india chapter 29 section 1 - 2. indian independence from britain from the mid 1700’s until 1947,...
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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
• 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.
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?
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