It is also a subcontinent from a geographical perspective, since it is territory that is geographically separate from the rest of Asia. It should be noted that the term Indian subcontinent is often used interchangeably with the terms South Asia and Southern Asia. In international discourse, these three terms usually denote the same part of the world. From a geographical perspective, there is a general understanding that the Indian Subcontinent consists of the peninsular part of present-day India, south of the Himalayas, on the Indian tectonic plate that is separate from the rest of Asia.
Note, however, that the Indian plate also includes some of southern China and eastern Indonesia, which are not considered part of the Indian Subcontinent. Thus, the geographical definition of the Indian Subcontinent is somewhat arbitrary.
But of course, the Indian subcontinent is not defined exclusively from a geographic point of view. Politics, culture, and history also help define what constitutes the Indian Subcontinent. For example, nearly all of the current countries of the Indian Subcontinent were formerly possessions of the British Empire.
Myanmar Burma was also a British possession, but since it is ethnically, linguistically, and culturally tied more to East Asia, it is generally not considered part of the Indian Subcontinent. Two countries that were not possessions of the British Empire, however, namely Nepal and Bhutan, are considered part of the subcontinent, mostly for cultural, religious, and political regions.
For instance, Nepal shares a common religion with India, Hinduism. Hinduism is the religions professed by most of the people in both India and Nepal. Both Nepal and Bhutan are also considered part of the Indian Subcontinent for historical and political reasons.
Both countries historically maintained close relations with India when it was under British control, and still maintain strong ties today. India, Bhutan , and Sri Lanka also have some religious ties. India was the cradle of the Buddhist religion. Buddhism is also the most prevalent religion in both Bhutan and Sri Lanka. One could argue that Tibet is part of the Indian Subcontinent because it is linguistically and culturally closer to Bhutan and India rather than China.
But since Tibet is controlled by China, it is not considered part of the Indian Subcontinent. Some consider Afghanistan to be part of the Indian Subcontinent. Indeed, from a political standpoint, Afghanistan is strongly tied to Pakistan, which is universally considered to be part of the Indian Subcontinent. There are also ethnic and religious ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Pashtun people, for example, though mostly found in Afghanistan, are also prevalent in southern Pakistan. Many Afghans in general have found refuge in Pakistan, fleeing decades of war in their own country. Both Pakistan and Afghanistan also share Islam as a common religion.
From a geographical perspective, however, Afghanistan is generally not thought of as being part of the Indian Subcontinent.
Politically and culturally, the countries of the Indian Subcontinent are very much one community. For example, relations between India and Pakistan often dominate discussions of international relations in the region. Indeed, the two countries have locked horns with each other on numerous occasions.
Armed conflict between the two countries is not uncommon. In fact, the two countries have fought several wars with each other. Tensions between the two countries go back to the time of British India and the struggle for Indian independence, though it should be noted that religious tensions between the Muslim and Hindu communities go back centuries.
Mahatma Gandhi, long regarded as the lead figure in the Indian independence movement, wanted British India to remain united as an independent country. Marble window screen made in Agra in the 19th century, copied from earlier 17th-century models. The southern peninsula of India consists largely of a high, wooded plateau known as the Deccan, with great rivers flowing down to the sea.
Central India was the home of several of the earliest indigenous peoples, and many tribal groups still live in the jungles of central and eastern India. The far south remained largely untouched by the Muslim invasions of the north, and maintains an undiluted traditional Hindu culture that is quite different from that of the northern plains.
Languages of ancient origin such as Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam are spoken here, with complex grammars and scripts quite distinct from the Hindi, Bengali and Persian-influenced Urdu of the north.
If the physical land-barriers shaped much of India's internal history, accessibility by sea played a vastly important role in contact with the outside world.
Trading had been carried out between India and the Roman world by sea, and the fine silks, cottons and gold of the subcontinent were renowned throughout the ancient world. The religion of Islam first arrived not overland through the Middle East but by sea direct from Arabia in about AD First contacts with modern Europe came about through trade, first with the Portuguese, and later with the British, Dutch, French and Danish trading companies.
The British became dominant in trade with India, and it was through defending their commercial interests that they made the transition from merchants to rulers. It was founded by the prophet Muhammad in Arabia in the seventh century AD and reached the subcontinent by sea soon after.
Powerful Muslim kingdoms were established in the north by the thirteenth century, and the area was under continuous Muslim rule, mostly by the Mughal dynasty, until when the British formally abolished the title of Mughal Emperor. At Independence in , the Muslim states of West and East Pakistan today Pakistan and Bangladesh were formed, and many Muslims moved from India, but some 75 million Muslims still continue to live there.
Hinduism had no one founder, but evolved gradually over about 1, years, becoming roughly as it is today by the fourth century AD. The main deities worshipped are Vishnu, Shiva and the supreme Goddess, Devi, but all have many other forms and aspects, such as the widely-revered Krishna, who is an incarnation of Vishnu.
Brahma, the other main deity of Hinduism, is rarely worshipped in his own right. Today, Hinduism is practised by about million people all over India, about 80 per cent of the total population. We have launched a new website and are reviewing this page.
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