North India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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North India |
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| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area | 1,624,160 km² |
| States and territories | Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh |
| Most populous cities (2008) | New Delhi, Kanpur, Jaipur, Lucknow, Indore, Ludhiana |
| Official languages | Hindi, Punjabi, Kashmiri, Urdu, English |
| Population | 504,196,432 |
North India refers to a set of states in the non-peninsular region of the Republic of India including the area to the north of the Vindhya mountains, Narmada River and Mahanadi River, but excluding the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra in the west, West Bengal and Orissa in the east as well as the seven North-East states. New Delhi, the capital of India lies in North India. The dominant geographical features of northern India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain whose fertile soils and perennial rivers have sustained large populations and the Himalayas which cut the region off from the rest of Asia. North India has been the historical center of the Maurya, Gupta, Mughal and British Indian Empires. It has a rich and diverse culture, having the Hindu holy cities of Varanasi and Allahabad along with world heritage sites representing Islam and Buddhism within its boundaries.The Eastern parts of this region continues to face problems of overpopulation, poverty, illiteracy despite significant economic growth and the Green Revolution.
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[edit] History
(For detailed history please read the respective articles of the individual states)
[edit] Indus Valley Civilization
The Indus Valley civilization (c. 3000–1500 BCE, Mature period 2600–1900 BCE), one of the oldest in the world, dates back at least 5,000 years. This civilization was partly located in North India and in the Indus and Ghaggar-Hakra river valleys primarily in Sindh province of Pakistan, extending westward into Balochistan province. Though the civilization was located in the North, the scripts identified at the archaeological site was found to be Proto-Dravidian[1]. Around 1800 BCE, signs of a gradual decline began to emerge, and by around 1700 BCE, most of the cities were abandoned.
[edit] Maurya and Gupta Empires
Towards the end of the Iron Age, the Maurya Empire arose from the kingdom of Magadha. By 316 BCE the empire had fully occupied Northwestern India, defeating and conquering the satraps left by Alexander. At its greatest extent under Ashoka the Great, the Empire stretched to the north along the natural boundaries of the Himalayas, and to the east stretching into what is now Assam. To the west, it reached beyond modern Pakistan and significant portions of what is now Afghanistan, including the modern Herat and Kandahar provinces. The Empire was expanded into India's central and southern regions by Emperor Bindusara, but it excluded a small portion of unexplored tribal and forested regions near Kalinga. The Guptas established the next great empire, the Gupta Empire in North India around 320 AD.The time of the Gupta Empire is referred to as Golden Age of India in science, mathematics, astronomy, religion and Indian philosophy. The peace and prosperity created under leadership of Guptas enabled the pursuit of scientific and artistic endeavors.
[edit] Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire ruled most of the Indian subcontinent from the early 16th to the mid-19th centuries, with its capital at Delhi. At the height of its power, around 1700, it controlled most of the subcontinent and parts of what is now Afghanistan. Its population at that time has been estimated as between 110 and 130 million, over a territory of over 4 million km² (1.5 million mi²). It reached its height under Akbar the Great, and its power began to decline after the death of Aurangzeb in 1707. The empire rapidly declined after 1725 and was replaced by the Maratha Empire as the pre-eminent power in South Asia, until the battle of Plassey in 1757.
[edit] British Empire
The Battle of Plassey in 1757 marked the real beginning of the Company rule in India, as well as the steady decline of native rule. The victory was consolidated in 1764 at the Battle of Buxar (in Bihar), when the defeated Mughal emperor, Shah Alam II, granted the Company the Diwani ("right to collect land-revenue") in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. The Company soon expanded its territories around its bases in Bombay and Madras. At the turn of the 19th century, Governor-General Wellesley began what became two decades of accelerated expansion of Company territories.This was achieved either by subsidiary alliances between the Company and local rulers or by direct military annexation. The subsidiary alliances created the Princely States (or Native States) of the Hindu Maharajas and the Muslim Nawabs, prominent among which were: Cochin (1791), Jaipur (1794), Travancore (1795), Hyderabad (1798), Mysore (1799), Cis-Sutlej Hill States (1815), Central India Agency (1819), Kutch and Gujarat Gaikwad territories (1819), Rajputana (1818), and Bahawalpur (1833). The annexed regions included the Northwest Provinces (comprising Rohilkhand, Gorakhpur, and the Doab) (1801), Delhi (1803), and Sindh (1843). Punjab, Northwest Frontier Province, and Kashmir, were annexed after the Anglo-Sikh Wars in 1849; however, Kashmir was immediately sold under the Treaty of Amritsar (1850) to the Dogra Dynasty of Jammu, and thereby became a princely state. In 1854 Berar was annexed, and the state of Oudh two years later.
The Act for the Better Government of India (1858) made changes in the governance of India at three levels: in the imperial government in London (which took over control from the East India Company), in the central government in Calcutta, and in the provincial governments in the presidencies (and later in the provinces). In Calcutta, the Governor-General remained head of the Government of India and now was more commonly called the Viceroy on account of his secondary role as the Crown's representative to the nominally sovereign princely states; he was, however, now responsible to the Secretary of State in London and through him to British Parliament.
[edit] Modern India
India attained independence from England in 1947, and North India became part of the Republic of India. The states were reorganized in 1956, and again in the 2000s when Uttaranchal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh became the 26th, 27th and 28th states of India. In modern India, North India is the largest region in terms of both land area and population. It has seen great political upheavals with insurgencies in Punjab and Kashmir along with the Naxal uprising. Widespread corruption, malnutrition and ethnic conflicts persist, especially in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Rajasthan. Crimes against women such as female-infanticide, honor-killings, bride-burning and human rights abuses against Dalits, North Eastern Indians and Nepalis are rampant, often ignored by the police, especially in the states of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. The unchecked population growth, wastage of natural resources and human rights abuses are leading to great strain on the resources of the entire country, its political stability and democratic ethos.
[edit] Geography
Northern India lies mainly on continental India and a very small part of it lies on the Indian peninsula. Towards its North are the Himalayas which largely define the boundary between the Indian subcontinent and the Tibetan plateau. To its west is the Thar desert, which separates most of North India from Pakistan, while in the southwest lie the Aravalli hills, beyond which lies the state of Gujarat. The Vindhya mountains are generally taken to be the southern boundary of northern India.
The predominant geographical features of northern India are the Indo-Gangetic plain which spans the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Punjab, the Himalayas which lie in the states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir and the Thar desert which lies mainly in the state of Rajasthan. The state of Madhya Pradesh has large areas under forest cover as do Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Chattisgarh.[2] The states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand receive sustained snowfall in winter months.
Although predominantly subtropical, with cool winters, hot summers and moderate monsoons, overall North India is one of the most climatically diverse regions on Earth. Extreme temperatures have ranged from −45 °C (−49 °F) in Dras, Jammu and Kashmir[3] to 50.6 °C (123 °F) in Alwar, Rajasthan. Shown below are climate tables for a selection of cities in North India,
| Climate chart for Leh, cold arid | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|
0
-1
-13
|
0
0
-12
|
0
6
-6
|
0
12
-1
|
0
17
2
|
0
21
6
|
10
24
10
|
10
24
10
|
0
21
5
|
0
14
0
|
10
8
-6
|
0
1
-10
|
| temperatures in °C • precipitation totals in mm source: Weatherbase |
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Imperial conversion
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| Climate chart for Jodhpur, hot semi-arid | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|
5
24
9
|
4
27
11
|
3
32
16
|
1
37
21
|
9
41
26
|
36
40
28
|
101
36
27
|
122
34
25
|
61
34
24
|
8
35
18
|
1
31
13
|
3
26
10
|
| temperatures in °C • precipitation totals in mm source: Weatherbase |
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Imperial conversion
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| Climate chart for Bhopal, sub-tropical | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|
4
23
12
|
3
26
14
|
1
32
19
|
3
37
23
|
11
38
27
|
136
35
26
|
279
29
23
|
360
27
23
|
185
30
22
|
52
31
20
|
21
27
16
|
7
24
13
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| temperatures in °C • precipitation totals in mm source: Weather Underground |
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Imperial conversion
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[edit] Demographics
The languages of Northern India are predominantly Indo-Aryan, and it is in this region that Sanskrit and the various Prakrits are thought to have first found a home in India. Hindi has the largest number of speakers in the region, with the Hindi heartland of India lying within North India. Punjabi, Kashmiri and other languages are also spoken by large populations and are official languages in those states.
Hinduism and Islam predominate in North India, although Sikhism is predominant in Punjab. Jammu and Kashmir is the only state in India with a majority Muslim population. The states of Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh are predominantly Hindu, while Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have religiously diverse populations.
[edit] Flora & Fauna
North Indian original vegetation is predominantly deciduous forest because of its tropical location, of the deciduous trees Sal and Teak are the most important. The Western Himalayan region is abound in Chirpine and other conifers deodar, blue pine, spruce, silver fir, and junipers. The Eastern Himalayan region consists of oaks, laurels, maples, rhododendrons, alder, and birch and dwarf willows. The floral wealth ranges from the Alpine to the temperate thorn, from the coniferous to the evergreen, from scrubs to deciduous forests, from thick tropical jungles to cool temperate woods.
There are around 500 varieties of mammals, 2000 species of birds and 30,000 types of insects and a wide variety of fish, amphibians and reptiles are found in the country. The animal species in North India includes Elephant, Tiger, Leopard, Sambar, Chital, Hog Deer, Porcupine, Wild Pig, Fox and Rhesus Monkeys, highly endangered Caracal, Jungle Cat, Hyena, Jackal, Sloth Bear, Wild Boar, Langur, Spotted Deer, Indian Gazelle, Sambar (Asiatic stag) and Nilgai (blue bull).
A huge number of snake varieties, lizards, ghariyal and crocodiles account for the reptile count.[4] Snakes include the deadly King cobras to the equally poisonous Kraits. Scorpions and insects are found in plenty in this region. Useful insects include the bees, silkworms and the Lac insect. A huge number of snake varieties, lizards, ghariyal and crocodiles account for the reptile count. Snakes include the deadly King cobras to the equally poisonous Kraits. Scorpions and insects are found in plenty in this region. Useful insects include the bees, silkworms and the Lac insect.
The birds of North India includes the beautiful peacock to the parrots, and thousands of immigrant birds. Common Indian birds are Pheasants, Geese Ducks, Mynahs, Parakeets, Pigeons, Cranes, and Hornbills. Great pied hornbill, Pallas's fishing eagle, Grey-headed fishing eagle, Red-thighed Falconet are some of the endangered birds found in Himalyan region. Other birds found in this region are Tawny Fish Owl, Great Hornbill, Scaly-bellied Woodpecker, Red-breasted Parakeet, Himalayan Swiftlet, Stork-billed Kingfisher and Himalayan Rubythroat. [5] [6]
The most important National Parks and Tiger reserves of North India includes:-
Corbett National Park: It was established in 1936 along the banks of the Ramganga River. It is the India's first National Park, and designated a Project Tiger Reserve in the year 1973. It is cradled in the foothills of the Himalayas and comprises a total area of 500 km² out of which 350 km² is core reserve. This park is known not only for its rich and varied wildlife but also for its scenic beauty.
Kanha National Park: The lush sal and bamboo forests, grassy meadows and ravines of Kanha provided inspiration to Rudyard Kipling for his famous novel "Jungle Book". The Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh came into being in 1955 and forms the core of the Kanha Tiger Reserve, created in 1974 under Project Tiger.
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary: It is one of the finest bird parks in the world, it is a reserve that offers protection to faunal species as well. Nesting indigenous water birds as well as migratory water birds and waterside birds, this sanctuary is also inhabited by Sambar, Chital, Nilgai and Boar.
Dudhwa National Park: It covers an area of 500 km² along the Indo-Nepal border in Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh, is best known for the Barasingha or Swamp Deer. The grasslands and woodlands of this park, consist mainly of sal forests. The barasingha is found in the southwest and southeast regions of the park. Among the big cats, tigers abound at Dudhwa. There are also a few leopards. The other animals found in large numbers, are the Indian one-horned rhinoceros and the wild elephant, jungle cats, leopard cats, fishing cats, jackals, civets, sloth bears, sambar, otters, crocodiles and chital.
Ranthambhore National Park: It spans an area of 400 km² with an estimated head count of thirty two tigers is perhaps India’s finest example of Project Tiger, a conservation effort started by the government in an attempt to save the dwindling number of tigers in India. Situated near the small town of Sawai Madhopur it boasts of variety of plant and animal species of Northern India.
[edit] Political parties from North India
North India had played a very vital role in the formation of Government in India with large number of seats in the lower house of parliament. The major political parties are Indian National Congress, BJP, Janata Dal, Bhujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal. The Nehru-Gandhi family which has governed India for last few decades after Independence from British rule hails from Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Many Indian Prime Ministers were North Indians including the first Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Gulzarilal Nanda, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, V P Singh, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Chandra Shekhar, I K Gujral and the present PM Dr Manmohan Singh. [7]
[edit] Universities in North India
North India has some universities, colleges and centre of excellence namely, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Allahabad University, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahahad Delhi University, Aligarh Muslim University, Benaras Hindu University, Punjab University, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Punjab Agricultural University and Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology. The world renowned Indian Institute of Technology and Indian Institute of Management, have campuses in several cities of North India such as Kanpur, Delhi, Roorkee, Lucknow, Indore, Ahmadabad, and Kolkata. One of the first great universities in recorded history, the Nalanda University, is located in in the state of Bihar. There has been various plans for revival of this ancient University including a consortium led by Singapore along with China, India and Japan.
[edit] Economy
The economy of northern India, is predominantly agrarian like other parts of the country; culturally, socially and historically the country has always been defined by its village societies. But with the rapid growth of more than 8% GDP per annum, the economic landscape is changing fast. The highest per capita income states in northern India include Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and the union territory of Delhi & Chandigarh.[8]
[edit] References and bibliography
- ^ Indus civilization - Britannica Online Encyclopedia
- ^ FOREST SURVEY OF INDIA - STATE OF FOREST REPORT 2003. Retrieved on 2006-12-21.
- ^ Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Dras, India
- ^ North India Online - India - Flora and Fauna - Animals - Trees - Birds - Mammals - Insects
- ^ INDIAN GEOGRAPHY - indian rivers, indian flora & fauna wildlife, national symbols in india
- ^ Flora & Fauna North India. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
- ^ Politics in North India. Retrieved on 2007-09-15.
- ^ thehindubusinessline.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
