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 easier to 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 their mouths 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.
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