history of The Southern Peninsula

                            The Southern Peninsula

The Vindhya and Satpura mountains along with Narmada and
the Tapti rivers form the great dividing line between northern and
southern India. The plateau to the south of the Vindhya Mountains
is known as the Deccan plateau. It consists of volcanic rock, which
is different from the northern mountains. As these rocks are easierto cut into, we find a number of rock-cut monasteries and temples
in the Deccan.

The Deccan plateau is flanked by the Eastern Ghats and
Western Ghats. The Coramandal Coast stands between the Eastern
Ghats and the Bay of Bengal. The Western Ghats runs along the
Arabian sea and the lands between these are known as Konkan up
to Goa and beyond that as Kanara. The southernmost part is known
as Malabar Coast. The passes in the Western Ghats like Junnar,
Kanheri and Karle linked the trade routes to the western ports. The
Deccan plateau acted as a bridge between the north and south India.
However, the dense forests in the Vindhya Mountains makes this
region isolated from the north. The language and culture in the
southern peninsula are preserved in tact for a long time due to this
geographical isolation.

In the southern end remains the famous Palghat Pass. It is the
passage across the Ghats from the Kaveri valley to the Malabar
Coast. The Palghat Pass was an important trade route for the Indo-
Roman trade in the ancient times. The Anaimudi is the highest peak
in the southern peninsula. Doddapetta is another highest peak in the
Western Ghats. The Eastern Ghats are not very high and have several
openings caused by the eastward flow of the rivers into the Bay of
Bengal. The port cities of Arikkamedu, Mamallapuram and
Kaveripattanam were situated on the Coramandal coast.

The major rivers of the southern peninsula are almost running
parallel. Mahanadhi is at the eastern end of the peninsula. Narmadha
and Tapti run from east to west. Other rivers like the Godavari,
Krishna, Tungabhadra and Kaveri flow from west to east. These
rivers make the plateau into a fertile rice producing soil. Throughout
history, the region between Krishna and Tungabhadra (Raichur
Doab) remained a bone of contention between the major kingdoms
of the south. The deltaic plains formed by these two rivers at theirmouths became famous under the Satavahanas. A number of towns
and ports flourished in these plains in the beginning of the Christian
era.

The Kaveri delta constitutes a distinct geographical zone in
the far south. It became the seat of the Chola power. The Kaveri
basin with its rich tradition, language and culture has flourished from
the ancient times.

As the southern peninsula is gifted with a long coastline, the
people of this region took keen interest in the maritime activities. A
great deal of trade and commerce went on through the seaways
from the earliest times. In the east, mariners reached countries like
Jawa, Sumatra, Burma and Cambodia. Apart from trade, they
spread Indian art, religion and culture in these parts of the world.
The commercial contacts between south India and the Greco-Roman
countries flourished along with cultural relations.
India – A Land of Unity in Diversity
The history of ancient India is interesting because India proved
to be a melting pot of numerous races. The pre-Aryans, the Indo-
Aryans, the Greeks, the Scythians, the Hunas, the Turks, etc., made
India their home. Each ethnic group contributed its might to the
making of Indian culture. All these peoples mixed up so inextricably
with one another that at present none of them can be identified in
their original form. Different cultures mingled with one another
through the ages. Many pre-Aryan or Dravidian terms occur in the
Vedic texts. Similarly, many Pali and Sanskritic terms appear in the
Sangam literature.

Since ancient times, India has been the land of several religions.
Ancient India witnessed the birth of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.
But all these cultures and religions intermingled with one another.
Although Indians people speak different languages, practice differentreligions, and observe different social customs, they follow certain
common styles of life throughout the country. Therefore, our country
shows a deep underlying unity in spite of great diversity.
In fact, the ancients strove for unity. They looked upon this
vast subcontinent as one land. The name Bharatavarsha or the
land of Bharata was given to the whole country, after the name of
an ancient tribe called the Bharatas. Our ancient poets, philosophers
and writers viewed the country as an integral unit. This kind of political
unity was attained at least twice during the Mauryan and Gupta
Empires.

The unity of India was also recognized by foreigners. They
first came into contact with the people living on the Sindhu or the
Indus, and so they named the whole country after this river. The
word Hind is derived from the Sanskrit term Sindhu, and in course
of time the country came to be known as ‘India’ in Greek, and
‘Hind’ in Persian and Arabic languages.
Efforts for the linguistic and cultural unity of the country were
made through the ages. In the third century B.C., Prakrit language
served as the lingua franca of the country. Throughout the major
portion of India, Asoka’s inscriptions were written in the Prakrit
language. Also, the ancient epics, the Ramayana and the
Mahabharata, were studied with the same zeal and devotion
throughout the country. Originally composed in Sanskrit, these epics
came to be presented in different local languages. Although the Indian
cultural values and ideas were expressed in different forms, the
substance remained the same throughout the country.

Hence, India has emerged a multi-religious and multi-cultural
society. However, the underlying unity and integrity and the plural
character of Indian society remain the real strength for the
development of the country.