South Asia Flashcards
Hindus
Believe in reincarnation - every soul is born into different forms of life.
Karma
A persons actions determine the form in the next life. If a person is bad they will be born in a lower state such as a plant. If a person is good they will be born in a higher state such as human.
Brahman
The creator of the universe
Vishnu
Preserver of the universe
Shiva
The destroyer of the universe
Vedas
Sacred Hindu texts that date back to aryan civilization
Mahabaharata and Ramayana
Epic poems that teach Hindu beliefs
Ganges River
Considered holy. Hindus belief bathing in the river gives them better karma.
Brahmas
Priests and scholars
Kshatriyas
Rulers and warriors
Vaisyas
Merchant and professionals
Sudras
Artisans, laborers, and servants
Untouchable
Now called Dalits lowest job of society such as collecting trash
Castes system rules
Could not marry outside of caste
Could not eat with people outside of caste
Could not move into a different caste
These rules have become less rigid, there are discrimination laws now
Food
Hindus do not eat meat, cows are sacred. They are often vegetarian.
Sports
Cricket and soccer are the main sports
Clothing - shalwar-kameez
Is a long shirt with loose - fitting pants. Sari is a single piece of cloth wrapped to form a long dress. Western clothes are becoming more popular.
Henna
A reddish powder to create designs on the hands of women.
Movies
India’s film industry in Bombay is called Bollywood and they produce more films than any country. In the city of Chennai it is called Kollywood. They produce films in the Tamil language
Government
Largest democracy
Meira Kumar became the first women elected to speaker of the parliament
The parliament has two houses-Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha
Has 3 branches of government like the U.S.
The government is improving infrastructure due to population explosion
Trying to reach an agreement with Pakistan over control of Muslim Kashmir.
Outsourcing
Sending jobs to workers outside of a company. This has been a big part of India’s economic growth. Many U.S. companies outsource customer service jobs to India
Gross domestic product
Developed nations - low per capita GDP, healthier, more educated, higher stander of living
Developed nations-low per capita GDP, less educated people, lower standard of living
Emerging market-a high growth rate and goods and services that compete in a global trade.
Nearly 70% of the people exist on only 2$ per day
The golden quadrilateral
3,633 mile super highway
Connects 4 major cities-Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata
Built to improve infrastructure, help economic growth
More than $30 billion
Farmers can sell carry their products to large cities and sell for more money
Manufacturers can set up factories and businesses in new locations
More jobs created outside crowded major city’s
Better employment opportunities = more people can buy cars
Push pull factors
Reasons people migrate
Push pull factory’s-poverty
Pull factors - job opportunities, education
Slum- area of a city that has crowded, unclean housing, bad living conditions.
Secondary city’s - a solution to overcrowding is the development of cities around major urban centers. These secondary cities provide rural migrants with an affordable place to settle and find employment
