Research and global census statistics place India as the top of the list of most populous nations in the world. The term “Indian” entails a nationality but not a language or ethnicity. The people of India entail a collective castes, tribes, and groups of diverse ethnicities. The Indian nationality comes along with many ethno linguistic groups from various regions and reflects on the rich and complex Indian history.
Diaspora populations that have their ancestry in India are spread out in most parts of the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand, Australia, Southeast Asia, and North America, the UK, Caribbean and South Africa as well as the Southern parts of Europe because of emigration. India is one country rich in history, culture and religious diversity.
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History, Beliefs, Today’s Geography and the People
History
The Indian history is one enriched with the settlements of prehistory and societies of the subcontinent of India with a bit of the blend of the civilization of the Indus Valley and the culture of Indo-Arya that led to the creation of the Civilization of Vedic (Hockings, 2015). It further entails the formation and coming about of the Hinduism courtesy of the various cultures and traditions of the Hindu people, rising of the 16 oligarch republics called Mahajanapadas and that of the Sramana movement (Hockings, 2015). The history consists of the birth of Jainism and Buddhism in the 9th and 6th Century respectively. It also focuses on how power dynasties, as well as empires, succeeded to power in duration of approximately two millennia across the numerous geographies of the subcontinent
The above relates closely to the rise of the Muslim dynasties that transpired in the time of the medieval intertwining with the powers of the Hindu. Essentially, the adventures of European traders had led to British establishing their rule in the region which in turn resulted in the establishment of a movement of independence. This movement brought about the partitioning as well as the development of Indian republic.
The advent of the European traders resulted in the establishment of the rule of British and the subsequent movement of independence that led to the Indian Partitioning and the creation of the Indian Republic.
Basically, India was under the rule of the British government after the year 1858 via the viceroy and a council despite the idea of several states of princes opting to maintain some measure of independence. In the year 1885, The National Congress of India was formed, and it took a gradual switch from the position of advisor to that of critic for the British administration in a bid to demand power transference to the native politicians of India (Hockings, 2015). Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi led the Indian National Congress to adopt the civil disobedience policy whose sole purpose was to seek independence.
The independence took a long while but was achieved in 1947; nevertheless, there was a condition placed which made the areas in the North, dominated by Muslim, a separate country currently referred to as Pakistan. Consequently, Nehru became the first Prime Minister of India while in Pakistan; Mohammed Ali Jinnah became the first Prime Minister (Hockings, 2015). The processes of splitting and handing as well as the issuance of power were successful and peaceful except the splitting of Pakistan that was marred with massive movements of the population as well as a lot of bloodshed in both countries as a result of communal passions. However, there was a split by the Eastern part of Pakistan after a quarter century that led to the formation of the eastern part of Pakistan split to form the Independent state of Bangladesh.
Beliefs
As a country, Indian people are engulfed by serious superstitions, cultural and religious beliefs. According to the census report of the year 1991, 82% of the population comprised of Hindu people. Nonetheless, 12% of the Indians comprised of Muslims making and as such, this made it be one of the biggest Islamic nation globally. Christianity was the second largest religion in the area with just slightly over 2% of the entire population and the Sikhs followed them closely (Tapas, 2015). The Buddhists comprised of the next significant group with slightly that 1% and they were followed closely by Jains with less than 0.5% (Tapas, 2015). The country enjoys large numbers of shrines for rituals, temples and other holy places for the many faiths as mentioned above. The pilgrimage temples are the holiest places for the Hindus whereas the Muslims value most the saint tombs. Sites associated with Buddhists prove vital for the Buddhists who are usually visitors.
The various groups of people in the country have different views on death and life after death. The Muslims, Christians, and Jews pray that the souls of the individuals that die go to paradise but the Hindu hold very distinct ideas from the same. Many communities in Hindu believe in reincarnation which they strongly believe that it is based on a balance between good and bad deeds that one did while on earth hence one can be reincarnated multiple times on grounds of the deeds (Tapas, 2015). Despite the modernization of the Indian people, a good many still believe in superstitions and attach serious faith in the local beliefs. Superstitions are considered pertinent in the country because they tend to hit at future happenings that can either be good or evil. One key superstition is that it is bad luck to meet a barren woman or widow as the first person when one steps out of their homes.
Traditions
According to Fearthetson (1990), every state holds the inherent right to express its culture and individual voice and character and to practice what beliefs they held dear. The Indian people were forcefully assimilated into the European culture because their ways were deemed as the heathen (Schwartzberg et al., 2016). The Europeans came with their Christian religion and decided that it was not satisfactory to teach the new religion but to further the elimination of the Indian spirituality and practices. Spirituality helped the ancestors of the Indian people thrive and survive and prosper for numerous years and do well to continue helping people today.
The Indian spirituality teaches very simple rules. The first principle is respect and cherishing of the elders because of the extensive wisdom and knowledge (Schwartzberg et al., 2016). Long before books came into existence, people learned through their traditions and knowledge passed down to them by the elders. It is termed as oral history and the words meant so much to life because they gave a lot of meaning to the same. The words ensured that persons learned about life and direction of purpose to everyone’s life.
Present Day Geography
India is located in the southern Asian subcontinent. Pakistan, China, and Tibet border it on the North while Nepal and Bhutan do the same towards the end of the northeast. Myanmar and Bangladesh border the country on the part of the southwest. The Indian Ocean further borders it to the south alongside the Maldives towards the south and Sri Lanka Island, (Buhaug, 2005). The Republic of India stretches across 3,165,596 kilometres, which is 1,222,237 square miles with the exclusion of the Chinese or Pakistani military territories.
The Interrelationship between Indian Culture and Hind Religion
As earlier pointed out, India as a nation hosts many ethnic groupings, castes, religions, and tribes. The castes and their subs relate with one another in each region using a system of the permanent structure of hierarchy. Each of these structures has its own name, a distinctive subculture, and ranks, as well as a traditional occupation (Rinehart, 2004). The tribes usually hardly have caste hierarchies; however, they have an internal bureaucratic organization that is characterized by foraging and pastoral tribes that are relatively egalitarian with respect to their internal affairs.
The Dharmic religions have played a critical role in influencing the Indian cultures by creating it with a serious shaping for the Indian architecture, philosophy, art, music, and literature. Notably, the Greater India can be classified as a historical extent of the entire culture in India far past the subcontinent of India. It was particularly concerned with the spread of Hinduism, architecture, Buddhism, and administration as well as the writing system from most parts of India to the other parts of Asia via the Silk Road (Rinehart, 2004). The same also came by courtesy of the maritime traders and travelers that transpired at the beginning of the Common Era centuries.
Instances of Tension Existent between Indian Culture and Hindu Religion
The month of August of the year 1980 saw brewing tensions between the Sikhs and Hindus living in Punjab which then resulted in violent clashes (Rinehart, 2004). Punjab is a state, which has a higher per capita income when compared to Assam. As such, it remains a central point of the Green Revolution in India and the Sikh peasants are its biggest beneficiaries. Religious signs and symbols are used to mobilize the Sikhs and call for secession among the Khalistan that is a sovereign state of the Sikhs.
Issues relating to Aliens have led to the significant side-lining of the key components of politics and economy that the demand charter details. The Sikhs mainly call for enough radio play when it comes to religious broadcasting. The community has further insisted on having a legislation that is separate from the others in relation to their religious shrines. New Delhi has so far agreed to all these calls. The most pressing political demands entail finances for the states.
According to Featherston (1990), the Sikhs comprise 60.2% of the population in Punjab while 37.5% consists of the Hindus. The Sikh majority was even greater in the villages comprising 69.4% of the entire population in the rural area as compared to the Hindus that sat at 28.6% (Tapas, 2015). The Sikh dominate the agricultural sector while the Green revolution depends on the biochemical and mechanical inputs in agriculture and the production of surplus for the market having deep links with trade making the latter dependent on the market.
Problems with irrigation have worsened the situation with the rich peasant being uncomfortable with the idea of Punjab having the best-irrigated agriculture in the nation. Tube well irrigation is almost three to nine times more costly because of its needs in diesel and power. Landlessness has also increased significantly from 17.3% in the year 1961 to 32.1% in the year 1971 and so forth (Tapas, 2015). The status of the Urdu has declined in the northern part of India seeing the widespread usage of the mythologies of the Hindu and their symbols in school textbooks and the continuation of controversy over the most adamant Muslim educational institutions.
Majumda (1951), argued that in India, the communal violence witnessed consisted of violent acts which were brought about by the supporters of a different religious groups against religious groups which were different using riots. The recent violent clashes in India have been between Muslims and Hindus although there have been clashes involving atheists, Jews, Christians, Sikhs, and Jews.
Instances where Harmony is enjoyed between the Two
According to Majumda (1951), one key element in relation to the emergence of the Hinduism is its integration with the values of the West. Hinduism was an indigenous culture in the subcontinent of India and remained distinctively from the Big Three of the religions of the West. It remained steadfast despite the rising of the West Religion like Christianity, Islam, and Jews (Schwartzberg et al., 2016). However, despite these parameters, all religions with the inclusion of Hinduism act as means of shaping individual behaviour in a society. The religions shape the nature of both culture and society with new ones emerging in due to the changing times so as to fit the existing societal demands.
The reaction of Religion and Culture to Forces of Globalism since the Government of Indira Gandhi
Globalization refers to the international platform that seeks to maintain evenness with regards to how people live across the world. It comes as a result of interchanges in the views of the world, opinions, and aspects of various people of diverse cultures across the world (Singh, 2012). It thus means that the provision of the international arena for the association of the people from various sectors, dialects, and cultures, people learn to move socially and appropriately without hurting the prestige of each other.
The globalization in India experiences both negative and positive effects across the world. A country’s culture not only displays the region as well as the language of the people but also their mindset and mentality of every individual in the area. The Indian culture is rich but as mentioned above, it begins with the mindset of individuals (Singh, 2015). A close analysis of the globalization in India punches many holes in the westernization and mixing of other traits and cultures into a blanket that is beautifully woven. Below are close looks into the culture of India in relation to globalization in the region.
Ewers (1997), insists that there is a rise in the pop culture in India and more so since the 1980s. The 1980s was a time where censorship was relaxed and markets were liberalized leading to the explosion of movies, mass media, music, consumerism and spiritual practices as well as many others (Singh, 2015). In boosting cultural tourists in India, the government set up a Ministry for Tourism and Culture. A point worth noting is that India has been led by many leaders all of whom have had a significant impact on its culture. Evidently, the influence of these cultures can be seen through the festivals, dance, music, and food, traditional customs, as well as language (Schwartzberg et al., 2016). The heritage and culture of India are exhaustive and excessively vibrant because of the diverse cultures causing an influence on the original culture. Rajasthan is the most popular state for cultural tourism and it is famous for its rich heritage in culture all across the stretch of the Asian nation.
The state is attributed to numerous places and forts that exhibit the rich heritage of culture that it boasts of. Many festivals and fairs are hosted in the state and such include the Camel festival, the Marwar festival and the Pushkar festival (Singh, 2015). The above type of tourism has been on the rise in the recent times in India and it remains the sole responsibility of the Indian government to take up proactive steps in ensuring that the same is furthered to higher standards.
The women in India would enjoy equal status with the mean in all perceptions and angles of life in the early days. According to the ancient grammarians of India like Patanjali and Katyayana, women were educated in the early periods of the Vedic time. The scriptures insist that the women were particularly free to choose their beloved husbands and enter into relationships that they preferred.
Integration of Employees within the Indian Culture and how personal Values have shaped the Concerns
I am particularly concerned with the idea of Indians still following the superstitious beliefs. Many superstitions need to have already lost grip on the minds of people thanks to the revelations by science and popular awakening. However, despite the revelations, many still believe in the superstitions and even science has failed to shake them off. Most of the Indians do not want or wish to believe in the superstitions but are afraid of the risk of ignoring them. The ones that venture to ignore them because of influence have faced significant problems that made them go back to the beliefs once more. It is my belief that the employees will have a hard time believing some of these superstitions.
I am also concerned with the religious wars that affect the nation of India. The clashes between Buddhists and Muslims are not healthy in terms of providing an environment for the thriving and growth of any business. The employees may find it difficult to cope with the situation out of fear. However, despite all these concerns I hold onto the desire to see the employees celebrate the thousands of nude paintings and cultures which that depict the rich heritage of the Indian ancestors without having to ascribe to most of the religious beliefs and the cultural attachments. In fact, I take solace in the fact that Indians or at least a large majority does not care whether one is Indian or a foreigner in their interactions with others.
Conclusion
In conclusion, India refers to the entire nationality of the people living in this region rather than just the language or ethnicity. As noted above, India comprises of individuals from different castes, ethnical backgrounds as well as different tribes. The Indian history is characterized by prehistoric settlements as well as societies of the Indian subcontinent. There is a blend of Indu Valley civilization and the culture of Indo-Aryan which collectively for the Vedic Civilization. India was under the British government rule after the year 1858 via the viceroy and a council despite the idea of several states of princes maintaining a certain degree of independence. In the year 1885, The National Congress of India was founded and it took a gradual switch from the position of advisor to that of critic for the British administration in a bid to demand power transference to the native politicians of India.
The 1991 census report cited that 82% of the population was Hindu, 12 % Muslim, 2% Christians and less than 0.5% was Buddhist. The Indian people were forcefully assimilated into the European culture because their ways were deemed as heathen. The Europeans came with their Christian religion and decided that it was not satisfactory to teach the new religion but to further the elimination of the Indian spirituality and practices. The tribes did not have a caste hierarchy; instead, they run their affairs through an internal hierarchical organization.
Also appended herein is the fact that the Dharmic religions heavily influenced the culture of the Indian people. The culture was shaped using the Indian philosophy music, art, literature, and architecture. The globalization in India experiences both negative and positive effects across the world. From the above, it is clear that the culture of the country does not just depict the region and the language of the people. It also shows the mindset and the mentality that people residing in this region have. The Indian culture is rich but as mentioned above, it begins with the mindset of individuals.
References
Buhaug, H., & Lujala, P. (2005). Accounting for scale: Measuring geography in quantitative studies of civil war. Political Geography, 24(4), 399-418.
Ewers, J. C. (1997). Plains Indian History and Culture: Essays on Continuity and Change. University of Oklahoma Press.
Featherstone, M. (1990). Global culture: Nationalism, globalization and modernity (Vol. 2). Sage.
Hockings, P. (2015). Culture of India - history, people, clothing, traditions, women, beliefs, food, customs, family. Everyculture.com. Retrieved 28 April 2018, from http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/India.html
Majumdar, R. C. (Ed.). (1951). the History and Culture of the Indian People: The Delhi Sultanate (Vol. 6). G. Allen & Unwin.
Rinehart, R. (Ed.). (2004). Contemporary Hinduism: Ritual, culture, and practice. ABC-CLIO.
Schwartzberg, J., & Philip, D. (2016). India | Facts, Culture, History, Economy, & Geography. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 28 April 2018, from https://www.britannica.com/place/India
Singh, R. P. (2012). Hinduism and Globalization: Pilgrimage Landscapes, Spirituality and Global Message; in, Bulfirni, Clara. Religious Traditions and Contemporary Asian Societies/Tradizioni religiose e dell’Asia contemporanea-Asiatica Ambrosiana, Saggi e ricerche di cultura religioni e società dell’Asia, 159-191.
Singh, R. P., & Aktor, M. (2015). Hinduism and globalization. In The Changing World Religion Map (pp. 1917-1932). Springer, Dordrecht.
Tapas. (2015). Difference between Indian and Hindu | Difference Between. Differencebetween.net. Retrieved 28 April 2018, from http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/religion-miscellaneous/difference-between-indian-and-hindu/
