Pakistan and Bangladesh Main Ideas• Pakistan and Bangladesh

are Muslim countries formed

as a result of the partition of

British India.

• Both Pakistan and

Bangladesh have large

populations and face great

economic challenges.

Places & TermsIndus Valley civilization

partition

Kashmir

microcredit

entrepreneur

Ramadan

Connect to the Issues

extreme weather

Bangladesh is severely affected

by seasonal monsoons and

cyclones.

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573

PLACE The ruins of Mohenjo-Daro,

one of the great cities of the ancient

Indus Valley civilization, lie on the

Indus River in south-central Pakistan.

A HUMAN PERSPECTIVE Some workers in the port of Chittagong,Bangladesh, have an unusual job. They are ship breakers. When ocean-going ships reach the end of their useful life, they take their last voyageto Chittagong. There, ship breakers wait on the beach with sledgeham-mers, crowbars, torches, and wrenches. They attack each ship, tearing itapart piece by piece. Within weeks, they can dismantle a ship. Then,they sell its scrap metal for recycling purposes. The job doesn’t pay verywell, but it is necessary work for the shipping industry, the workers, andthe Bangladeshi economy.

New Countries, Ancient Lands Like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are young countries with anancient history and with rapidly growing populations. They, too, arestriving to make their way in the modern world.

EARLY HISTORY The largest of the world’s first civilizations arose inwhat is now Pakistan. The Indus Valley civilization began around 2500B.C. It featured well-planned cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro,which had brick buildings (shown below) and sophisticated sanitationsystems. The map on page 544 depicts the extent of the civilization atthe height of its power. It fell around 1500 B.C., and the Aryans invadedsoon after. Later on, the Mauryan, Gupta, and Mughal empires ruled theterritory that included modern Pakistan and Bangladesh. The Britishwere the next to take control of the region.

574 CHAPTER 25

PARTITION AND WAR The end of British rule in 1947 brought thepartition, or division, of British India. Two new countries were created—India (predominantly Hindu) and mainly Muslim Pakistan (separatedinto West Pakistan and East Pakistan). Partition led to much violencebetween Muslims and Hindus. About one million people died in theconflict. Another 10 million fled across national borders. Muslims inIndia moved to Pakistan, while Hindus in Pakistan crossed into India.

West Pakistan and East Pakistan shared a religious bond, but ethnicdifferences and their 1,100-mile separation eventually drove themapart. The people of East Pakistan began to call for their own state. Butthe government in West Pakistan opposed such a move. Civil war brokeout in 1971. That year, with help from India, East Pakistan won its inde-pendence as Bangladesh.

MILITARY RULE Both Pakistan and Bangladesh have had politicalstruggles since independence. Short periods of elected governmenthave alternated with long periods of military rule. Political corruptionhas plagued both countries. Pakistan also has fought several destructivewars with India over the territory of Kashmir. These wars are discussedin the Case Study in Chapter 26. In the 1990s, both Bangladesh andPakistan had women prime ministers, a rarity in the Muslim world.

Struggling Economies Pakistan and Bangladesh have large, rapidly growing populations. Infact, Bangladesh is the eighth most populous country in the world. Both

Background

Bangladesh

means “land of

the Bangla (or

Bengal)-speaking

people.”

INDIA

WESTPAKISTAN

EASTPAKISTAN

CEYLON

KASHMIR

INDIA

PAKISTAN

BANGLADESH

SRI LANKA

KASHMIR

CHINA

NEPALBHUTAN

Disputed by Indiaand Pakistan

Disputed by Indiaand China

Cease-fire lineDisputed by Indiaand Pakistan

0

0 250 500 kilometers

250 500 miles

Two-Point Equidistant Projection

0

0 250 500 kilometers

250 500 miles

Two-Point Equidistant Projection

N

S

EW

N

S

EW

1947 1972

�The Indian Subcontinent

SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting MapsPLACE What had happened to the territory of Kashmir by 1972?

REGION What other changes had taken place in South Asia from 1947 to 1972?

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Pakistan and Bangladesh 575

Economic Activity in Pakistan and Bangladesh

Agriculture Industry Services

Pakistan*

*1999 Estimate, **1998 Estimate

SOURCE: World Fact Book 2000

Bangladesh**

30%

17%

53%

25%

27%

48%

have economies that depend primarily on agriculture. As in India,per capita incomes are low, and much of the population lives in poverty.Bangladesh is one of the poorest countries in the world.

SUBSISTENCE FARMING Most farmers in Pakistan and Bangladeshwork small plots of land and struggle to grow enough crops to feed theirfamilies. The government has tried to help modernize farming methods,but many farmers continue to follow less productive traditional ways.Climate also hinders crop yields. Large areas of Pakistan are arid, whileBangladesh is severely affected by seasonal monsoons and cyclones.

The most productive farming areas of Pakistan are the irrigated por-tions of the Indus Valley. Here, farmers grow enough cotton and rice toallow for export. The farmers also produce substantial amounts ofwheat for domestic consumption. The moist delta lands of Bangladeshare ideal for the cultivation of rice, the country’s principal food crop.The main export crop is jute (a plant used in the production of rope, car-pets, and industrial-quality sacks). Fishing, mainly for freshwater fish,is also vital to the economy of Bangladesh.

SMALL INDUSTRY Neither Pakistan nor Bangladesh is highly indus-trialized. Most factories are relatively small and lack the capital,resources, and markets required for expansion. Even so, both countriesare trying to increase their industrial base. They have growing textileindustries that provide an important source of revenue and employ-ment. Both countries export cotton garments, and Pakistan also exportswool carpets and leather goods.

An important economic development has been the introduction of microcredit. This policy makes small loans available to poor entrepreneurs,people who start and build a business. Businesses that are too small to getloans from banks can often join forces to apply for these microloans.They then accept joint responsibility for repaying the loan. This program,begun in Bangladesh, has helped small businesses grow in South Asiaand has raised living standards for many producers, especially women.

SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting GraphsMAKING COMPARISONS Which of the two countries is more industrialized?

ANALYZING DATA In both Pakistan and Bangladesh, which economic sector employs

the most people?

Textiles in Pakistan

Fishing in Bangladesh

MakingComparisons

How do the

economies of

Pakistan and

Bangladesh

compare with

each other?

576 CHAPTER 25

REGION Most

Pakistanis are Sunni

Muslims. Here, men

attend a Muslim prayer

service in a mosque in

Karachi.

One Religion, Many Peoples Most of the people of Pakistan and Bangladeshare Muslims. In both countries, Islam is animportant unifying force. At the same time, eth-nic differences promote cultural diversity, partic-ularly in Pakistan.

ISLAMIC CULTURE Islam has long played animportant role in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Bothlands were key parts of the Muslim MughalEmpire that ruled the Indian subcontinent forcenturies, and their cultures bear the stamp ofIslam. The faithful observe Islamic customs.These include daily prayer and participation inRamadan, a month-long period of fasting fromsunrise to sunset. Mosques in both countries areoften large and impressive structures.

The two countries differ somewhat in theirIslamic practices, however. In general, Pakistan isstricter in imposing Islamic law on its citizens.For example, many Pakistanis follow the customof purdah, the seclusion of women. This customprevents women from having contact with menwho are not relatives. When women appear inpublic, they must wear veils. In Bangladesh, pur-dah is much less common and religious practicesare less strict.

ETHNIC DIVERSITY Pakistan is also more ethnically diverse thanBangladesh. Pakistan has five main ethnic groups—Punjabis, Sindhis,Pathans, Muhajirs, and Balochs. Each group has its own language. ThePunjabis make up more than half of the population. Each group has itsown regional origins within the country except for the Muhajirs, whomigrated from India as a result of the partition in 1947. To avoid favor-ing one region or group over another, the government chose Urdu—thelanguage of the Muhajirs—as the national language. Today, mostPakistanis understand Urdu, even though they may use another lan-guage as their primary language.

In contrast, the people of Bangladesh are mainly Bengalis. Bengal isthe historic region that includes Bangladesh (once known as EastBengal) and the Indian state of West Bengal. Bengalis speak a languagebased on Sanskrit, the ancient Indo-Aryan language. Bangladesh alsohas a small population of Urdu-speaking Muslims and various non-Muslim tribal groups. About 10 percent of the population are Hindus.

Modern Life and Culture As in India, life in Pakistan and Bangladesh revolves around the family.Arranged marriages are common, and families tend to be large. Mostpeople live in small villages, in simple homes made of such materials assun-baked mud, bamboo, or wood. The large cities are busy places,

Background

Punjabi is the

principal spoken

language of

Pakistan because

the majority of

Pakistanis are

Punjabis. Arabic is

a secondary

language for

Muslim Pakistanis.

Pakistan and Bangladesh 577

crowded with traffic and pedestrians. People in bothcountries enjoy sports such as soccer and cricket, andalso enjoy going to see movies.

A LOVE OF POETRY Poetry is a special interest in bothPakistan and Bangladesh, where the tradition of oral lit-erature is strong. Many Pakistanis memorize longpoems and can recite them by heart. Poets are popularfigures, and poetry readings—called mushairas—candraw thousands of people, much like a rock concertdoes in some countries.

The greatest literary figure in Bangladesh is the poetRabindranath Tagore, who won the Nobel Prize forLiterature in 1913. Although Tagore was born inCalcutta (now Kolkata), India, he wrote about theGanges and his Bengal homeland. Bangladesh adoptedhis song, “My Golden Bengal,” as its national anthem.

MUSIC AND DANCE Music and dance are also impor-tant forms of expression in Bangladesh and Pakistan.Both countries share music traditions similar to those ofIndia. Folk music of various types is popular in cities andin rural areas. Qawwali—a form of devotional singingperformed by Muslims known as Sufis—is famous notonly in South Asia but also in parts of Europe and theUnited States. Bangladesh also has a long tradition of folkdances, in which elaborately costumed dancers act outBengali myths, legends, and stories.

You have been reading about Pakistan andBangladesh, India’s western and eastern neighbors. Next,you will learn about India’s northern neighbors, Nepaland Bhutan.

Places & TermsIdentify each of the

following places and

terms.

• Indus Valley

civilization

• partition

• Kashmir

• microcredit

• entrepreneur

• Ramadan

Taking Notes PLACE Review the notes you took

for this section.

• How were the countries of

Pakistan and Bangladesh formed?

• What role does farming play in

the economies of Pakistan and

Bangladesh?

Main Ideas a. What have been some of

the problems for Pakistan

and Bangladesh since

they were formed?

b. What role does Islam

play in Pakistan and

Bangladesh?

c. How would you describe

Pakistan’s ethnic makeup?

Geographic ThinkingMaking Comparisons How

do Pakistan and Bangladesh

differ in their Islamic

practices? Think about:

• the treatment of women

• how much of Pakistan

follows strict Islamic law

MAKING COMPARISONS Review the information about Islam on page 576. Then use the

Internet or an encyclopedia to compare Islam in Pakistan or Bangladesh with a Muslim country

in either Africa or Southwest Asia. Create a chart comparing the two countries using such

topics as treatment of women, eating practices, and how strictly a country enforces Islamic law.

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MIllions ofBangladeshis

Bangladesh is the eighth most

populous country in the world.

About 130 million people live

there. This population, half that of

the United States, lives on a land

area smaller than Wisconsin.

Almost 40 percent of the people

are under 15—and the population

continues to grow.

The population explosion has

brought many problems, includ-

ing malnutrition and disease.

Bangladesh’s neighbors—India

(one billion people) and Pakistan

(about 150 million)—also have

rapidly expanding populations.

Pakistan andBangladesh

South Asia

Seeing PatternsWhat roles do

music and dance

play in the lives

of the people of

Pakistan and

Bangladesh?

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