India gained independence from British rule on August 15, 1947 after a non-violent movement led by Gandhi. The partition of India and Pakistan occurred at this time. Kolkata, formerly the capital of British India, has a long cultural history and strong revolutionary movements such as the Naxalites. Varanasi, located on the Ganges River, is a pilgrimage site for Hindus, Buddhists and Jains and considered one of the holiest places, where Hindus believe bathing washes away sins and cremated bodies are released into the river. Hinduism and Buddhism are two major religions that originated in India, with Hinduism believing in reincarnation and seeking moksha or liberation from
2. Independence August 15th, 1947 Freedom from British rule Movement led by Gandhi Non-violence protests Partition of India and Pakistan
3. Kolkata Long cultural history Capital of British India Strong revolutionary movement Naxalites – Communist party Markets and bazaars
4. Varanasi Located next to the Ganges River The city of temples, lights, learning Homes 4 universities Rich in Arts, Music, Dance & Literature Believed to be 3,000 years old One of the holiest places for Buddhists, Hindus, and Jains (pilgrimage site) Hindus believe that bathing in the river washes sins Cremated bodies are released into the water
6. Hinduism Oldest major world religion still practiced today Diverse array of belief systems, practices and scriptures Origin in ancient Vedic culture at least as far back as 2000 BC Third largest religion with approx. 890 million followers worldwide 96% of whom live in the Indian subcontinent
7. Hinduism cont. Doctrine of reincarnation / Karma If a person does evil in this life, he will be reincarnated into a lower social caste in the next life. To break this endless cycle of birth, death, and reincarnation, it is necessary for a person to do charity and follow the rules (dharma) and meditate to reach a higher consciousness (nirvana) Moksha = liberation from the cycle of rebirth Multiple gods or manifestations of one god: Lord Gnesh, the elephant god Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, and Brahma
8. Buddhism Siddhartha Gautama: wanted the world to be liberated from suffering Became enlightened in 600 BCE: suffering comes from desire Tenets of Buddhism: Four Noble Truths: 1. Life means suffering 2. The origin of suffering is attachment/desire 3. The cessation of suffering is attainable. 4. The path to the cessation of suffering is to follow the eightfold path – in order to be enlightened and reach nirvana
9. Buddhism cont. The Eightfold Path is the means by which enlightenment may be realized: Right understanding, right thinking, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration
10. Caste System sense of order, and peace among the people "castes" or jatis within which people are born, marry, and die Indians accept that it is the way to keep society from disintegrating to chaos Brahman: priest Kshatriya: ruler, warrior, landowner Vaishya: merchants Shudra: artisans, agriculturalists Harijans (children of God, coined by Gandhi): Untouchables (Dalit)
11. Diaspora During the British Raj in India (1800’s) Indians were used as indentured servants in other British colonies (Fiji, Guyana, Trinidad, Malaysia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, more) Dispersal of Indian labor/professionals = world wide phenomenon
