Transcript China
India Chapter 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. China Chapter 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?