Particular Landscapes and National Identity in India - Essay Example

Particular landscapes and national identity National identity has definite correlation with the landscape of a particular region. The regional geographical peculiarities, inhabitability, natural resources, the genetic vigour, culture and habits of the dwellers have profound effect on the overall picture of a nation. “Landscapes are never neutral but are in fact imbued with a host of meanings which come to be representative of peoples, cultures and nation states alongside the nature of the physical features we actually see” (Naidoo, 2006). The world has all along its existence been polarised into its present view depending upon the predominance of particular nations and communities which were considered ‘literate’ and had the means and material to document their comprehension. The dominance of religion, race and its assertion on the human populations are still having far reaching consequences despite all the scientific progress. Ancient civilizations like Egypt, Mesopotamia, Inca, China and India have their own peculiarities associated with the geographical features of their particular regions. However the most visible effect on the world has been that of European dominance, particularly the English colonial era and its impact in influencing the mindset of the people who were subject to colonial rule. The Earth without its living mass is a very cruel and inhospitable territory. It is just a small speck in the vast magnanimity of the limitless universe. Visualized from a perspective of an alien, one cannot but wonder how life has evolved on this planet. There is a continuous struggle for existence between the forces of nature and the living things, be it plant or animal. Man being the supposedly most intelligent living form on this planet has modified nature in a manner suitable for the sustenance of its own species. Plants, animals, water and land have been tamed and manipulated by mankind to serve its own survival. However as a corollary the Earth has also imparted its own colour on mankind depending upon locale, resources and material and given rise to particular and distinct communities. The cultural identity thus owes much to mother earth. Mankind has further elaborated itself into the form of countries or nations which have come to symbolize the manner, in which people live, behave and work. This has lead to our present perspective of the world wherein we can clearly demarcate the national identities of people and come to expect particular behaviour patterns from people belonging to a nation. The longitude and latitude, water and mineral resources, terrain and historical aspects contribute to the identity of a particular nation. We shall study how the national identity of one of the most diverse countries in this world, India has been influenced by its particular landscape. India is a sub tropical land mass in the form of a peninsula and has a vast coastline. In the north it is bound by the Great Himalayan Range and the climate is as diverse within the country as can be found anywhere in the world. It ranges from the sub zero temperatures in the north to the near suffocating heat and humidity in the southern parts. There are fertile river fed plains, rugged mountainous regions, rocky plains, deserts as well as dense near-equatorial forests. The country had an ancient identity known as the ‘Indus valley civilization’ which had a well developed social order and organised way of living. The original Indians were native to the place and had no outside influence on them. This followed the migration of the Aryans from Central Asia who came to India attracted by the fertile plains of the north. They developed agriculture and trade routes and India became a more or less homogenous society. Feudal lords and kings dominated in various regions and gathered huge wealth in the process by exploiting the peasants. They developed their own kingdoms and lived a life of luxury while the vast majority toiled to make both ends meet. This followed the Mughal invaders who plundered the riches of India and later on settled down in the country giving rise to the vast Mughal Empire which gave rise to some magnificent monuments, the Taj Mahal being the prime example. In the sixteenth century, there were visits by European traders from Portugal, France and England through the sea route who came attracted by the availability of exotic spices. The English dominated and later on established the East India Company which eventually grew in stature and diversity until it took up the reigns of the country by establishing imperial rule. The colonial period had a profound and lasting effect on the social, cultural and economic changes in the Indian sub continent. In terms of landscape India can be divided into the following categories: 1. The northern mountainous region 2. Indo Gangetic Alluvial plains in the North 3. Desert region of the north west 4. The rocky plains of central India 5. The southern fertile river basins 6. The coastal areas and islands 7. The north eastern hill region The people living in these areas are diverse, following different faiths, practising a plethora of regional cultural activities and still coexisting as a nation. The common national identity has been greatly influenced by the colonial period and the independence from Britain in 1947. The independence was the common platform which brought people from diverse faiths into following a singular identity of an Indian citizen. No doubt the Indian government claims ‘Unity in Diversity’ as its hallmark. To see how the modern Indian came into being, one has to explore the historical religious, social, demographic, cultural and economic scenario and the upheavals the country has gone through in its chequered existence. India was primarily a Hindu nation and the vast majority still follows this religion. The religion itself is based on ancient Holy Scriptures known as the ‘Vedas’ which are four in number (Hopkins, The Religions of India). The Vedas contained everything pertaining to life of a human being, the guidelines to lead a proper life and the description of all aspects ranging from social obligations, duties, trade, art and medicine to name a few. Life itself is supposed to be a blend of the four elements of Earth, Water, Fire and Air. The native Hindus thus worshipped ‘Mother Goddess’ as the creator of life and other manifestations of God were in the form of their ‘avatars’ in the guise of human beings (Barnett D, Hindu Gods and Heroes). They were supposed to guide the masses in times of turmoil and indecision. The Hindus had classified the people on the basis of a very rigid caste system in which the duties of a particular caste were very clear cut and explicit. No deviation in any form was allowed and inter caste marriage was a taboo. The ramifications of this caste system still exist and are practised diligently in the country although in a subtle manner. The original Indians were basically agrarian and human populations were located along the fertile river banks where agriculture was primarily practiced. Rivers were sacred to the Hindu psyche and worshipped as goddesses, Ganges being the chief amongst them. This is the reason that many of the important ancient cities of India are on the banks of river Ganges. The Indo-Gangetic plains are one of the most fertile areas of the country and meet most of the country’s food grain requirement. The society was mostly rural in ancient India with little scope for urbanization. A number of religions flourished and came into existence in the country with time, Buddhism and Jainism being the prime examples (Dasgupta S, A History of Indian Philosophy). They sought to deviate away from the strict rituals of orthodox Hinduism. Numerous kingdoms flourished in ancient India and they had diverse lifestyles depending upon the regional peculiarity of a particular clan. The north was dominated by the fair skinned Indo Aryans who came from Central Asia while the south was home to the original inhabitants, the rather Negroid Dravidians who were more artistic and intricate as compared to their northern brethren. The Muslim invaders revolutionised and annexed most of India and brought the Mogul culture and architecture into India. They dominated the country for centuries and changed the social, political and economic scenario. They were skilled craftsmen and brought many new professions into existence. They built road networks that linked the important towns in India and built monuments of enormous proportions. Sikhism came into being as a new religion as a result of the atrocities committed by the Muslims on the local Hindu population. It borrowed freely from the Muslim way of life at the same time keeping some of the Hindu customs sans the rigid caste system. The Indian society thus became a blend of a number of religious faiths and they tended to stay together accordingly in the most suitable geographic and demographic regions based on faith alone. Christianity was the only missing factor and it came with aplomb with the European traders who were to dominate the happenings in this part of the world over the next few centuries by becoming its rulers. India thus became a cauldron of all faiths of the world and the present Indian is a product of the blend of this multi cultural, multi religious society and the national character is now driven more by economy rather than religion. The British rulers brought about drastic changes in the country that lead to the industrialization and development of new cities altogether. They laid the foundations of modern education, railway network and organized military which is the basis of the modern Indian Army. The rich past of India has been effectively summarised in the following excerpt from Muller F. Max in his series of lectures, “India: What can it teach us” “If you care for geology, there is work for you from the Himalayas to Ceylon. If you are fond of botany, there is a flora rich enough for many Hookers. If you are a zoologist, think of Haeckel, who is just now rushing through Indian forests and dredging in Indian seas, and to whom his stay in India is like the realization of the brightest dream of his life. If you are interested in ethnology, why India is like a living ethnological museum. If you are fond of archaeology, if you have ever assisted at the opening of a barrow in England, and know the delight of finding a fibula, or a knife, or a flint in a heap of rubbish, read only General Cunninghams "Annual Reports of the Archaeological Survey of India," and you will be impatient for the time when you can take your spade and bring to light the ancient Vihâras or colleges built by the Buddhist monarchs of India. If ever you amused yourselves with collecting coins, why the soil of India teems with coins, Persian, Carian, Thracian, Parthian, Greek, Macedonian, Scythian, Roman and Mohammedan. When Warren Hastings was Governor-General, an earthen pot was found on the bank of a river in the province of Benares, containing one hundred and seventy-two gold darics. Warren Hastings considered himself as making the most munificent present to his masters that he might ever have it in his power to send them, by presenting those ancient coins to the Court of Directors. The story is that they were sent to the melting-pot. At all events they had disappeared when Warren Hastings returned to England. It rests with you to prevent the revival of such vandalism.” From the above facts it is clear that the national character of India is not a simple and homogenous matter as in some of the other countries like China, Japan or Russia which had more or less uniform ethnic identity during the time course of history. Similarly as compared to India, the USA and most of the European countries have had more or less uniform ethnic identities historically and the only major difference was black or white. This myriad blend of unique cultures in India was given a national character only due to their collective revolt against the British rulers. The oppression and discriminative attitude of the British rulers forced the native inhabitants to forget their personal animosities and fight collectively for freedom as Indians and not as a particular community. This ironically was the contribution of the British rule that transformed the diverse kingdoms into the entity of a single Indian Empire. Indians who belonged to royal families as well as others who had access to higher education travelled to the west, enrolled in Universities and became educated in western thought and began to realize the importance of independence and self governance. They laid the foundation of freedom from British rule and an independent, democratic India. They liberally borrowed the idea of democracy from the former western power and based the constitution and government on the British pattern interspersed with local colour. The invention of the national landscape performed another essential task: it helped support the exceptionalist myth that the republic was more than the sum of its parts. The national landscape, synthesized out of discrete parts, became a construct capable of answering the call for native themes without becoming mired in local, place-specific associations (Miller, 1992). Today, place is conceived not as an objective, physical surface but as a site not only which we inhabit, but which all of us, differentially empowered and socially positioned, actively construct and invest with meaning (Mitchell, 2000). Modern India is being projected as a future world power due to its enormous contribution to the software industry and the mathematical genius of some native Indians. The English language which has become an integral part of India due to its colonial past has boosted the country’s stature internationally. Indian businessmen have sharp acumen and an enormous appetite for international growth. There have been numerous forays by the Indian businessmen in acquiring multinational conglomerates in the recent past. India is crowned on its northern side by the vast Himalayas which run along its north eastern border. The people living in these areas in the hill states have agriculture and animal rearing as their sole occupation. The region is blessed by a wide variety of flora and fauna with some of the most picturesque and beautiful valleys fed by rivulets from the melting snows. Their customs are peculiar to them and the ethnic diversity varies from Mongoloid to Aryan origins. Besides agriculture, the people make a substantial contribution to the armed forces where they serve as soldiers for the country thereby participating in the national mainstream. The central government in turn provides the basic administrative infrastructure and financial input in order to keep the states viable. This give and take relationship elicits a huge loyalty towards the nation as a wholesome unit. The Himalayas feed the northern fertile plains of the major food producing agrarian states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar with a number of rivers. These states are the food baskets of the country and are inhabited by vigorous and hard working farmers who toil year round to churn up bumper crops on a regular basis. These states are the most prosperous in the country with massive industrialization coming up at a fast pace. The people are accordingly vibrant, robust and self reliant with good contribution to the nation in terms of agricultural produce as well finished products. The middle and the southern regions of India have great mineral wealth as well as tropical agriculture. Some of the most exquisite spices and exotic fruits come from these regions. The development of art and culture is of a very high calibre in these states. Large scale industries like mining, chemicals, steel, and textiles have been developed to a large extent in these states and their contribution crosses international boundaries. This has automatically generated great wealth in these particular states. Software industry in the southern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu has assumed international significance. The region is characterized by vast banana, coconut and coffee plantations. The coastal areas contribute lot in terms of marine resources and fishing though practiced in traditional manner, is an important industry in these states. The states contribute substantially in terms of intellectual manpower and the nation’s eminent scientists and thinkers usually come from these states. The north eastern region has a culture of its own with both Mongolian and Christian influence. Bordering China, proximity to Himalayas and the massive tea estates are the factors imparting a peculiar exoticism to these states. However there is certainly a problem of identity with some of the inhabitants, particularly those of mongoloid origin who feel more at ease as a separate entity from the national mainstream. This has resulted in political trouble in these states in the recent past (Singh B.P., 1987). Geography has had its influence on the economic, social and cultural life of this region. The Brahmaputra (river) Valley, for instance, was a colourful corridor between the two great civilizations of India and China, while the Himalayas reach to the frontiers of Iran and Central Asia. But the foremost feature of the social order of northeast India is its heterogeneity. The region is inhabited by three major groups: the hill tribes, the plains tribes and the non-tribal population of the plains. Within each group there is tremendous variety; in terms of race (probably greater variety than in any other part of the globe); language (as many as 420 languages and dialects); and religion (Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity). Despite this cultural diversity and unique environments in all different states of the country, the people of India get together on national platforms and work in a cohesive manner to keep abreast of the latest developments in the world. The country is seen as one and challenges from across the borders are dealt with firmly and efficiently. While rest of the world is struggling on coming to terms with the increasingly cosmopolitan societies with people from different ethnic backgrounds, India has already developed into a secular nation and established its identity as the world’s largest democracy. The Hindu, Muslim and Sikh shrines in the country are revered by Indians of all religions and have become the epitome of religious brotherhood. Famous temples, masjids and Gurudwaras are the major landmarks all over India and are visited by people of all faiths during festivals and ceremonies. The Ancient religions, multi cultures, castes, creeds and rule of the Moghuls and the British have all left their indelible mark on the Indian sub continent. It extended to as far as Afghanistan in north where the ‘Bamiyan Buddha’ was recently defaced and destroyed by the Afghan Muslim extremists, and the south in Sri Lanka where Buddhism is the main religion. The Indian national symbol of the three lions is itself derived from the ‘Ashoka Pillar’ in New Delhi which was built by the great Emperor Ashoka who after conquering almost whole of India renounced warfare and adopted Buddhism. The ‘Gateway of India’ in Mumbai is a historical monument of British times as is the ‘India Gate’ in New Delhi. Of particular magnificence are the Rajput forts in Rajasthan which stood steadfast against the Muslim invaders due to the inhospitable terrain of the Thar Desert. The Muslims also built huge forts in New Delhi and Agra in the north and Hyderabad and Karnataka in the south. The Indian Parliament and the President’s House are the part of British legacy of India. The British also developed a number of hill resorts in the foothills of the Himalayas which were akin to flora and fauna of Europe as well possessed the weather conditions more favourable for the white skinned British (Kenny, Judith T, 1995). The hill stations built some two hundred years after the British arrived in lndia were not simply a transplanted British landscape. They were expressive rather of broader nineteenth century beliefs that set the colonial world apart from Europe. India has an extreme summer extending from the months of June to October and the British rulers found the weather both oppressive and difficult for survival. In the nineteenth century they built and populated more than twenty hill stations which gave the impression of mini England in India. The national capital was shifted during the summer months to Simla in the north and Ootacamund in the south for the convenience of the white rulers. The hill stations reflected and reinforced assumptions of social and racial difference and in so doing naturalized the separation of rulers and ruled. This settlement form and landscape model was embedded, of course, in a larger system of colonial control and a general discourse of imperialism. The old civilization of India was a concrete unity of multi faceted developments in art, architecture, literature, religion, morals, and science so far as it was understood in those days. But the most important achievement of Indian thought was the love of the teeming human masses for philosophy. It was regarded as the ultimate goal of all the practical and theoretical activities, and it indicated the point of unity amidst all the apparent diversities which the complex growth of culture over a vast area inhabited by different peoples produced. It is not in the history of foreign invasions, in the rise of independent kingdoms at different times, in the empires of the numerous monarchies that the unity of India is to be sought. It is essentially one of spiritual aspirations and obedience to the law of the spirit, which were regarded as supreme, and it has outlived all the political changes through which India passed (Dasgupta S, 2004). India has not been without any negative aspects despite all the spiritual brouhaha and rich cultural past. It has historically been a country of weak people, living on the brink of starvation and passed through a number of famines. Excepting the royal families and the landlords, the vast majority of the general masses were recklessly exploited by the successful rulers. Slavery was rampant and the human values were totally ignored by the ruling classes. People were made to run errands of their masters and do all the difficult tasks without any reward. This was especially true of the lower castes who were isolated to the dirtiest locations of the villages and towns and the practice of labelling them as untouchables was rampant (Booth Tucker, Darkest India, 1891). According to Tucker, in the late eighteenth century, during British rule Indians could be divided into five classes: 1. The wealth and aristocracy of the country consisting of those who enjoyed a monthly income of one hundred Rupees (Indian Currency) and upwards per family. According to an estimate it was supposed that these would number more than forty millions of the population at that time. 2. The well-to-do middle classes, earning twenty rupees and upwards, numbering seventy millions. 3. The fairly well off labouring classes, whose wages were from five rupees and upwards, numbering one hundred millions. 4. The poverty stricken labouring classes, earning less than five rupees a month for the support of their families. They numbered about twenty-five millions. 5. The destitute and unemployed poor, who earned nothing at all, and who were dependent for their livelihood on the charity of others. They too numbered about twenty-five millions, or a little less than one-tenth of the entire population. Indians thus were mired in human exploitation and deplorable living conditions till the earliest parts of the twentieth century. It was a country of masters and slaves with the general masses living in extreme poverty. Ramifications of this still exist in India where beggars are commonplace even in the most modern of today’s metropolitan cities. It wasn’t till the post independence era after 1947 and the ushering in of the ‘Green Revolution’ in the 1960s that India became self dependent in terms of food self sufficiency. Despite being one of the most populous countries of the world, the country has displayed a remarkable success in industrialization in order to be recognized as a current economic power globally which is developing at a tremendous pace. Its inclusion in the nuclear power states of the world and successful space exploration programs are the latest feathers in its cap. India’s opinion is seen with respect at various world organizations like the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. India has become the global leader in the making of a large number of movies which are a great source of entertainment worldwide. Indian stars are welcomed and adulated the world over, not only by the migrant Asians but by other ethnic communities as well. Indian music is as exclusive as India and follows a very meticulous and scientific approach. Indian classical music and dance have epitomized the national character and given a unique identity to Indians. India has made a foray into the beauty pageants and numerous Indian women have won the crowns of Miss World as well Miss Universe in the recent past. According to (Oza Rupal, 2001) when the Miss World pageant was held in Bangalore in India in 1996, a month prior to the event, in the Times of India, a major English language newspaper, an advertisement for the pageant read "the time has come for the world to see what real India is all about, Indian hospitality, Indian culture, Indian beauty, Indian capability." What was striking about the advertisement was the statement that "real" India -its capability and culture- would be showcased through an international beauty pageant. Similarly although India is not known much in the sporting circles due to its deplorable record in the Olympics, it has concentrated on one of the colonial games, Cricket, with a frenzy and intensity which is unparalleled in the World. Ever since India toppled the mighty West Indies at Lords in 1983, the game has grown by leaps and bounds in the sub continent. The impact is so great that the Indian Cricket Board has become one of the richest sporting bodies in the world. Despite hockey being the national game, Indians have become crazy about cricket and India is now known to attract the biggest legends of the game to play and coach on Indian soil. The Indian petrochemical industry also boasts of the third largest oil refinery in the world and India contributes a major chunk of the domestic requirement of oil and other fossil fuels from its own resources. The Indian auto industry is showing impact on the world map and many Indo-Japanese, Indo-Korean and other collaborative enterprises are churning out fuel efficient cars for the world. Indian pharmaceutical giants have acquired or are in the process of acquiring some the biggest names in the industry. India is also self sufficient in other industries like sugar, textiles, steel, electronics, electrical and is the largest producer of Mica in the world. In addition to the dramatic changes in economy, city landscapes and cultural politics have also witnessed a shift. Retail outlets have replaced local brand names with multinational merchandise; across cities, billboards have started advertising international brands, while billboards and store shutters are painted over with Coca-Cola and Pepsi logos, marking the urban landscape with perceptible signs of an opening economy. One of the most dramatic changes witnessed in cultural politics is the privatization of television. From three state-run channels available in metropolitan areas in the early Eighties, now approximately eighty international and domestic satellite and cable channels, such as CNN, BBC, Zee, FTV and Star TV are making their presence felt. The increase in channels has led to a burgeoning of the television software industry to fill the available airtime and presented an alternative to the imported English-language fare of soap operas and game shows. The shows and soap operas have been borrowed and indigenized to be suitable for viewing of the Indian audience. The programs are prepared in all the regional languages by the government as well private media tycoons and are broadcast through Indian satellites to the global audience. The modern Indian thus has become a global player armed with the English Language as his greatest weapon due to the heavy colonial influence on the sub continent. The indigenous mathematical genius combined with rigorous and elaborate education facilities in the sub continent churns out professionals in scores who achieve tremendous success in advanced countries as compared to the Chinese and the East Europeans who are handicapped in terms of language. The Indian psyche has incorporated all the goodness and enriched cultural values of its rich historical past and emerged as a modern and confident world citizen. The Indian multi cuisine, the colour of different regions, races, apparel have merged into a single entity where the people from different races look with less suspicion at their compatriots and gather together under one national colour. Thus we see that a number of factors have influenced the formation of the Indian identity with respect to its wide and varied landscape References: Archer John, Landscape and Identity: Baby Talk at the Leasowes, 1760, Cultural Critique, No. 51. (Spring, 2002), pp. 143-185. Arreola D., Urban Ethnic Landscape Identity, Geographical Review, Vol. 85, No. 4, Thematic Issue: American Urban Geography. (Oct., 1995), pp. 518-534. Barnett, Lionel D., Hindu Gods And Heroes Studies in the History of the Religion of India Author: Lionel D. Barnett Release Date: October 4, 2007 [EBook #22885], Project Gutenberg Bayly C.A., Ireland, India and the Empire: 1780-1914, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, 6th Ser., Vol. 10. (2000), pp. 377-397. 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(Summer, 1992), pp. 207-229 Mitchell D., (2000) Cultural Geography. A Critical Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell. Muller Max F., India: What can it teach us? A Course of Lectures Delivered before the University Of Cambridge, Commentator: Alexander Wilder Release Date: March 18, 2007 [EBook #20847], Project Gutenberg Naidoo Roshi, MLA London 2006, Geography and Citizenship Key Stages 3-4, Exploring Archives, The Royal Geographical Society Oza Rupal, Showcasing India: Gender, Geography, and Globalization, Signs, Vol. 26, No. 4, Globalization and Gender. (Summer, 2001), pp. 1067-1095. Pritchard A., Morgan N., Mythic Geographies of Representation and Identity: Contemporary Postcards of Wales, The Welsh Centre for Tourism Research, University of Wales Institute, Cardiff Singh B.P., North-East India: Demography, Culture and Identity Crisis, Modern Asian Studies, Vol. 21, No. 2. (1987), pp. 257-282. Tucker Booth, Commissioner, Darkest India A Supplement to General Booths "In Darkest England, and the Way Out", Release Date: March 6, 2004 [EBook #11468], Project Gutenberg Read More