Your Ultimate UPSC Study Material To Crack IAS Exam
Comprehensive content tailored For Success
Diversity & its Types in India - Polity NCERT Notes for UPSC
Jan 20, 2023
People are different from each other in terms of their appearance, regional, cultural and religious terms. The differences include different languages, different rituals etc. This diversity enriches the lives of people of India.
This blogpost will help you understand What is Diversity and its types in India. Read further to give an extra edge to your UPSC preparation.
Difference between Diversity and Inequality
Diversity
Inequality
It means people belonging to different classes, regions, religions etc.
It arises when a person doesn’t have the resources and opportunities that are available to other persons.
Example- India is a diverse country where people from different religions lives peacefully.
Example- Division of society on basis of caste system. E.g.A potter son is forced to remain a potter.
Diversity in India
India is a country of much diversity due to presence of different languages, various types of food, different festivals, different religions etc.
Often, people went in search of new lands, or new places to settle in, or for people to trade with. So their languages, food, music, religions became a mix of the old and the new, and out of this intermixing of cultures, came something new and different.
Thus regions became very diverse because of their unique histories.
Similarly diversity also comes about when people adapt their lives to the geographical area in which they live. For example living near the sea is quite different from living in a mountainous area etc.
Historical and Geographical factors influencing the diversity of a Region
Case study
Ladakh
Geography
Ladakh is a desert in the mountains in the east of Jammu and Kashmir. The agriculture is very little as this region does not receive any rain and is covered in snow for a large part of the year.
People here keep sheep and goats. The goats in this region are special because they produce pashmina wool.
The people in Ladakh carefully collect the wool of the goats and sell this to traders from Kashmir. Pashmina shawls are chiefly woven in Kashmir.
It was considered a good trade route as it had many passes through which caravans travelled to Tibet. These caravans carried textiles and spices, raw silk and carpets.
Religion:
Buddhism reached Tibet via Ladakh. Ladakh is also known as “Little Tibet.”
Islam was introduced in this region more than four hundred years ago.
Ladakh has a very rich oral tradition of songs and poems. Local versions of the Tibetan national epic the Kesar Saga are performed and sung by both Muslims and Buddhists.
Geography: It is a state in the southwest corner of India. It is surrounded by the sea on one side and hills on the other.
Economy: A number of spices like pepper, cloves and cardamoms are grown on the hills. It is spices that made this region an attractive place for traders. Jewish and Arab traders were the first to come here.
Religion:
The Apostle of Christ, St. Thomas is believed to have come here nearly 2000 years ago and he is credited with bringing Christianity to India.
Ibn Battuta, who travelled here a little less than seven hundred years ago, wrote a travelogue in which he describes the lives of Muslims and says that they were a highly respected community.
The Portuguese discovered the sea route to India from Europe when Vasco da Gama landed with his ship here.
People in Kerala practice different religions such as Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism due to such historical influences.
Chinese influence: The fishing nets used here look exactly like the Chinese fishing nets and are called cheena-vala. Even the utensil used for frying is called the cheenachatti and it is believed that the word cheen could have come from China.
While Kerala and Ladakh are quite different in terms of their geographical features but the history of both regions has seen similar cultural influences. Both regions were influenced by Chinese and Arab traders. Thus, history and geography are often tied in the cultural life of a region.
Participation of women and men from different cultural, religious and regional backgrounds during India’s freedom movement.
Songs and symbols that emerged during the freedom struggle serve as a constant reminder of our country's rich tradition of respect for diversity.
Use of the Indian flagas a symbol of protest against the British by people everywhere.
Jawaharlal Nehru in his book the Discovery of India said that Indian unity is not something imposed from the outside but rather, "it was something deeper and within its fold, the widest tolerance of belief and custom was practised and every variety acknowledged and even encouraged."
You can also join our Telegram channel for UPSC coaching and to stay updated with the latest information about the UPSC exam.
PrepLadder IAS
Get quick access to the latest happenings across the globe. Articles revolving around factual data that aims to boost your UPSC CSE preparation and make your dreams become a reality!