Eastern Cultural Diversity
We, as people living in a free, democratic country, are well aware of the fact that a huge part of our lifestyle has been influenced by the western trend that includes powerful countries like USA, UK, Canada, etc. But what we have been constantly failing to notice, is that the eastern countries— among whom India plays a vital role—have been influencing the world since a long period with their exquisite and rich culture.
The eastern part of the world i.e. The Eastern world consists of the Asian continent, the Indian Subcontinent and Europe. These countries, although seldom acknowledged, have been one of the greatest contributors to the world's overall development, be it any field whatsoever. From the onset of the first bullet train in Japan, to the introduction of tea from China, our lives have been prominently affected.
Even then, these are minute contributions in the vast range of the progress that the Eastern Countries have led the world to.
One of the major and very acknowledged factors that depict the culture of the Eastern World is the scheme of religion and philosophy. It is universally established that the East was the place of origin of all the major religions. Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, etc. were all born here. Popular philosophies like that of Yoga, Nyaya, and terms like Aatma, Ashrama, etc were all introduced here.
In addition to this, it was the East itself that put forth the philosophy that humans are teachable and improvable through serif cultivation.
In the world of medicine too, the Eastern countries have gained a lot of acknowledgement. Although it was Hippocrates who first introduced medicine, the eastern apothecaries did not fall to make other productive alterations to it. Ayurveda is one of the largest forms of medicinal treatment. The Chinese and Tibetan medicine have been curing diseases for centuries and still continue to do so.
Each of the structures of art and architecture in the East world describe a story, provide an elaborate meaning. Though these stories of brave kings and gory battles were portrayed through the structures, the beauty and intricacy of the sculptures were never affected. This beautiful form of art can be seen in the world's seventh greatest monument i.e. Taj Mahal.
The East also is diverse when it comes to cultures and languages. A variety of cultures and attire can also be seen vastly. In the Middle East, the women are mostly stressed in Abayas and Hijabs, people in China are traditionally dressed in kimonos whereas Indians show a great incline towards traditional sarees, dhoti kurtas, etc.
The languages spoken in the East are far more diverse than those in the West. The Indian subcontinent itself has as many as 350 major languages excluding the minor ones that exceed the count of a 1000 languages! Though diverse in people and languages, race and sect, communication has never been a great barrier for the people here.
The major contribution that most miss out is how the East affects the Economy. In comparison to the West, the Eastern hemisphere is the largest populated area with China and India, both consequently, the highest and the second highest in human count.
The East is filled with people—meaning, it is high in economy. After WWII, it was Japan that first rose back to its feet, building up its Economy once again. It is now considered as the world's third largest economy, succeeding China, which lies at the second place after the USA. The Eastern countries have also been one of the leading ones in the field of technology and are still manufacturing products that can change the whole world.
Now as we reach towards the end of this blog, it is greatly expected that the readers now have a better image of the Eastern world, the part where we ourselves reside.
Thank you for your time.
-Meherunnisa Khateeb, FYBA
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