CHAPTER: 2

PHYSICAL FEATURES OF INDIA AND THEIR IMPACT ON INDIAN HISTORY

2. EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL FEATURES OF INDIA ON ITS HISTORY

GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA:
ACCORDING TO THE PURANS:
THE HIMALIYAS STANDS IN THE NORTH OF INDAIN AND ON THE SOUTH EAST
AND WEST SHE IS SURROUNDED BY THE SEAS

THE VISHNU PURAN STATES:

THE PIECE OF LAND WHICH IS IN THE NORTHEN SEA AND IN THE
SOUTH OF THE HIMALIYAS IS CALLED BHARAT AND ITS
INHABBITANTS IS CALLED DECEDENTS OF BHARAT
In the ancient Indian literature India has been depicted as a part of jambu
continente {Asia} . Historically India included the modern India, Pakistan;
Bangladesh. Its area was 18 lakh square miles. Its area is equal vent to the area
of Europe minus Russia. Its geographical position is like that of a subcontinent
as the Himalayas and its eastern and western ranges in the north, the Bay of
Bengal in east, the Arabian sea to the west, and indian ocean in the south.
GEOGRAPHICALY INDIA WAS DIVIDED INTO FOUR PARTS …
THE HIMALIYAS AND ITS EASTERN AND WESTERN RANGES:
 The Himalayas in the eastern and western ranges have extended in the
north-eastern and north-western sectors.
 Its average length is 1500 miles and width is 150-200 miles.
 There are some less higher passes in the north-western sector and it it’s
easy to pass through them .
 Thus there was no foreign inversion from north western sector
 The Himalayas was the main source of rain in India and its rivers have
bought fertility and prosperity to the northern plains.
The Indo gangetic Northern plain
  The Indo gangetic system of water has contributed a lot in the formation
of the Northern plain.
 This plane extends from Brahmaputra valley in the east to the river
Indus in the west and the Himalaya in the north to the Vidyas in the
south.
 As the plane is very fertile people are very rich and prosperous.
 The great Royal dynasties of India Established their mighty Empire here.
 The prosperity of this plane attracted foreign invaders.
 Several famous cities of India come up here Uttarakhand Uttar pradesh
Bihar Lucknow Patna Dehradun Haridwar Etc.

The Deccan plateau:

 The area to the south of the vindhyas and in the eastern and western
coastal ghat is called Deccan plateau.
 The land is rocky ,uneven, barren, and its river is seasonal.
 This river are not fit for navigation agriculture and mean of
transportation etc’

Eastern and western coastal plain

 This plane extends along the eastern and western Ghat of the sea coast.
 Eastern coastal plain is broader than Western Coastal plain Because
almost all the river of South India flow towards this plain after forming
deltas fall into the Bay of Bengal .
 Its Northern part is called CRANTIC  and the southern part is called
Coromondel.
 The Western Coastal plain extends along the Arabian Sea from the Gulf
of Cambay to the Cape comorin.
 Northern part is called konken and the southern part is called Malabar.
 Western Coastal Plains experience heavy rainfall in summer.

Economic effect:
The whole economics setup of India is the contribution of its geographical
condition. Vast fertile plain of north and Minerals wealth of  south has made
India  prosperous field .it was called a golden Sparrow .
Having been surrounded by sea on three sides Trade was carried on with
Arabian and South Eastern country since Asian time
India trade was carried on through passes on the north-west with Afghanistan
Iran other Central Asian countries
Economic prosperity of India: 
 The indo-gangetic plain is ranked among the most fertile Plains of the
world
 This plain  has been made  Rich by the several layers of Alluvial soil
made by the Ganga Indus and their tributaries from the Himalaya 
 Agriculture, fishing, transportation, adventure sports, tourism is main
source of income from this river or plains
 Minerals such as iron ore, gold, silver, copper, mica are found in plenty in
different parts of India They to add the to the economic prosperity of
India

Growth of important towns:

Water was the basic need of man in the Ancient time that is why the bank of
river was richly populated or highly populated

 As a result famous cities like Lahore, Mathura, Delhi, Allahabad, Banaras,
Patliputra, Kolkata, Calcutta are developed on bank of this rivers and become
the centre of trade and Commerce.

Main occupation- Agriculture and Cattle rearing:

The large part of Indian land are cultivable & fertile specially the Indo gangetic
plain a large number of people live in villages and their main occupation is
farming and cattle rearing .trade and other occupation too were the mean of
their  livelihood.

Overseas trade and Commerce:

 Indian carried on their trade with Arabian countries west Asian countries
and East Asian countries through land and sea
 The Indus valley people had trade contact with Samaria, Mesopotamia
Egypt,& Central Asia.
 Indians exported cotton textile, Pearl, jewellery, Indigo, groundnut, sugar
tea and coconut 
 Indians imported gold, silver, copper, Silk, horse etc
 Sopara, Baraoch & Kutch was famous sea ports

Social effect:
 Spirit of tolerance among the Indians:
 
 Tolerance and generosity has been the chief trait of Indians.
 There is the diversity in climate, languages, religions, economic
conditions, modes of Living, and kind of  soil. Despite
these diversities Indians have lived together since centuries. They
consider this world as one family and believe in the welfare of all.
 Indian are famous  for   there hospitality.

The martial races of indians:

 The Sikh the Rajput are considered as the martial races of India.
This happen due to typical geographical condition

 The Punjab being a Frontier state, the sikh had to face the
onslaught of foreign invention for centuries . The long drawn
struggle made them brave and courageous.

 The native places of Rajputs were such where they had to toil to
earn their livelihood. These conditions made them hard working,
strong and courageous.

People of Uttar Pradesh become peace loving  wise

and cultured:
 The the inhabitants of  Gangetic  Valley did not have to work hard
to  earn  their live hood.  The Gangetic plane was very fertile  so
little labor would yield good results .They became lazy and idle .As
compared to Punjab a few battles were fought in the Gangatic
valley. They become peace  loving and non-violent .

 Economic prosperity and peaceful atmosphere provided them

opportunities to attain education composed literature and cultivate
several arts as a result the inhabitants of this region are more
educated cultured and intelligent than the people living in other
parts of India

Cultural effect:

 Philosophy:
  The natural beauty of the country such as beautiful streams  ,
mountain, Green Valley provided the scholar congenial 
atmosphere for meditation and thinking
 As a result of continuous meditation and hard penance  a high
class of Indian philosophy come into existence

 Spread of education:
  The Indo  Ganganetic  plane was very fertile and   prosperous .people
of this region had to put in little labor to earn their livelihood they had a
lot of time to develop their intellect . So education spread rapidly.
University at Taxila, Nalanda ,Ujjain and Gaya was setup and students
from India and abroad used to come to this  University to attain
knowledge

Growth of Vedic religion and culture:

Vedic religion and culture is the basis of Indian geographical features are
behind the origin  and growth of this culture. Having been influenced by
the beautiful natural objects the Vedic Aryan started worshipping 
several God and goddess such as Indira,Varun,vayu  Agni Surya
Chandra and  they become  pantheist and begin to visualize the images
of one God in all different objects of nature

Example:The earth and cow were  given the status of mother

Development of fine art:

 The geographical features bought ecnomic prosperity in the
country. Especially in the Indo gangetic plain they had a lot of  
free time. Naturally   in their free time  they started  taking interest
in  fine art the availability of marble stone and big rock in different
parts of India made it possible in the construction of beautiful
places ,Temples, building,  Masjid, Gurudwara ,pillar &
monuments. The caves of Ajanta and Ellora  what built and
colorful pictures were painted on their walls.
 Some historical building  and monument:
 Taj Mahal of Agra, Golden Temple of Amritshar, temples of
Khajuraho, Ashok Pillar New Delhi Fort  ,Hawa Mahal  of gujrat

Religious  effect:
Growth of Hinduism:

 The Vedic Aryan were  very much impressed by the beautiful

object of nature and they started  worshiping  then in the form of
various Gods and goddesses such as Indra ,Surya, Varun,
Chandra,Agni, Vayu . they begin to see the image of God in the 
object of nature. In this way the concept of  god came into
being 
 By  practicing meditation and hard yoga  in the lap of nature in
the forest they produce as: Vedas, the Puranas, the Ramayana,
and the Mahabharata

Birth of Buddhism and Jainism:

 An atmosphere of peace, tranquility and prosperity prevailed on the

Himalaya terrain located  toward  East Delhi .these  therapy for
peaceful and non violent as compared to Punjab, field and western
part of Uttar Pradesh people had become fed up from  orthodox 
Brahmanism and the malpractice of Hinduism under these
circumstances were born Jainism and Buddhism.

 Dominance of Islam in North India:

 Islam  was more deep-rooted and dominant in North India then  the
south.  again the geographical features were responsible for the Rapid
spread of Islam in Northern India.
 The Muslim invaded India from north-  West Frontier and established
their hold over North India. 
 The lack of mean of transportation , the  Barren  land of Deccan
Plateau  restricted the spread of Islam in  South India.
Akbar, Aurangzeb, Shahjahan, Alauddin Khilji southern but they
could not establish their hold over the Deccan.

Preservation of Hinduism in the Deccan Plateau:

 The North Indian was the main victim of foreign invaders. The Arab,
the truqs, the Mughal and the Afghan tried To impose Islam forcibly 
upon the  North Indian feeling  there atrocities a large number of
North Indian migrated to south. they considered the territories beyond
the Vidhyas A  safer place  for them. Thus Hinduism and the ancient
Indian culture   remained safe and interact in the south.

3.The Himalayas and  there effect on history:

The Himalayas and it eastern and western  ranges stretch  from Assam
in the East to the Afghanistan the west.
It average length is 1500 Miles and width is 150 to 200 miles.
The pass is in the Northern range  are at   an altitude of 1600 foot  To  to
17000 foot.  The remain covered with snow almost throughout the year.
It is difficult to   cross  these  passes. The passes in in western regions 
not as high as the northern Himalayas. It is very easy to cross them. The
Himalaya is the highest in the world some of it highest peak  are- are the
Mount Everest Naga Parvat and the  Nanda Devi.

Effect:
 The great  Himalayas act as a sentry  in the north of India it
provide natural protection to India.
 It protects India from the chilly wind coming from the plains of
Siberia
 It is the main cause of monsoon rain during  summer
 Several  river, the Satluj, the Ravi, the beas, the jhelum, the Ganga
and Jamuna originate from the Himalayas
 The Ganga Yamuna  are the main source of income for the people
who live in the banks of the river such as agriculture,  fishing,
adventure sports,  tourism  etc.
 The forest wealth and the herb found in Himalaya brought
prosperity to India and gave  birth to the Ayurvedic system of
medicine
 The Himalayas provide  us with several  beautiful tourist   spots
and resort: such as Srinagar Manali Shimla Nanital Dalhousie
Dehradun Mansuri  etc
  The Hindu  pilgrim  place are located in the Himalaya these places
are: Kedarnath Badrinath Devprayag Rudraprayag Mansarovar
Jwala Ji  extra
 The Himalayan ranges India from the rest of Asia that's  why a
particular type of Civilization and culture  developed here.

4.The Indo gangetic plain and its  effects:

The Galactic plane owes  its origin to the Ganga and the Indus river and
their tributaries.The plain is very fertile. The plains extend from
Himalayas in the north to the vindhyas in the south and from Assam in
the east to the Indus valley in the west.

Being very fertile inhabitant of these plain do not have to put in much
labor to earn their livelihood. People were peace loving and non violent.
They have plenty of free time for education, literature and other arts.

Effects:
 Its fertility is the main cause of Indian prosperity.
 The  inhabitant of this region had a lot of period time which they
used for  education literature,  philosophy , and other arts
 The economic prosperity  caused  the origin of and growth of
several cities on the bank of the rivers
Example: Lahore, Punjab, The Killer, Mathura Agra etc
 The bumper agriculture yield result into economic prosperity which
ultimately gave impetus to trade and Commerce
 World famous educational Universities or centres such as:
Takshila Nalanda Ujjain etc were found in this  Valleys.
 This region   has  been the battlefield of  many decisive Battles.
Such as: Battle of Panipat, Battle of chamkaur sahib  etc
 The  Indo  gangetic  have been the birthplace of Hinduism, 
Buddhism, Jainism etc
 The Indus Valley Civilization and the Aryan civilization flourished 
here 
 As Punjab was the gateway to Delhi, so many battles were   fought
here . So Punjabi become very Brave, blood and courageous . Is
also known as the Sword of India.
 The western part of Indo gangetic plain is desert. It was of little
economic importance. It was difficult to send food, drinks and  food
there. It was very difficult for the forging invaders to invade.