

Sikhism

Answer 37

One accessible ‘God’
A good life is lived in a community with honesty and caring
Empty rituals and superstitions have no value
Cycle of rebirth
Quality of life depends on Karma
Only way out is achieving total knowledge of and union with God

Question 38

5 K’s

Answer 38

Kesh (uncut hair - devotion), Kanga (wooden comb - cleanliness and discipline), Katchera (cotton underwear - chastity), Kara (iron bracelet eternity), Kirpan (sword - saint soldier)

Question 39

Jainism

Answer 39

Radical non-violence
Live and let live

Question 40

Parsi

Answer 40

Persian exiles, Zoroastrianism practitioners

Question 41

Labor distribution

Answer 41

62% concentrated in agriculture

Question 42

Education

Answer 42

over 70% of labor force is illiterate or educated below the primary level

Question 43

Challenges to political stability

Answer 43

terrorist extremist groups, assassinations

Question 44

Regional Stability

Answer 44

Indo-China war (1962), recurring Sino-Indian border clashes
Bilateral talks in New Delhi since Feb 1994
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Nuclear Proliferation: India and Pakistan tests (1998)
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Taliban in Pakistan: tightened grip on North of Pakistan, Islamic militants, Taliban mini-state, 100 people beheaded