Indian History ā Unity in Diversity
It is generally said that history has two eyes ā one is chronology and the other is geography. In particular, a countryās geography largely determines its historical events. The history of India is also influenced by its geography. Hence, the study of Indian geographical features contributes to the better understanding of its history.
The Indian subcontinent is a well-defined geographical unit. It may be divided into three major regions:
1.The Himalayan Mountains,
2.The Indo-Gangetic Plains
3.The Southern Peninsula.
There are five countries in the subcontinent ā India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. India is the largest among them and it comprises twenty-nine states and seven Union Territories. According to the 2001 Census, the population of India is over one hundred crores.
2. The Indo-Gangetic Plains
The Indo-Gangetic plain is irrigated by three important rivers,Ā the Ganges, Indus and Brahmaputra. This vast plain is most fertileĀ and productive because of the alluvial soil brought by the streamsĀ of the rivers and its tributaries.Ā The Indus river rises beyond the Himalayas and its majorĀ tributaries are the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Beas. The PunjabĀ plains are benefited by the Indus river system. The literal meaning ofĀ the term āPunjabā is the land of five rivers. Sind is situated at the lowerĀ valley of the Indus. The Indus plain is known for its fertile soil.Ā The Thar Desert and Aravalli hills are situated in between theĀ Indus and Gangetic plains. Mount Abu is the highest point (5650 ft.) inĀ the Aravalli hills. The Ganges river rises in the Himalayas, flows southĀ and then towards the east. The riverĀ Yamuna flows almost parallel to theĀ Ganges and then joins it. The areaĀ between these two rivers is called doabĀ ā meaning the land between two rivers.Ā The important tributaries of the GangesĀ are the Gomati, Sarayu, Ghagra andĀ Thar Desert Gandak.