Transcript Indpendent nations of South Asia

Independent Nations of South
Asia
Partitions
Hindus and Muslims
• 1940’s tension between Hindus and
Muslims led to violence
• British decided to partition (divide) India
into two countries
• India- Hindu majority
• Pakistan-Muslim majority
• After independence Muslims fled to
Pakistan and Hindus fled to India
• Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs (another
religious group attacked and killed each
other
• India and Pakistan fought over Kashmir (a
state in the North)
• Both countries developed nuclear
weapons
Nehru
• In Sri Lanka-Tamil rebels fought for an
independent Tamil nation
• Jawaharlal Nehru-was India’s first prime
minister
• He tried to improve the economy and the
treatment of dalits (outcastes)
• Nehru’s daughter became Prime minister
• Indira Gandhi
• In 1984 Sikhs occupied the Golden
Temple
• They wanted independence for the state of
Punjab
• Indira had troops sent in, Sikhs were killed
and Gandhi's own body guard who were
Sikhs killed her.
• Later Indira Gandhi's son Pajiv Gandhi
would also become Prime minister and be
assassinated by religious fanatics
Pakistan
• A thousand miles separated East Pakistan
from West Pakistan, west Pakistan
controlled the government
• In 1971 Bengals called for a new
government in east Pakistan called
Bangladesh, India supported the rebels
• Pakistan was forced to recognize
Bangladesh as an independent country
Pakistan
• Has been politically unstable
• Islamic fundamentalist want a separation
between religion and government
• The fundamentalist gained power
• India and Pakistan organized a conference
of independent states
• Non-alignment- political and diplomatic
independence from the US or Soviet
Union