IAFS 4500
Spring 2009
Modern South Asia
South Asia Today:
Religious Demographics
Bangladesh (156m) India (1110m) Pakistan (159m)
Muslims 88% 13% 97%
Hindus 10% 81% ~1%
Christians <1% 2% ~1%
Sikhs ~0 2% ~0
Bhutan (650,000) 75% Buddhist, 25% Hindu
Maldives (370,000) 100% Muslim
Nepal (29m) 81% Hindu, 11% Buddhist, 4% Muslim
Ethnic Demographics
Sri Lanka (20m) Afghanistan (28m?)
Sinhalese 74% Pashtun 38-44%
Tamil 18% Tajik 25%
Muslim 7% Hazara 10%
Uzbek 6-8%
1500 BCE First Hindu texts composed
5th c BCE Buddhism, Jainism born
1st c CE Judaism, Christianity come to South Asia
8th c Islam first arrives in South Asia
16th c Founding of Sikhism
1526 Babur becomes first Mughal emperor
1600 East India Company (EIC) created
1757 Battle of Plassey: emergence of EIC as regional power in South Asia
1857 Indian Uprising (a.k.a. “Mutiny”/”Rebellion”)
1858 British Crown takes control from EIC
1877 Queen Victoria takes title of Empress of India
1885 Indian National Congress (INC) established
1905 Partition of Bengal
1906 Muslim League established
1909 Morley-Minto Reforms (separate electorates for Muslims)
1919 Amritsar Massacre
1920 Gandhi becomes de facto leader of INC
1930 Gandhi’s Salt March; 5-year-long civil disobedience campaign begins
1940 Lahore Resolution: Jinnah calls for separate Muslim state
1947 Independence and partition