Dynamics of a sub-continental region | A1 Sample answer
Examine the impact of language and religion on any
continental/sub-continental region you have studied. (2012
Q6C)
A sub-continental region I have studied is India. India experiences a rich and vastly varied culture that is
important to both its vision for the outside world and its people.
Language is a vastly varied cultural aspect in India. There is no single common language. Instead, over 1600
languages are spoken. Only 18 are recognised as official state languages by the government however. 250
million Indians speak Hindi which is the most commonly spoken language in India. Dravidian languages are
spoken by 200 million but are mostly located in the south. As India was previously a British colony, 2% of
the population speak English as a first language. However these people are usually business owners or
politicians as English is considered to be a language only spoken by the wealthy. Because of the sheer
amount of languages spoken, India has 30,000 newspapers. While language is very important in India, it can
also cause tension and problems. Development in India is stunted because the government has difficulty
communicating with all of the population.
Religion also plays a major part in people’s national identity. The main religion of the country is Hinduism
but the states of Jammu and Kashmir have a majority of 65% Muslim. Sikhism, Buddhism and Christianity
are also recognised religions in India. The Hindu religion introduced a caste system into Indian society
consisting of four tiers: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras. It is divided according to occupation,
religion and social standing; in other words, it’s a form of apartheid. There is a fifth group called the Dalits
or ‘untouchables’ that are thought to pollute the caste system. These are homeless labourers or craftsmen
and make up 15% of the population. The system is in decline but it still means the top tiers control most of
the wealth in the country. Islam’s rejection of this system is what attracted many Indians to it. In 1947, the
Indian region was divided to create the Muslim state of Pakistan to the north west of India. When this
happened, 12 million people shifted to the area of their faith; this was the largest migration of people in the
1
Dynamics of a sub-continental region | Sample answer
history of the world. Tensions are still high between the states over Kashmir which is Muslim but owned by
India. Pakistan believes it should have control over the region but India refuses to relinquish power there.
2
Dynamics of a sub-continental region | Sample answer