1) Describe an aspect of ancient Indian history that is likely to have continuing relevance in contemporary India. How might your time in India benefit from having some awareness of this period ,.of Indian history?
One thing that stood out to me during this period was the beginning of the caste system and the beginnings of belief in a cycle of rebirth, or reincarnation. Though the caste structure was also used hundred of years ago by various other civilizations (e.g. in medieval Britain, etc.), many other societies have done away with it, evolving into a contemporary day without a caste system. However, in India, it still remains today extremely important and influential, linked closely with this cycle of rebirth–moving up in the caste system through rebirth requires religious adherence. Though the type of caste system present today is an evolution of a cast system that fell into place as a result of the Islamic rule and Mughals in India, the foundations and understandings of rebirth and a caste system pre-dated Islamic rule, with origins in the Upanishads and (slightly later), Buddhism. Understanding the caste system as it was and as it remains today will help to understand aspects of Indian culture as we travel there. I am curious to find out how these social classes interact, and how, if at all, members of these castes will interact with myself–do they have a place for me in this understanding, or are foreigners without caste?
2) Describe an aspect of Mughal-era India that is likely to have continuing relevance in contemporary India. How might your time in India benefit from having some awareness of this period of Indian history?
During the Mughal Era, India experienced a fusion of Islam and Hinduism, as foreign emperors invaded and conquered parts of Indian territory. Though the era had many rulers of different beliefs, or with different levels of orthodoxy, certain traits were established during this time, becoming custom. One such trait was an extremely unfortunate exclusion of women. This tradition may have been prevalent to a lesser extent pre-Islam, however, as more and more people became muslim and more of the Islamic traditions were adopted, the divide between men and women became stronger and more discriminatory. This certainly is still a huge problem in India today, where, for example, even educated women are often prejudiced towards sons over daughters, or where domestic violence can be commonplace, and most especially, where women must retain a certain level of modestly. I think understanding this history is important especially for myself as a woman tourist, though I do not agree with the disempowerment of women, I should understand the history and cultural beliefs which have lead to this point, and why even I as an outsider will be expected to adhere or be influenced by these traditions.
3) Describe an aspect of British-era India that is likely to have continuing relevance in contemporary India. How might your time in India benefit from having some awareness of this period of Indian history?
As mentioned in the book, though British rule cannot be held completely responsible for the under “developed” nature or “incomplete development” of contemporary India, certain aspects of this period and government seem to be contributors. Most notable to me was the influence of both the industrial revolution in conjunction with the dominance of the British. While the industrial revolution seemed to help wealthier or more powerful countries to become what we consider “developed”, the industrial revolution in India meant control over factories, mills and railways by the British. This in turn lead to an exploitation of cheap labor by the British from Indian people. In addition, the exploitation was not by a government of its own people, but by outside forces upon Indians within India, creating a tumultuous governmental and political system during time that could have been spent allowing Indians to sort out their own modernizing governmental ideas as the world entered the industrial revolution and 19th century. In addition to all of this, though it may seem obvious, it is important to mention that British rule also contributed to a popularization and spread of the english language in India. At first, those who learned english made up a small, elite percentage of the population, however, over time, this spread though the country. A 2005 survey found that among men, approximately 28% can speak some english and 5% are fluent; 17% and 3% of females, respectively. English speakers will be incredibly helpful to us as American travelers and students while in India, and though many Indians today may learn english other ways or for other reasons, understanding the history of this language in India is important. I will be curious to observe dialect differences as well as who speaks english, and when. Lastly, the construction of New Delhi as the capital came from the British as a way to include the muslim people who had been a part of East Bengal (and various other bengali-speaking regions), which were now a part of India, due to the British. New Delhi is still the capital today.
4) Describe an aspect of the struggle for national independence that is likely to have continuing relevance in contemporary India. How might your time in India benefit from having some awareness of this period of Indian history?
One major thing which came from this struggle was the separation of Pakistan from India, during the negotiations and terms of Indian Independence. This was agreed upon so long as the territories which were designated as Pakistan all had muslim majorities–a religious division. This occurred as Britain was leaving India leaving British India needing reincorporation. Today, Pakistan and India generally have very tense relationships due to strong Hindu-Muslim disagreement and controversies. Today, travel across the India-Pakistan border is possible yet caution is advised as the site is dangerous and has seen many controversies and wars since the independences of Pakistan (Aug 14, 1947) and India (Aug 15, 1947). Also during this time, Mahatma Gandhi was engaged with social work between the Indian people and the government. It was noted that during some of his more popular and famous protests, such as the walk to the sea to oppose the Salt Tax, women started to engage in the protests as well–a first in India.
5) Describe an aspect of the Nehru-Gandhi dynastic period that is likely to have continuing relevance in contemporary India. How might your time in India benefit from having some awareness of this period of Indian history?
During Indira’s time in political power, tensions between Pakistan and India furthered. In India, political parties became more and more intense towards each other, as previous tolerances between parties or party leaders during the fight for independence were forgotten. In addition, Indira worked to gain the respect of the lower classes and poor in India by bettering the economy without accepting large amounts of foreign aid, especially from the United States. One way in which this was brought about was through the beginning of the “Green Revolution”, where artificial fertilizers and pesticides were introduced to agriculture, in addition to the development of crop varieties which were engineered to produce higher yields in less space. This reduced India’s dependence on agricultural imports, in fact, coming full circle to turn the country to a significant agricultural exporter. Today, the green revolution continues in India with controversies regarding conventional farming and GMOs; though the population is so large and so many people are without proper caloric and nutritional intake, many wonder at the health and environmental costs that may be associated with these highly modified foods. As an environmental studies major, this is of high interest to me, and I am considering looking into this subject as a research topic while abroad. One contemporary agricultural advocate is Dr. Vandana Shiva who has devoted her life to developing ways for organic farming that can compete with large-scale, industrial agriculture. I hope to possibly visit her teaching center and farm during one of our travel weeks. In addition, I’ve learned through outside reading on the topic that during Indira’s time in power the Department of Environment was established in the government. This will be important in my research regarding the Indian Environmental Movement.