1. Basic facts
| Capital city | New Delhi |
| Currency | Indian rupee |
| Area | 3,287,000 km2 |
| Population | 1.2 billion |
| Official languages | Hindi + English |
2. Significant characteristics
- the 7th largest country in the world;
- the 2nd most populated country;
- the most populous democracy in the world.
3. Concept
• The caste system is a system which dates back 3,000 years when Hindu priests divided the Indian society into 4 great social classes which are hereditary:
- 1. the Brahmans (priests and scholars);
- 2. the Kshatriyas (warriors and rulers);
- 3. the Vaisyas (farmers and merchants);
- 4. the Sudras (peasants and labourers).
• You can't change the caste you are born into. The Brahman caste is at the top of the social ladder, at the other end the Dalits or Untouchables are outcastes. They can only occupy certain jobs such as cleaning or mending shoes. Even if discrimination against Dalits has become rare in towns, in rural areas they are still expected to use specific eating places, schools, places of worship and sources of water. The caste system is officially banned today, and yet it still exists with over 170 million Dalits of which one third are illiterate.
4. National hero: Mahatma Gandhi
• Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) was born in India, but studied law in London before going to South Africa where he defended the rights of the Indians who worked there under apartheid. When he returned to India he campaigned against the British rule of the country and practised civil disobedience with such acts as boycotting British goods and leading protest marches. The British imprisoned him on numerous occasions and Gandhi demonstrated his disapproval by going on hunger strike. His non-violent means of protest has been a source of inspiration to other leaders such as Martin Luther King.
• Gandhi was assassinated in 1948 by a Hindi fanatic angered by the tolerance he demonstrated towards other religions.
5. Key date
1947: Creation of Pakistan. Religious differences divided the Indian Independence movement during the 1930s and there was a call to create a separate state (Pakistan) for Muslims. Gandhi was unable to find a way to unite the Indian people in spite of their religious differences. The creation of Pakistan led to millions of Muslims having to leave India to go there and to Hindus having to leave Pakistan to go to India.
Exercice n°1
1. No other country has as big a population.
Cochez la bonne réponse.
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2. There are two official languages.
Cochez la bonne réponse.
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3. The Dalits belong to the caste system.
Cochez la bonne réponse.
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3. The Dalits are lower than the lowest caste in the caste system: they are outcastes.
Exercice n°2
1. The Dalits are victims of segregation.
Cochez la bonne réponse.
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2. The highest caste are the Brahmans.
Cochez la bonne réponse.
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3. The caste system is still in practice officially.
Cochez la bonne réponse.
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3. Officially, the caste system is banned. However, it is still part of life in rural India.
Exercice n°3
1. Gandhi campaigned to defend Indians in South Africa.
Cochez la bonne réponse.
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2. Gandhi considered the British to be enemies of the Indian nation.
Cochez la bonne réponse.
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3. Gandhi practised violence.
Cochez la bonne réponse.
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3. He is famous for his non-violent methods of protest.
Exercice n°4
Retrouvez chaque terme d'après sa définition.
Faites glisser les étiquettes dans les zones prévues à cet effet.
Muslim
Hindu
Pakistan
Hindi
rupee
a follower of Islam, based on the writings in the Koran →
Indian currency →
the language spoken by over 400 million people in India →
a country created in order to solve the religious tensions in India →
someone who believes in the cycle of birth, death and rebirth governed by Karma and other concepts of Hinduism →
imcAnswer19?
Indian currency →
imcAnswer20?
the language spoken by over 400 million people in India →
imcAnswer21?
a country created in order to solve the religious tensions in India →
imcAnswer22?
someone who believes in the cycle of birth, death and rebirth governed by Karma and other concepts of Hinduism →
imcAnswer23?
Relisez bien les fiches pour mémoriser les éléments essentiels.
