People & Culture
Map
South Asia
South Asia is a rich patchwork of art, music and religion. The two main religions in the South Asian region are Islam and Hinduism, with Buddhism also influential.
Hinduism, a dominant religion in four of South Asia’s nine countries, brings with it the caste system, which has had a significant impact on the people. Although many Hindus today view the system as antiquated, and some governments including those of India and Nepal have made it illegal, the reality is that it is still practiced. The caste system ascribes an inflexible social standing to people depending on their ethnicity, birthplace, family lineage or other factors. This leads to unfair disparity in wealth, social status and access to education and employment.
Out of South Asia and Into the Classroom
Divide your class into three groups, and have each group research one of the three religions: Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Suggest some areas of these religions that they might want to focus on, like reincarnation or nirvana. Have students present what they learn to the class.
With such diverse people and religions, war sometimes erupts as a result of religious differences and beliefs. In Sri Lanka, for example, fighting between the Tamil north and the Sinhalese south has been ongoing for more than 20 years. Since 1983, the Sri Lankan government has fought against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a military organization that wants to make its own separate country in the Northeast. Though a ceasefire was signed in 2002, violence has continued and gotten much worse since 2005.
Sri Lankan War
Here’s some information about the war in Sri Lanka:
- Thousands of children have been forced to fight as child soldiers
- More than 65,000 people have been killed in the fighting
War is only part of what shapes the people and the culture of South Asia. There are many unique and/or shared cultural highlights that have a more positive impact—the following are some examples:
Afghanistan
The national sport of Afghanistan is buzkashi. Played on horseback, the object of the game is to capture the headless carcass of a calf that has been placed on the field and to throw it into the scoring zone.
Nepal
Folklore is a big part of Nepali culture. Telling stories is often the way lessons about history, family, religion and culture are passed from one generation to the next. Legends also abound in Nepal.
Think About It, Talk About It
Ask your students if they’ve heard of the Yeti, and tell them that it was first spotted in the Himalayas and that Nepalese people like to tell stories about it to tourists. Ask students to go to the library or browse the Internet for other fables and folktales from the region. Have a story hour in your class where students orally share the stories they’ve found. Add to this exercise by asking students if any of them can share another fable or legend from their country or the country of their parents, relatives or ancestors.
Pakistan
Every year, people in Pakistan and in some other South Asian countries celebrate spring with the festival of Basant (pronounced buh-suhnt). One of the festival’s most well-known features is rooftop kite-flying competitions, which draw spectators from around the world.
Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, different drums are used for different kinds of dances and celebrations. One drum is called the rabana (pronounced rah-bah-nah), and the biggest of these is played by two or more people at a time, usually women. The rabana is commonly played at New Year.