Geography

1. Geography Essential terms to know and be able to find: *Himalayas *E. and W. Ghats *New Delhi *Indus River *Deccan Plateau *Calcutta *Hindu Kush *Ganges River *Great Indian Desert Hindu Kush Mts. Indus R.

2. Impact of Geography • Natural barriers: • Sea and mountains- allowed for unique cultural development • Fertile river valleys: • Indus River Valley- allowed for development of early civilizations • Vastness of continent: • Allowed for some disunity- hard to communicate over mountains and deserts

3. Harappan Civilization • 2500BC1500BC • Location: Indus River Valley • relatively advanced civilization • planned cities, plumbing, metalworking, pottery, written language • Religion: • Mother Goddess, 3-headed god [possible early Hindu God] • Buried/burned dead

4. The Aryan Civilization • Central European origin • lived pretty simple lives • women had rights to inherit property • Brought the Vedas and Upanishads • collection of poems, hymns to the gods • Other later epics • Ramayana and Mahabharata • simpler Sanskrit, newer gods, less female rights

5. The Caste System Brahmin Kshatriya Vaisya Sudras • Warriors • Traders • Agriculture • Top of the system • Priests mostly • Laborers Untouchables • Not considered people; sewage workers, garbage collectors; shunned by society Origin of Caste System: *used by Aryans to distinguish between themselves and aborigines *simple division of labor Eventually evolved by Brahmins to preserve their power or

6. Hinduism • Henotheistic- belief in one god, several manifestations- Brahman • 3 main manifestations: Brahma- creator, Shiva-destroyer, Vishnu- preserver • Main Beliefs and Practices • Reincarnation • Samsara • Moksha • Karma • Dharma • Puja • Meditation [to some extent]

7. Buddhism Founder: Siddhartha Gautama Karma and Nirvana 4 Noble Truths Eight Fold Path Rejected caste system Jainism Founder: Mahavira Strict ahimsa No supreme deity

8. Early Rulers and Dynasties • Darius-Persian Empire • Invaded Indus River Valley after 516BC • Decayed over the years • Alexander the Great • Invaded India ~327BC • Two years later, Alexander left and died soon after • Influence: broke up Punjab kingdoms, suppressed several rebellious tribes • Exposed India to Greek ideas and civilization

9. Maurya Empire 324 BC - 185 BC • Chandragupta • Took over Nanda Kingdom, North India • Acquired Indus River Valley from Selecus • Government- very centralized and efficient • Six boards- administration of Patalputra • Registration of births and deaths • Taxes on goods, official stamp • Absolute ruler=King • democracy at village level • Death penalty for minor offenses • Bindusara: expanded kingdom- acquired some of the Deccan Plateau

10. Maurya Empire cont. • Asoka (273ish BC) • Buddhist • sent missionaries, ensured survival • Set up pillars explaining principles • dharma, ahimsa • Basically ruled modern day India • Civil service • Animal protection- seasonal • Public works • wells • roads and trees • Written histories emerged [Buddhist teachings, not just Vedic literature] • 2 sects of Buddhism evolved: Theravata and Mahayana • Cause of Collapse: power vacuum after Asoka– regional kings challenged authority • Influx of immigrants helped instability, Tamil kingdoms created trouble down south

11. Gupta Empire 320 AD - 550 AD • Chandra Gupta I: 320 AD- 335 AD • Established beginnings of an empire in North India • Samudra Gupta- extended kingdom • Chandra Gupta II: 376 AD- 415 AD [map] • Golden Age and prosperity • architecture, sculpture, poetry • Kalidasa- Shakuntala • cave paintings at Ajanta • Math- calculated pi to 4 places, solar year • Government • vassal kings, not consolidated to one unit • no poll tax, no land tax • no capital punishment • strong caste system • single law code • sent ambassadors to other lands [Rome] • Cause of Collapse: • Power vacuum • Invading Huns and Central Asian nomads • Invading Arabs and Muslims

12. Period of Turmoil • Series of attacks from the end of the Gupta Empire to the Mughal Empire • Desecrated temples, looted, plundered • 8th Century: Hindu vs. Muslim • 300 years Muslims kept at bay [Indus River Valley] • Turks invaded, overwhelmed Hindus • Many sultans and rulers over the centuries 13-16 • India never united as a country until the Mughal Empire

13. Mughal Empire: 1500 AD - 1719 AD • Babur: (1494) gets land, starts expanding • Strong military leader, well liked by populace • Humayun: (son) succeeds him– very inept leader, loses much of the land of the empire • Akbar: 1556-1605 • religious and political freedom- eliminated jizya [tax against non Muslims] • bureaucracy of officials as government • good tax policy; percentage of income • land policy prevented feudal aristocracies, decreased loyalty • good army with good generals; several successful campaigns • culture blends • Urdu, Hindi became new languages • Jahangir- weak ruler, wife had power  Nur Jahan (r. 1611-1622) Akbar's Tomb

14. Mughal Empire cont. • Shah Jahan: 1628-1658 • Built Taj Mahal in honor/memory of his dead wife • Terrible ruler; didn’t pay attention to country while constructing monuments • high taxes, poverty, war • Aurangzeb:1500AD 1719AD • Rigid Islamic laws; no drinking, gambling etc. • Hindu status reduced; tax on non Muslims return, no Hindus in offices • Rajputs and Sikhs rebelled- set up breakaway states • Empire was completely drained after Aurangzeb’s death • Europeans gaining footholds in India– Bombay • Cause of Collapse: • Anger at persecution • Bankruptcy because of high taxation • Terrible central rulers

15. European Imperialism1500-1900

16. Portuguese Discovery • 1499- Vasco da Gama arrives back in Portugal from a voyage to Calicut, on the Malabar Coast of India. • His cargo of spices-pepper, nutmeg, and cloves-fascinate the people • The trade in spices was the most important reason for European interest in the East.

17. Trade • Europe and Asia were separated by deserts, mountains, and by the powerful Ottoman Empire, which was Muslim in religion and not on friendly terms with Christian Europe. • The journey was long and dangerous. Ships had to sail down the coast of Africa, around the Cape of Good Hope and into the Indian Ocean. • The trip lasted several years, if the ship made it at all.

18. Other products • Brought back beautiful fabrics and gems • Spices and pepper were still the most intriguing • The Europeans now saw how good food could taste

19. Portuguese Control • 1505- Portuguese ships sailed into the Indian Ocean and quickly overpowered Arab resistance • Alphonso de Albuquerque established the first European settlement at Goa on India’s west coast • Portugal controlled the spice trade, and Portuguese trading posts were established in India, in Malaya, and in the Spice Islands

20. Dutch Control • The Dutch, expert seamen, and perceptive merchants wasted no time challenging Portugal’s control • By 1600 there were several Dutch trading posts in India. • The Dutch eventually pushed the Portuguese out of the spice trade

21. British Control • In 1587, English merchants captured a Portuguese ship filled with spices • Merchants formed the British East India Company to trade in spices • First British settlement was called St. George and was established in 1639 • 1661- the British gained control of Bombay, which is now India’s second largest city and a great seaport. • 1690- a trading post was created at Calcutta, then only a small village, now a city of 12,000,000 people.

22. Competition • British were too busy fighting the Portuguese to establish many trading posts • 1612 and 1614, Portuguese navy was defeated and the Dutch became too involved in the islands of Indonesia to compete with the British in India. • England and Holland fought over America and the East. Portugal was stuck with much less influential position in the East.

23. British Resistance • 1746-1761, the British army defeated several Indian armies and the French who were gaining power • 1814-1818 fought against the Gurkhas in northern India • 1840- suppressed the Sikhs, who were fierce Indian warriors • After the Sikhs were defeated, all of India came under the power of the East India Company

24. British Change • Social reforms were made and cruel customs of Indian society were abolished. ~Suttee, the drowning of unwanted girl babies, slavery • Built new roads, harbors, and railways trade extended • Established a telegraph system, built schools and colleges, and established uniform law. • Thought of eventually giving India her independence • India was the “jewel in the Empire’s crown”. • Brought peace to parts of India which had suffered turmoil.

25. “The Indian Mutiny” • India welcomed the British as traders not rulers led to revolt in 1857 • Resulted in a mutiny among Indian soldiers who had joined the British army • N.India was in revolt for over a year and cruel and bloody battles were fought • Led by princes and rulers who had lost their kingdoms to the British and wanted to win them back • Attempts failed and the British were more strongly established in India than ever before

26. 20th Century India

27. Independence • “Self-government is my birthright and I will have it”- Tilak • Indians had no hatred for the British, they appreciated progress but were upset by the restrictions of foreign rule • Their united call was for total independence. • Amritsar Massacre= turning point for independence • British reforms towards independence were too slow

28. Mohandas Gandhi • Fought for India’s better working conditions, more rights, and an end to discrimination • Ahimsa= Non-violent protests • Became known as Mahatma= Great Soul • 1921- led non-co-operation movement • Began to turn against the British and joined Jawaharlal Nehru • 1930- Salt March a new civil disobedience campaign

29. For many years, Muslim leaders co-operated with Hindus 100 million Muslims, but they were not organized Muslim leaders afraid that self-government would favor the more numerous, better organized Hindus Muslim League- led by Mohammed Ali Jinnah Differences

30. War • 1939- Britain declared war on Germany, which dragged India into war • 1941- Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, invaded eastern India, and bombed Calcutta • Gandhi did not support war, Nehru did only if India were granted immediate independence • Sir Stafford Cripps settled independence dispute offering India membership to the British Commonwealth of Nations every major Indian political party turned it down

31. After the War • Great Britain has a new government • The Labour Party- leaders had always urged Indian independence • British people suffered from war and felt the sooner India was free the better • Britain offered India complete independence • India could be a dominion within the Commonwealth, or cut all ties completely • A Constituent Assembly was elected and would draft up a Constitution

32. Muslim vs. Hindu • No constitution or government could be established to satisfy both groups • 1946- Hartal= Muslim day of prayer wanted to bring attention to their views on freedom • Riots broke out between Muslims and Hindus • Over 5,000 killed • Partition= idea to separate Muslim and Hindu into two countries, Pakistan and India

33. After Independence • July 4, 1947- complete independence and India and Pakistan became free and independent nations • This did not solve the Muslim/Hindu problem, it only became worse • Riots broke out- Muslims and Hindus attacked each other, Sikhs were also in the conflict • Villages burned, tens of thousands killed • Gandhi intervened- asked for a nationwide day of prayer and fasting, and for a time there was peace

34. Kashmir • Muslims and Hindus fought over the state of Kashmir • Muslims feared that the Hindu maharajah would join India • Muslims from areas in Pakistan invaded to remove the ruler by force • Maharajah asked India for help and troops were flown into Kashmir • Fear of Pakistan and India going to war- Gandhi stepped in • 1948- Fast- starving would show self-sacrifice and would persuade others to overcome hatred • Two weeks later Gandhi was murdered

35. India and Pakistan • India forms a republic • Pakistan adopts a constitution- Iskander Mirza becomes president • Two years later Nehru dies • India and Pakistan go to war over Kashmir for 22 days. • 1970- First general elections are held in Pakistan     • E. Pakistan attempts to secede from Pakistan and a civil war begins.  • 1976- India and Pakistan re-establish diplomatic relations; diplomatic ties are also established between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

36. India and Pakistan Cont. • India becomes the world's sixth nuclear power • 1980- Indira Gandhi returns to power in India. • China reportedly provides Pakistan with a nuclear bomb design. • 1984- Indira Gandhi assassinated; her son becomes Prime Minister • 1988- India tests the Prithvi missile • 1990- U.S. freezes military and economic aid to Pakistan • 1996- India and Pakistan refuse to sign the nuclear test-ban treaty • India moves missiles near Pakistani border. • Pakistan and India step up their arms race; the conflict in Kashmir continues.