The Geographical Condition of India

   History is an interesting description of the development of the civilization and culture of man. The History of any country is an account of the development and change of the political, social, religious and economic life of the people of that country. The geographical conditions have a great influence on the history and life of the people of every country. Geography and History are complimentary to each other like the Sun and the Moon. The environment of any country has a deep influence on the physical appearance, physical and mental growth and the work of the people of a country. Their life style, customs and traditions, clothing, food, industry, jobs, social and political institutions, all depend upon the geographical conditions of a country. The impact of Geography has been evident on the development of man and his civilization and culture since ancient times. The living, clothing and life of the people of the Tundra region have been molded according to the prevailing environment. The struggle with the icy environment has transformed their life accordingly. The food habits, customs, social and religious institutions of the deserts of Arab have been formed according to the hot environment, infertility of the land, scarcity of water, etc. the physical conditions have greatly influenced History. It was due to the geographical conditions that England could be saved from the European invasions. Due to the English Channel, the powerful European countries could not attack England. Heavy rains made India as a primarily agricultural based country. The passes in the North West opened the way for the foreigners to attack India. The geographical conditions made the Rajputs and the Marathas so strong that they were able to defeat the huge armies of the Delhi Sultanate even when they lacked well organized armies. The geographical conditions came to their aid.

The Geographical Condition of India

  The geographical conditions of India have had a very great influence on its History. For example, heavy rains and fertile land have made India a primarily agriculture based country. While the Himalayas have protected India from foreign invasions and cold winds in the North, the Khyber, Bolan and other passes in the North West have made the path easy for foreign invasions in India. The fertile land, hot-cold climate, abundance of rivers and natural resources have contributed a lot in the development of civilizations and building of empires in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the Northern India. The deserts of Rajasthan have affected the customs, life style and the political history to a great extent. Since the geographical influence has been so great, the physical divisions and their influence is being explained in the following pages.

India

  India is a huge part of Asia. which is totally different from the other parts of Asia. It was divided into two parts - India and Pakistan in 1947. The country was divided into two parts – India and Pakistan. The southern part of India is in the Equatorial Zone and the Northern part is in the Temperate Zone. That is why the climate of South India is hot and that of North India is cold and hot. The area of Indian land is 32, 80, 484 sq km. India is equal to Europe in area excluding Russia. It is 2, 935 kms from East to West and 3, 215 kms from North to South.

Population of India

  According to Moreland, till the death of Akbar in 1608, the population of India was around ten crores. During the freedom fight in 1857, it had grown to fifteen crores. According to the census of free India in 1951, the population of India was 16 crores. After a decade in 1961, it was 13, 92, 35, 08 as per the census. Presently in 2000, it has risen to one billion. The areas of the Central states Goa, Daman, Diu and NEFA (North East Frontier Agency) are also included in this.
   From the point of view of security, there are the Himalayas and its ranges in the North, the mountain ranges of Kirthar, Sulaiman and Safed Koh, the Indus River and Pakistan in the North West. The Indian Ocean spans South India on three sides. Its Eastern Part is called the Bay of Bengal and the Western part is called the Arabian Sea. In the East are the Brahmaputra River and the mountain ranges of Naga, Jaintia and Arakan Yoma. There was East Pakistan in this region which is now independent state and is called Bangla Desh. There is a mention in the Vishnupurana for India, which goes as under:

उत्तरै यत्र समुद्रस्य हिमद्रेश्चैव दक्षिणम् ।
वर्षतद् भारतनाम, भारती यत्र सन्तति ॥
Or
उत्तरं यत् समुद्रस्य, हिमद्रेश्चैव दक्षिणम् ।
वर्षं तद् भारतं नाम भारती यत्र सन्ततिः ॥

THE PHYSICAL DIVISIONS OF INDIA

From the geographical perspective, India is divided into the following six parts. Each of these six parts has its own unique shape and significance.

1. The Himalayas and the foothill region.
2. The Gangetic Plains and the Plains of North India.
3. The Desert of Rajasthan
4. The Plateau Region of Vindhya and Satpuda
5. The Deccan Plateau
6. The Coastal Plains or the Eastern and Western Ghats.

The Himalayas and the Foothills Region

  The Himalayan Mountains spread across the North of India from the East to the West like a huge fort. This Himalayan range bends forward like an arch towards the South East and spreads right up to the Northern border of Assam.
   The foothills of the Mid Himalayas are called the Tarai Region (Marshy Lowland). This region, which is full of dense forests and wild animals, has many ruins of the Buddhist period buried in its foothills. The jungles and tall grasslands of the Tarai Region are infested with Malaria parasites and poisonous snakes. The Himalayas are about 2250 kilometers in length and 300 kilometers in width. This mountain rises from the plains like a staircase. It has three long mountain ranges which spread across almost 300 kilometers one behind the other. There are about 114 peaks. The highest peak is Mount Everest which is 8882 meters high. The significance of the Himalayas is as follows:

(1) Separating India

  The Himalayas separate India from the rest of the Asia. Its ranges and peaks in the North are impregnable. There is an absolute lack of any means of commuting in these ranges. Due to this separation, the Indian civilization and culture continued to develop on its own.

(2) Protection and security of India

  The northern ranges of the Himalayas have always acted as an impregnable and unbreakable wall. Due to the great heights and snow on these ranges, no enemy has ever been able to cross them and attack India. The foreigners could never enter India from the North. The Northern borders are protected by these ranges even till today. But China is constantly trying to enter into India by using modern technology and adopting various attacking policies, but India has been trying to stop them by its army in the mountain region.

(3) India as a primarily agriculture based country

  India has become a primarily agriculture based country because of the Himalayas. The high mountain ranges and peaks of the Himalayas prevent the monsoon winds which rise from the Indian Ocean to go on the other side of the Himalayas. This causes abundant rains in India. Similarly, these high mountain ranges prevent the chilly winds, which have made Tibet a barren land, from entering India. Apart from this, many great rivers and their tributaries like Ganga, Yamuna, Indus, Brahmaputra, Jhelum, etc. originate from the Himalayas as a result of the melting of snow and heavy rains on the slopes. These rivers not only provide water for irrigation, but they also bring along with them fine fertile soil which they leave on the land during floods. This makes the land fertile. India has become a primarily agriculture based country because of heavy rains, complete means of irrigation and fertile soil.

(4) The mountain tribes and country’s security

  Many mountain tribes like the Gurkhas, Garhwalis, Bhutanis, etc. have inhabited the valleys of Himalayas since ancient times. The natural conditions and mountain life has made these people strong, brave and fighters. They have become brave soldiers and fighters and have been fighting against foreigners for the country’s security. They also defeated the English.

(5) The mountain passes of the North West

  gateways for foreign invasions and spreading of Indian culture: To the North West of India, there are the Hindukush, Suleman, Kirthar, and other ranges which are comparatively lower and have many passes in them, like Khaiber. Bolan, Mekaran, Tochi, Gomal, etc. The Khaiber Pass connects the valley of Peshawar and the valley of Kabul. Similarly, the Bolan Pass connects Kandhar to the Indus Valley. Today, all these passes are in Pakistan. These passes were called as “Gateways of India”, because all the invasions which took place from the West were because of these passes. The armies of the foreign invaders entered India through these passes and gradually spread all over North India. The foreign powers which controlled these passes were able to establish their rule very easily in Punjab and Sindh. In the ancient times, the groups of these foreign invaders not only entered India, but also detached themselves from their original country and merged with the people of this country. If those passes or gateways were an easy path for continuous attacks from the foreigners, they were also easy sources for foreign trade and cultural relations. It was through these passes that the ancient civilization and culture of India continued to spread to Arab, Iran, Greece, Central Asia and the other Western countries.

(6) Helpful in maintaining health and economic prosperity

  There are wonderful and beautiful natural sceneries and attractive cities in the foothills of Himalayas. They have been more famous for their healthy climate. There are vast forests with huge dense trees in this Tarai region. The various herbs, wood, forest resources and wild animals are of great significance to the country. They increase the health, trade, and prosperity of the country.

(7) Philosophical and Spiritual progress

  Many sages, mahatmas, yogis and mendicants have lived in solitude in the valleys and caves of the Himalayas. They have done very deep introspection on the topics like creation, nature, God, soul, etc. This gave rise to many new spiritual and philosophical traditions and schools of thought.
In this way, Himalayas have had a great influence on the History of India.

The Great Plains of Ganga or the Plains of North India

  To the South of Himalayas lies a vast fertile plain spreading from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal. This is in between the Himalayas and the Vindhyachal mountains. This plain is about 3219 kilometers long and about 341 to 644 kilometer in width. The Western part of this plain is called as the Western Punjab and Sindh and is under the control of Pakistan today. To the East of this plain, Ganga, Brahmaputra and their tributaries flow and to the West, the Indus with its tributaries like Jhelum, Vyas etc flow. This plain has also influenced the Indian History in the following ways –

(1) Fertility of the land

   The great rivers and their tributaries which flow through these plains, bring along with them the soil from the mountain ranges, peaks and valleys, and spread them in these plains. As a result, these plains became even more fertile. Due to the presence of many rivers, many dams were built, many lakes were constructed and canals were dug. These means of irrigations increased the fertility of the land even more.

(2) Easy and abundant means of transportation

   the land was even, there was an abundance of roads and other means of easy transportation. The rivers and their canals also helped in transportation. As a result, trade and industry increased and it had a great impact on the economic life.

(3) Agriculture and Animal Husbandry as the main occupation

   The fertility of land, abundance of grazing area, abundance of means of irrigation and transportation and the evenness of the land made this plain as a primarily agriculture based land. The main occupation of the people of this region was agriculture and animal husbandry. The culture of North India as a seal of agriculture and animal husbandry on it.

(4) Centers of Ancient Civilizations and Culture

   From ancient times, the Indian civilization and culture emerged on the banks of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Indus and other rivers. The Indus Civilization and the Aryan Civilization originated in these plains. Even in the medieval ages, the cities of these plains remained as centers of culture, art, literature and philosophy.

(5) Easy livelihood and philosophical and spiritual progress

   Because of the fertile land and the temperate climate of these plains, the people of these plains had to neither work very hard for livelihood, nor spend much money. As a result, these people got enough free time to think deeply, study and reflect on many deeper aspects of human life. They spread their philosophical and spiritual principles and they also progressed in the field of literature, art and religion.

(6) The rise and fall of states and empires

   Due to the fertility of land, temperate climate, easy livelihood, availability of facilities and abundance of food and prosperity, the rise and fall of the major states and empires of India also took place in this region. The Mauryan Empire, Gupta Empire, Delhi Sultanate, and the Mughal emperors are an example of this.

(7) Temptation to the foreign invaders

  The dense population, huge cities, prosperity, agriculture, progress of trade and industry and happy life of these plains as always tempted the foreign invaders to attack this region. The Aryans, Greeks, Yoochis, Huns, Shakas, Sethiyans, Aras, Turks, Pathans and other foreigners always had an eye on these plains. They attacked this place and established their rules. The power which established absolute control over this plain and the Doab (the region in between Ganga and Yamuna) was able to win over the other areas of India easily.

The Desert of Rajasthan

  Below the plains of the Ganga and Indus is the Desert of Rajasthan and Indus. This desert is in between the plains and the Vindhyachal Mountain. The Aravali Mountains which are in the desert of Rajasthan divide the desert into two parts. The part which is in the North West of this mountain is sandy and barren, but the part to the South East is fertile. This part of the land has a dense population and the state is a little prosperous. The desert of Rajasthan influenced the History of India in the following ways –

(1) Restrict the foreign invaders and the decisive battle

  The foreigners who approached from the passes of the North West could not move directly from the North to the South, because crossing the deserts of Rajasthan was a difficult task for a huge army. That is why the invaders had to move through narrow plains and pass Delhi. The Indians tried many times to restrict the movement of the foreigner invaders at these narrow plains. Many fierce battles took place. Kurukshetra, Thaneshwar, Karnal, Tarain, and Panipal are places near Delhi where these decisive battles took place.

(2) Places of refuge and independent states of the Rajputs

  the kings of the Ganga Indus plains took refuge in the desert regions of Rajasthan after being defeated by the foreign invaders and established their independent states. This region being a desert region, it could neither be defeated completely by the foreign invaders, nor could the central powers of Delhi keep it under its control permanently. As a result many independent states of the Rajputs were established and their existence continued for many centuries. They could never come under the control of the Muslim Sultans and emperors. Mewar is an example of such a state.

(3) Protection of the culture

  The sandy barren land protected the culture of the people of Rajasthan by restricting the invaders. As a result, the life style, customs and traditions, conversation, food habits, social institutions etc of this place are different from the other states of India.

(4) Abundance of forts and long term struggle

  The Rajputs easily made many impregnable strong forts in the Aravali Mountain ranges of this desert. These forts became their capitals and army centers. The Rajput kings became capable of defeating their enemies by staying safe in their mountain and desert forts. Chittor, Ranthambhore, Kumbhalner, Jodhpur, Bundi, etc. are examples of such forts.

(5) The bravery of the Rajputs, their generalship and religious wars

  The lack of means of livelihood and desert and hilly climate has made the people of Rajasthan very hard working, courageous and brave. Their life was spent in the war fields. The Rajputs have been famous in the Indian History for their glamour, promise, bravery, generalship and religious wars.

The Plateau Region of Vindhya and Satpuda

  To the South of the desert of Rajasthan lies the mountain region of the Vindhyachal and Satpura. The Vindhyachal Mountains begins in the East from the borders of Orissa and spreads right up to the Bay of Khambhat in the West. In this way it is spread from the East to the West. In the East, it is called as the Kaimur and the Rajmahal Hills. The Satpura Mountains are parallel to the Vindhyas. It is called as Mahadev and Maikal Mountains in the East. The Narmada River flows in between the Vindhyas and the Satpuda and the Tapti River flows to the South of Satpuda. Both these mountain ranges have formed a plateau in the central part of India. Malwa, Bundelkhand, Baghelkhand, Chhota Nagpur and Gondwana regions lie in this plateau. The Vindhyachal and Satpuda plateau region has influence Indian History in the following ways –

(1) Conservation of the tribal civilization and culture

  The impregnable parts of these mountain ranges, dense forests, valleys and certain areas of the plateau are the habitat of some of the tribes of India like the Bhils, Gonds, Santhals, etc. The dense forests and hilly area has conserved the ancient civilization and culture of these tribes because other tribes and invaders could not enter the innermost regions of the habitats of these tribes.

(2) Obstacle in the Southern states and difference in the civilization and culture of North and South India

  These mountain ranges, their dense forests and unapproachable plateau region became an obstacle for the invaders to move from North India to South India. A connection between the North and South India could not be established for a very long time. The Aryans and the other invaders who came after them could not spread very far into the South. As a result, the relations between North and South India could not be very deep and close. Even today, there is a vast difference between the civilization of North and South India. The Dravid and Sanskrit languages are prevalent in South India even today.

(3) Zero control of the emperors of North India over South

  These mountain ranges, their dense forests and unapproachable valleys and paths did not allow the great rulers of North India and the Central emperors to overpower the South completely and establish themselves. The rulers of North India had to face many difficulties to establish control over South India. Great warriors, adept generals and strong rulers like Harshvardhan, Alauddin, Akbar and Aurangzeb also were not able to establish their rule for a long time in the South.

(4) The significance of Malwa regarding battle

  Some ranges of the Vindhyachal have become lower than some parts of Madhya Pradesh. Over the time, roads were built in these regions to travel from North to South. Even today, the roads and rail routes to go from North to South are in this region only. In the ancient times, forts were built in these ways and they were called as dwars or gates, like Mandu and Dhar dwars, the Fort of Asirgarh, etc. All these forts and gates are in mostly in Malwa region. Therefore, many efforts were made to establish control over Malwa in order to rule over South from the Central power of Delhi. The Sultans of Delhi and the Mughal emperors adopted this policy. Apart from this, the land of Malwa is very fertile and the climate is temperate. The means of livelihood are also easy and simple. That is why the Central powers kept Malwa under their control and spread their army and political power in the South from here.

(5) The ancient culture of the Narmada region

  The regions on the banks of Narmada River have been kept safe by the unapproachable dense ranges of the Vindhyas in the North and Satpuda in the South. All the means of livelihood are available in the Narmada Valley. That is why, in the remote past, when civilizations started developing on the banks of rivers, a special civilization developed in the valleys of Narmada also. Many remains of the Paleolithic Age have been found in the hills near Hoshangabad on the banks of Narmada and of the Bronze Age and the ensuing periods have been found in Maheshwar.

The Deccan Plateau

  The Deccan Plateau is the oldest part of India. It is believed that once upon a time, it was attached to Africa in the West and to Australia in the East. The Northern part of this plateau, which is the present Ganga Indus plain, was submerged in water. Due to the physical changes, the region of North India came out of the water and the Deccan Plateau got detached from Africa and Australia. The Vindhyas and Satpuda mountain ranges lie to the North of this Deccan Plateau and the ranges of the Western Ghats are in the West. Cape of Comorin (Kanyakumari) lies in the South and the Eastern Ghats are in the East. The highest parts of this plateau are the Nilgiri and Annamalai mountains. The Sahyadri mountain ranges lie to the North West of the plateau. This region is called as Maharashtra.
   The influence of the Deccan plateau is as follows –

(1) Ancient civilization and culture

  Since North India is separated from the South, the Deccan Plateau and the remote South have had their own unique History and culture. Many original parts of the oldest civilizations are present here even today. The followers of Islam in the could reach here completely medieval ages, so many examples of the art which escaped the destructive policies of the Muslim rulers can still be found here.

(2) The strength of the people of Maharashtra

  The infertility of the soil of Maharashtra has influenced the character and behavior of the people of Maharashtra. Since the means of livelihood were limited, the people had to do a lot of hard work. This made them strong, hard working and enthusiastic. As a result, they gave a major contribution to the building of the Maratha Empire.

(3) Struggle, battle, freedom and the feeling of sacrifice

  Maharashtra is an uneven state where many strong forts have been built in the mountains for the sake of security. The mountain environment has made these people courageous, hard working, brave and fond of battles and struggles. They adopted the Gorilla method of war due to the area being mountainous and the presence of strong forts. Because of this, they could easily defeat the ambitious rulers of North India. The battle fought by the Marathas for their independence will always be remembered in History.

The Coastal Plains

  To the West of the Deccan Plateau are the Western Ghats and to the East are the Eastern Ghats. These ghats are mountain ranges. There are narrow coastal plains between the Western Ghats and the ocean. Similarly, there is a plain between the Eastern Ghats and the ocean. But the Western plains are less in width as compared to the Eastern plains. The average width of the Western plains is sixty kilometers but the Eastern plains are broader. In certain places, they are about three hundred kilometers in width. The Western plains receive good rainfall. Therefore, the harvest is goods and the population is also dense. There are only three or four passes in the mountains to enter into the country from these plains. As a result, the life of the people of the coastal region has been different from the people of the interior of the country. The Upper part of the coastal plains is called Konkan and the lower part is called Malabar. The people of these places rarely come into contact with the people of rest of the country. The coast does not have many creeks, but still there have been a few small harbors since ancient times.
  The Eastern coastal plains spread from the mouth of the delta of Ganga till the cape of Kanyakumari. The Southern part of these coastal plains, which is called Karnataka, is the widest. The river deltas in this region are the most fertile, especially the banks of Mahanadi, Godavari and Kaveri. But the coast has been filled by the silt brought by these rivers. As a result, the big ships cannot be brought into the coast. There are no creeks in this part of the coast. That is why there is a lack of natural harbors in this region. The influence of the coastal region is as follows –

(1) Relations with the Eastern and Western countries

  Due to the presence of sea on both sides in the south, India had relations with the countries in the East and the West through waterways. The Indians reached the South East Asian countries like Champa, Cambodia, Java, Sumatra, Bali, Bornio, Brahma, etc by ships and established their rule and spread their culture, religion and art. Similarly, they established trade and cultural relations with the Western countries like Iran, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece and other countries. In the Eleventh and Twelfth centuries, the Chola kings of the South had a huge army with the help of which they ruled over some countries of South West Asia for almost hundred years.

(2) Security from invasions

  Until the advent of the Europeans, the Southern coast protected India. No foreign invader could attack India from the sea side till the Fifteenth century.

(3) Lack of good sailors and Navy

   If bays and deep delta mouths are present in the coast, then the huge ships can find a safe place for harbor and can be protected from storms. Apart from this, if the coastal line is rugged and cut deep in many places, then the sea has an impact on the climate of the interior parts of the country also. The people living in the coastal areas will be good fishermen and skilled sailors. But the coastal line of India is neither very shallow not does it have many creeks. It is mostly straight like a single thread. It does not have many bays, nor does it have creeks. It does not have many delta mouths of rivers either. As a result, there are no good natural harbors in India and its people are not skilled sailors like those of England, Norway, Sweden and Japan. There was an absolute lack of good sailors in the middle and ancient ages. During those days, India did not have a huge and strong Navy and it did not have expansive sea trade. That is why Indians could not prevent the entry of Europeans from the sea and their eventual victory and commerce in India. The geographical scenario of India has constantly been changing the history of India.

The Three Major Physical Divisions of India from Historical Perspective

  Some modern scholars have divided India into three major physical divisions from the historical perspective. Their explanation is as follows :

(1) Areas of attraction

  Those areas which have been centers of historical empires and have always been rich and prosperous, come under the Areas of Attraction, like the Plains of Ganga.

(2) Areas of Isolation

  the mountain regions and their related forest areas and the areas of vegetation come under this category. When the invaders chased the residents of the plain regions, they took refuge in the dense forests. Many of them settled in these forests. The residents of the Vindhyachal and Satpura once lived in the plains. But in order to save themselves from the invaders, they took refuge in the forest areas and developed their own cultural traditions and ideologies.

(3) Areas of Relative Isolation

  The geographical areas which lie in between the Areas of Attraction and the Areas of Isolation have been named as Areas of Relative isolation, like the land of Rajasthan which is joined with Haryana on one side and with Uttar Pradesh and the Northern part of Madhya Pradesh. The desert area of Rajasthan and the area of South East Rajasthan, both are more Relatively Areas of Isolation. Here also, people went into these areas to save themselves from the atrocities of the invaders. These areas were more secure due to isolation and they had their own cultural identity.

Review

  Though these divisions are based on facts and highlight the historical role of various areas, yet this division cannot be accepted as totally correct. For example, though this logic might be accepted as true to some extent that the residents of the plain region went into the mountain caves and the forest area to save themselves from the terrorist invaders, but to draw a conclusion that the residents of the mountain were originally residents of the plains is not logical.

The Impact of Geography on the History of India

  On the previous pages, we have analyzed the influence of Geography on the History of India while describing the various natural divisions of India. Now the collective influence of Geography on the History and the people of India are being discussed further.

The Economic Elements which Influenced History

  The geographical conditions have influenced the historical events of a region. Some special regions have been famous for their historical specialties because of their geographical characteristics. For example, all the major agricultural areas of India have been the centers of political powers of that region. In the ancient times, the Southern part of Bihar which was called as Magadha was a prominent center of power and the main center of the Nanda and Mauryan Empire because it was a prosperous agricultural region. The prosperous agricultural delta region of Kaveri River in Southern India has always been a significant place in History. It was the center of power of the Chola Empire.
   The economic elements have also influenced History. Many great prosperous cities developed along the trade routes and their confluences and along the commercial waterways of the rivers and their confluences, and they helped make the cultural life of the people of their era prosperous and happy. For example, Takshashila, Kaushambi, Vidisha, Ujjain, Pratishthan, etc. Takshashila was situated to the North West of the Ganges Valley along the road leading still ahead. Since this city was situated on the confluence of the roads from Kashmir and Asia, ita significance increased and it became a center of power. Similarly, in ancient times, Kaushambi was near Allahabad. This city was situated on the trade routes along the banks of the Ganges. Similarly, there was a trade route which passed Vidisha and Ujaain and went towards Malwa and Pratishthan (Paithan) in the South. The same route went from Kaushambi to the ports of Gujrat via Ujjain and Depalpur. There were trade routes from Malwa to Gujrat in the West and to Khandesh in the South and Maharashtra and even further. The cities which were established on these routes became major centers of life and culture, like Ujjain, Maheshwar, Burhanpur, Paithan, etc.
   In the South, there have been many good ports since ancient times on the coasts of Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, because the sea trade routes were till these ports. The ports of the coasts of Gujrat like Bharuch, Surat, Veraval (Prabhas Patan), etc. have had relations with the West Asian countries, African countries and Persia. Gujrat has been very prosperous since ancient times because of its foreign trade. The sea trade of Rome, trade of the East African countries and the sea trade of the East Asian countries and China was carried on through the ports of India.

Influence in the Political Status

(1) Definite natural boundaries

  The high ranges of the Himalayas and their insurmountable peaks and lack of path has isolated India from the Northern countries of Asia. There has been no political relation between those countries and India.

(2) Foreign invasion from the North Western passes

  To the North West of India, there are Khaibar, Bolan, Mekaran, Tochi, Gomal, and other passes in the lower ranges of the Himalayas. It is easy to cross these passes. The foreign invaders were able to enter India through these passes in the ancient and medieval ages and win over various states. The Aryans, Iranis, Greeks, Shakas, Kushanas, Huns, Mangols, Turks, Pathans etc are the foreign invaders who attacked India and established their rule.

(3) Decisive battles

  The foreign invaders had to fight many decisive battles in the narrow plains of Punjab till Delhi after entering India. Decisive battles were fought in the plains between Satluj and Yamuna in Karnal, Panipat, Tarain, etc. and after gaining victory in these places, the invaders were easily able to overpower Delhi.

(4) Temptation for the foreign invaders

  The prosperity and happy life of the plains of the Ganges Indus plains tempted the foreigners to attack these regions. The Aryans, Greeks, Kushanas, Sethiyans, arabs, Turks, Pathans, etc attacked this great plain region and established their rules.

(5) The rise and fall of various empires

  The fertility, ease of livelihood, abundance of facilities and food and money of the great plains of North India facilitated the rise and fall of many states and empires. The rise and fall of the Mauryan Empire, the Kushana Empire, the Gupta Empire, the Delhi sultanate, the Mughal Empire etc took place in this region. The prosperity, richness, variety of crops and trade and commerce provided abundant money to the emperors of this place. The emperors collected and used this money for the welfare of the people and the state. This made them great rulers who cared for their people. The credit for the greatness of Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka, Samudragupta, Chandragupta Vikramaditya, Harshavardhana, Alauddin Khilji, Akbar, Shahjahan, etc goes to this plain region.

(6) The problem of the North West border

  The question of the security of borders of the North West region has always been a tough one for the rulers and kings of India. This was due to two reasons – the first was that the foreign invaders could easily enter from the lower passes of the North West region and attack and secondly, due to lack of means of livelihood in these mountain regions, the tribal people of this area had developed a tendency of stealing and snatching. It had become very difficult to control them. The security and stability of any empire of the plains of North India depended more on its North West border policy. The Maurya and the Gupta emperors, Balban, Alauddin and Akbar and the British in the 19th century had adopted very strong border policies. The Mauryans won over the regions of Takshashila, Shahbazgarhi, Kapishi and Kandhar and built strong forts for their security. The Guptas also had understood the importance of the security of the North West border security and had fought many battles for this cause. The Sultans of the Delhi Sultanate Balban, Alauddin Khilji, Emperor Ashoka and Shahjahan also were very alert regarding the security of the borders. One of the main aspects of the security and stability of the empires of Balban and Alauddin Khilji was their strong and alert border policy. Aurangzeb also was constantly at war with the tribes of these regions.

(7) Lack of political and administrative unity

  India has been a very vast and huge country. In the ancient and medieval times, commuting and transportation had always been difficult due to high mountains, dense forests, great rivers and other natural reasons. That is why the entire country could be brought under political and administrative unity. Though the Mauryan, Guptas, Khilji and Mughal emperors tried to bring whole India under political unity, but this political unity could not remain stable. Inspite of cultural unity, India could not be organized under political and administrative unity in the ancient and medieval times. Every state and region of our country has had its own separate History and political and social difference. Even the modern times, there were more than six hundred provinces other the British Empire during the British rule in India.

(8) Passiveness towards politics and lack of insurgency in people

  One of the most significant results of the geographical vastness of our country has been that the borders of the various states and empires could never be permanent and definite. There was rise and fall of many states and empires. But the common people did not take any interest in this political rise and fall. The people never tried to influence, control and direct politics and administration. Apart from this, the ease of livelihood made people used to a life of political slavery. The common people continued to ignore the central power. They did not pay attention to the fact as to who controlled the central power. They were not interested in this. The change, rise and fall of the dynasties did not have any specific impact on them. That is why there were less insurgency and revolts in India as compared to other countries.

(9) Various states and their independent development and History

  The deep rivers, dense forests, scraggly mountain ranges, deserts and uneven local conditions divided India into many states like the Ganga Yamuna Doab, Rajasthan, Malwa, Deccan Plateau, Bengal, Kashmir, etc. these states divided the country into small political and social units. Every state has its own culture and civilization and an independent story of its own political life. As a result, the History of India is not a complete one systematic unit, but rather a collective History of the independent individual development of various parts. When we say something about the History of India, generally we take the History of the central government and not the History of the provinces or the states. They have their own different History. There has been a rise and growth of different rules in every state.

(10) The feeling of independence and encouraging the Guerilla technique of fighting

  The mountains, unreachable valleys and passes and dense forests have had a great political impact too. Mountain ranges, valleys, passes and forests have contributed a lot to the Indians in their efforts to safeguard their freedom against foreign rulers and powers. The Guru of the Sikhs Guru Govind Singh fought against Aurangzeb while staying in the forests of Manchiwada. The guerilla technique was adopted against Ahmadshah Abdali in Punjab. In Maharashtra, Shivaji and his descendants took refuge in the mountains and forests to fight the guerilla technique against Aurangzeb. Rana Pratap, Veersingh and Chhatrasaal also adopted this technique to fight against the Mughals.

(11) Lack of the feeling of winning over other countries and imperialism

  India has been such a vast and diverse country that the emperors of India could never have the feeling of attacking the other countries outside the boundaries of India to establish their empire. They had to fight and struggle against the various independent rulers of their own country. As a result, they could never develop the feeling of colonialism and imperialism.

(12) Abundance of independent rulers in the provinces and lack of a strong central ruling power

  Due to is vastness and presence of various states, India has been a country of many regional states, where there were mostly villages. Though some strong ambitious kings established empires which included the entire India, but a long term unity and integrity of the central rule was impossible due to the vastness of the country and lack of means of transportation.

(13) Lack of Parliamentary Government

  Except a few democratic tribes and their democratic states, the general form of rule in India had been mostly independent monarchy. Parliamentary system was not prevalent. The huge assembly of representatives and the parliamentary government was not prevalent in the whole nation because the country was very vast and wide spread with many geographical differences and lack of easy means of transportation.

(14) Prominence of Northern India

  Even though according to geological texts, the History of South India is more ancient as compared to that of the plains of Ganga Indus, yet the political History of South India does not seem to so ancient. The History of North India has had its special prominence due to its geographical conditions. The excavations in the Indus Valley, Gujrat, Lothal and Kalibanga in Rajasthan compel us to look up to North India for the initial stages of Indian History.

(15) The battle of North and South

  If any invader entered India through the North Western passes, he could easily bring the plains of Punjab and Ganga Indus under his control and cross Vindhyas with some aid and try to win over South India, then the dynasties of the South would fight against them. This battle of the North and South is a special characteristic of Indian History.

Influence in the Social Status

  The geographical conditions of India had a deep impact on the social life also.

(1) Diversity, variety and different historical traditions

  the different natural divisions and different types of climates have greatly affected the social life of our country. One part of the country is different from the other. If there are beautiful valleys of Kashmir and the Himalaya region on one side, then there are the dry plateaus of the Deccan and the deserts of Rajasthan on the other side. If there are the plains of the rivers of Punjab, Ganga Yamuna and there tributaries, then there are also the high mountain ranges, valleys and dense forests of the Vindhyas, Satpuda and Sahyadri in the South. Due to this geographical disparity, there is a lot of difference in thefood habits, life style, habits, body structure and intellectual development of people in different states of our country. The customs and traditions of the Maharashtrians are very different from the Punjabis, those of Rajasthan are different from Telugu and Tamilians, Bengalis from Kashmiris, and Gujratis from those of Uttar Pradesh. The social and religious customs, cultural traditions, clothing, jewelry, nature, food habits and life style of one state of the country have been different from other states.
  The low nutrition of the provinces of the North West, infertility of the land of Maharashtra and the desert of Rajasthan made livelihood difficult for the people of these regions. The people of these regions had to attack the more fertile and prosperous neighbors to arrange form the necessary means and materials of livelihood. This led to the rise and fall of new states. Since the land of Bihar and Bengal was low lying and fertile, it was inhabited by peace loving people who were against war. The other classes of the society brought about a lot of progress and change in these regions in the field of art, literature and religion. Rains also played a decisive role in destiny of the people of these regions. While on the one hand, the heavy rains of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Bengal contributed to building of prosperous cities, increase in wealth and a encouraged a happy, prosperous and peaceful life, on the other hand the meager rains of the Deccan Plateau and Rajasthan brought about a series of days of misfortune and increased the number of attacks of nomads, irregular armies of soldiers and invaders. This led to different historical traditions of every state and province.

(2) Stagnation, rotting and defeat

  The high ranges of Himalayas, the dense forests and mountain ranges of the Eastern borders and the East and West coasts of the South separated India from the other countries of Asia. India became an isolated country. It is because of this isolation that Indians did not take any interest in the political, social and economic changes and the revolutionary movements of other countries. They remained unaffected by them. They came to believe that there is no country better than India in this world. They regarded it as their heaven. Because of this isolation and pride, Indians lost contact with the foreign countries. As long as India had contact and relations with foreign countries, there was awareness, dynamism and flow in every field of life of the Indians. But due to isolation and breaking of contacts with foreign countries, the life of Indians became obstructed. Their life became stagnant and rotten like stagnant water. They became weak. This is the reason why the Europeans were able to defeat the Indians easily after the 15th century.

(3) The physical strength, courage and bravery of the people of Punjab

  The foreign invaders entered India through the North Western passes and passed through Punjab to move towards Delhi. So, due to the geographical conditions of Punjab, the people of Punjab had to constantly battle against the foreign invaders and terrorists. They were the first to face the invaders. Continuous wars and battles made the people of Punjab strong, swift, courageous, brave and hard working.

(4) The feelings of war, freedom and sacrifice among the people of Maharashtra

  The infertility of the land of Maharashtra had a great impact on the character and nature of its people. Since the means of livelihood were not easily available, and the environment was also mountainous, the people became hard working, courageous, enthusiastic, strong and fond of battles and wars. They adopted the guerilla method of war due to the mountain region and strong forts. That is the reason why they could face the invading emperors of North India and fully contribute to the building of the Maratha Empire. The battle of the Marathas with the Mughals is famous in History of India.

(5) The bravery, warfare and commitment to promise of the Rajputs

  The Rajputs made many impregnable forts in the deserts of Rajasthan and in the mountain ranges of the Aravali for their freedom and security. The desert climate, lack of means of livelihood and the forts made the Rajputs hard working, courageous, brave and fond of war. The Rajputs have been famous for their grandeur, commitment to promise, bravery and warfare.

(6) The peace loving nature and intelligence of the people of the plains of Ganges

  The fertility of land and the temperate climate of the plains of Ganges made its people home loving, luxury loving, peace loving and intelligent. They had to fight very few battles with the invaders. As a result, they were attracted towards intellectual topics, introspection and thought process.

(7) The difference between the social and cultural life of North and South India

  The mountain ranges of the Vindhyachal and Satpuda, their dense forests and the unapproachable Deccan Plateau became an obstacle for the invaders to move from North India to South India, to maintain contact and to establish a stable rule. As a result, the political, social and cultural connection between North and South India could not remain very deep and close. There is a lot of difference between the social and cultural life of North and South India. Dravid and Sanskrit languages are stillvery prevalent in the South.

Impact in the Economic Status

(1) Division of classes and economic prosperity

  Due to lack of complexity of the struggle for life and lack of dynamism and the geographical conditions, there was division of classes in the country. The main classes were the Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas became the main classes. The Brahmins devoted all their might to intellectual thinking and administration and the Kshatriyas devoted their energy to the protection of the country. They did not like to undergo too much of physical labor. As a result, there were many classes, communities and religious groups which did not participate in the productive jobs of the country, but still the country remained prosperous.

(2) The wealth of India

  The fertility of the Ganges Indus plains yielded various harvests. There was abundance of minerals in different parts of the country, like coal, iron, bronze, copper, manganese, gold, diamonds and other precious gems. This helped India to remain wealthy and prosperous in the ancient and medieval times. This wealth and prosperity of India tempted the foreigners to invade India.

(3) Agriculture and Animal Husbandry as main occupations

   The fertility, abundance of grazing land, means of irrigation and vast leveled land made this country as primarily agriculture based country. In every era, most of the people of India lived in villages and their main occupations were agriculture and animal husbandry. This has had a great impact on the culture of North India.

(4) Trade with foreign countries

   In the ancient times, trade was carried on with the countries of the North West and with other foreign countries through the sea ports. India had trade contacts with the countries of the East and West. The spices, medicines, clothes, artifacts made of ivory, gems, etc were exported to foreign countries and many kinds of items, gold etc were brought to India from these foreign countries.

Impact in the Religious Status

(1) The origin of Hindu religion and its growth

  The natural characteristics of India contributed immensely in the origin and growth of Hindu religion. In the Rigvedic Age, the Aryans were so impressed and influenced by the various forms and sceneries of nature that they started worshipping the different forms of nature. They worshipped the sun, moon, sky, earth, fire, dawn, rain (Indra), water (Varun), etc. They became worshippers of Nature. They imagined visualizing “many forms in one and one in many forms.” This worship of nature further developed into the making of many gods and goddesses, havan, Yajyas, etc. Many religious texts of the Aryans, like the Vedas, Upnishads, Aranyakas, epics etc were written amidst natural surroundings, ashrams and places of penance.

(2) Religious movements and the growth of various sects

  due the ease of means of livelihood in the plains of Ganges and Yamuna, the intelligent people utilized their leisure in thinking and reflecting. They studied the problems of human life and raised their voice against the shortcomings and malpractices of the prevailing religions and sects. They started opposing the religious atrocities and started thinking deeply about the various means for liberation from this world. This gave rise to many religions and sects, like Buddhism, Jainism, Vaishnav sect, Shaiv sect, Shakti community, Tantravad etc.

(3) Spread of Islam

  In the medieval ages, the followers of Islam entered India as invaders through the passes of the West. They established Islamic rule in India and propagated and spread Islam. But due to many geographical and political reasons, the Islamic rulers and emperors could not establish permanent supremacy over South India. Therefore the propagation and spread of Islam and its influence was far less in South as compared to North.

Impact in the Cultural Status

(1) The impact of the gentleness and variety of Nature on Indian culture, literature and art

   The Nature literally hums and smiles in India. There is variety in nature here. The beauty of nature is scattered all around in the mountains, rocks, forests, rivers, plains, etc. There is dominance of gentleness, abundance of color and variety in Nature. Monotony and abhorring form of Nature are not found in India. The colorful variety, gentleness and beauty have made a deep impact on the life of the people of India. They became devotees and worshippers of nature. The river Ganges has had an inseparable relation with the Indian religion and culture. The illustration of Nature has been unique in Indian literature. The beauty of Nature founds its way into the Indian art. People became lovers of beauty. Their reflection and thinking about Nature are evident in their philosophy and spiritualism. Nature has left a deep impression on their entire life. Different kinds of stones and black and white marble are available in abundance in various parts of India. This gave rise to the progress and development of architecture and sculpture. Many strong forts, palaces, temples, pillars, stupas, viharas, mosques, tombs, etc were built. Buddhist Viharas, stupas, temples, statues were also made by cutting rocks. Different forms of Nature had their unique impact on music, dance and painting. If different ragas and dances have been created on the basis of different seasons and climates, Nature’s beauty has been sketched beautifully in the paintings. The paintings of Ajanta and Bagh are an example of this kind of painting.

(2) Creative trends, philosophy and spirituality

  The temperate climate and the fertile soil of the plains of India lessened the struggle for life in these regions. Things needed for life were easily available in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Bengal. The people of these regions, especially the intelligent ones, utilized their leisure time in reflecting and pondering over the problems of life and death, God and soul, and nature and creation. As a result, spirituality and philosophy began which have their dominance over the Indian schools of thoughts and culture even today. Spirituality has a deep impact on the entire life of Indians. Along with this, new creative trends began in religion, literature and fine arts and there was a remarkable progress in these fields. The history of literature, art and religion of India has been very prestigious since ancient times. In North India, as mentioned above, there were many propagators of religion, like Buddha, Mahaveera, Chaitanya, Ramanuja, Ramananda, Kabir, Nanak, etc. they had their influence on literature also.

(3) Great vivid literature

   The literature and its various parts were created and developed in the lovely forests and mountains, amidst waterfalls, on the banks of lakes and rivers, in the ashrams in the midst of nature. Great books like the Vedas, Upnashids, Aranyakas, Shad Darshan, (Nyay, Vaisheshika, Sankhya, Yoga, Mimamsa and Vedanta) Yoga, epics, etc. were written. They have a deep impression of the nature of India. There have been many great poets, writers and scholars in North India, who gave their valuable contribution in the growth of Indian literature.