Chapter 12: South Asia

Learning Objectives- After studying this chapter you should be able to:
•	Explain how the monsoon is generated and describe its importance for South Asia
•	Describe the geological relationship between the Himalayas and other high mountains of northern South Asia and the flat, fertile plain of the Indus and Ganges river valleys
•	Outline the ways in which the patterns of human population growth in South Asia have changed over the past several decades and explain why they vary so strikingly from one part of the region to another
•	Identify the causes of the explosive growth of South Asia’s major cities and describe both the benefits and the problems that result from the emergence of such large cities
•	Compare and contrast the ways in which India and Pakistan have dealt with the problems of building national cohesion, considering the fact that both countries contain numerous, distinctive language groups
•	Summarize the historical relationship between Hinduism and Islam in South Asia and explain why so much tension exists between the two religious communities today
•	Explain why South Asia was politically partitioned at the end of the period of British rule and show how the legacies of partition have continued to generate political and economic difficulties in the region
•	Describe the various challenges that India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka have faced from insurgency movements that seek to carve out new independent states from their territories
•	Explain why European merchants were so eager to trade in South Asia in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries and describe how their activities influenced the region’s later economic development
•	Summarize the ways in which economic and social development varies across the different regions of South Asia and explain why such variability is so pronounced

Terms-  You should understand these terms and be ready to identify them:
British East India Company A private trade organization that acted as an arm of colonial Britain in ruling most of South Asia until 1857, when it was abolished and replaced by full governmental control.
Bustee Settlement of temporary and often illegal housing in Indian cities; squatter settlements.
caste system The complex division of South Asian society into different hierarchically ranked hereditary groups.
Dalit The currently preferred term used to denote members of India’s most discriminated against caste groups, previously referred to as “untouchables.”
Dravidian Language Family A south Asian language family that includes such important languages as Tamil and Telugu.
Green Revolution Highly productive agricultural techniques developed since the 1960s that entail the use of new hybrid plant varieties combined with large applications of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Hindi An Indo-European language with more than 480 Million speakers, making it the second-largest language group in the world.
Hindu nationalism A contemporary fundamental religious and political movement that promotes Hindu values as the essential- and exclusive- fabric of Indian society.
Indian diaspora The historical and contemporary propensity of Indians to migrate to other countries in search of better opportunities.
Indian subcontinent The name frequently given to South Asia in reference to its largest country; a distinct landmass separated from the rest of the Eurasian continent by the Himalayan mountains.
Jainism A religious group in South Asia that emerged as a protest against orthodox Hinduism, noted for non-violence and a prohibition against taking the life of any animal.
linguistic nationalism The promotion of one language over others that is, in turn, linked to shared notions of nationalism.
Maharaja Regional Hindu royalty, usually a king or a prince, who ruled specific areas of South Asia before independence but was usually subject to British rule.
Monsoon The seasonal pattern of changes in winds, heat and moisture in South Asia and other regions, producing distinct wet-seasons and dry seasons.
Mughal (Mogul) Empire The powerful Muslim state that ruled most of northern South Asia in the 1500s and 1600s.
orographic rainfall Enhanced precipitation over uplands that results from lifting and cooling of air masses as they are forced over mountains.
rain-shadow effect A drier area, usually on the downwind side of a mountain range, caused by the warming of air as it descends down a mountain range.
Salinization The accumulation of salts in the upper layers of soil, often causing a reduction in crop yields, resulting from irrigation using water with high salt levels.
Sanskrit The original Indo-European language of South Asia, introduced into northwestern India perhaps 4,000 years ago, from which modern Indo-Aryan languages evolved.
Sikhism An Indian religion combining Hindu and Islamic elements founded in the Punjab region in the late 15th century.
Urdu One of Pakistan’s official languages (along with English), which is similar to Hindi but is written with a modified Persian Arabic alphabet.