Everything about South India totally explained
South India is the area encompassing
India's states of
Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka,
Kerala and
Tamil Nadu as well as the
union territories of
Lakshadweep and
Pondicherry. South India lies in the
peninsular
Deccan Plateau and is bounded by the
Arabian Sea,
Indian Ocean and the
Bay of Bengal in the west, south and east respectively. The geography of the region is diverse, encompassing two mountain ranges — the
Western Ghats and
Eastern Ghats and a plateau heartland. The
Tungabhadra and
Kaveri rivers are important non-
perennial sources of water. Inhabitants of South India are referred to as
South Indians. A majority of South Indians speak one of the four
Dravidian languages —
Kannada,
Malayalam,
Tamil or
Telugu. During its
history, a number of dynastic kingdoms ruled over parts of South India whose invasions across
southern and
southeastern Asia impacted the history and cultures of modern nation-states such as
Sri Lanka,
Indonesia,
Thailand and
Malaysia. The region was
colonised by
Britain and gradually incorporated into the
British Empire.
After experiencing fluctuations in the decades immediately after
Indian independence, the economies of South Indian states have registered higher than national average decadal growth over the past three decades. While South Indian states have imroved in some
socio-economic metrices, economic disparity, illiteracy and poverty continue to affect the region much like the rest of the country.
Agriculture is the single largest contributor to the regional
net domestic product, while
Information technology (IT) is a rapidly growing industry. Literary and architectural styles, evolved over two thousand years, differ from other parts of the country. Politics in southern India is dominated by smaller regional political parties rather than by national political parties.
South India ranks the highest in terms of social and economic development in areas such as fertility rate and infrastructure, the fertility rate of South India is 1.9, the lowest of all regions in India.
Etymology
Apart from the English language terms
South India and
Peninsular India, southern India has been known by several other historic names. The region has been referred to as the
Deccan (from the
Sanskrit word
dakshina meaning
south). This term currently refers only to the area covered by the
Deccan Plateau, a major geographic feature of the region.
The Carnatic is an English term derived from
"Karnād" or
"Karunād", meaning
black country. The terms
Karnād and
Carnatic have long overgrown particular association with the plateau and refer to all of South India, including the coasts, the eastern of which is named the Carnatic coast. The name
Karnātaka is derived from the same root.
History
Carbon dating on ash mounds associated with
neolithic cultures in South India date back to 8000 BCE. Artefacts such as ground stone axes, and minor copper objects have been found in the region. Towards the beginning of 1000 BCE,
iron technology spread through the region; however, there doesn't appear to be a fully developed
Bronze Age preceding the Iron Age in South India. South India was a crossroads of the ancient world, linking the
Mediterranean and the Far East. The southern coastline from
Karwar to
Kodungallur was the most important trading shore in the Indian subcontinent resulting in intermingling between locals and traders. The South Indian coast of
Malabar and the
Tamil people of the
Sangam age traded with the
Graeco-Roman world. They were in contact with the
Phoenicians,
Romans,
Greeks,
Arabs,
Syrians,
Jews, and
Chinese.
There were several significant rulers and dynasties in south Indian history. Dynasties such as the
Satavahanas of
Amaravati,
Kadambas of Banavasi,
Western Ganga Dynasty,
Chalukya dynasty of Badami,
Western Chalukyas,
Eastern Chalukya,
Cheras,
Cholas,
Hoysalas,
Kakatiya dynasty,
Pallavas,
Pandyas, and
Rashtrakutas of Manyaketha have ruled over South India. The late
medieval period saw the rise of
Muslim power in South India. The defeat of the
Kakatiya dynasty of
Warangal by
Tughlaq forces of the
Delhi Sultanate in 1323 CE heralded a new chapter in South Indian history. The struggle of the period was between the
Bahmani Sultanate based in
Gulbarga (and later,
Bidar) and the
Vijayanagara Empire with its capital in Vijayanagara in modern
Hampi.
With the fall of Vijayanagara and the break-up of the Bahmani sultanate, the
Qutb Shahi dynasty of
Golconda and Hyderabad became the dominant power in the region. Qutb Shahi dominance of the region continued until the middle of the seventeenth century, when the
Mughals under
Aurangzeb made determined inroads into the Deccan. Following Aurangzeb’s death, Mughal power weakened, and South Indian rulers gained autonomy from Delhi. The
Wodeyar kingdom of
Mysore, the
Asaf Jahis of Hyderabad, and
Marathas all gained power.
In the middle of the eighteenth century, the
French and the
British initiated a protracted struggle for military control of South India. Shifting alliances between the two
European powers and the local powers marked the period with mercenary armies being employed by all sides causing general anarchy in South India. As the British consolidated power over much of India in the late 1850s, they allowed the French to retain their possessions over Pondicherry. The four
Anglo-Mysore wars and the three
Anglo-Maratha Wars saw Mysore, Pune and Hyderabad allying themselves with the British or the French. South India during the British colonial rule was divided into the
Madras Presidency and
Hyderabad,
Mysore,
Thiruvithamcoore (also known as Travancore),
Kochi (also known as Cochin or
Perumpadapu Swaroopam),
Vizianagaram and a number of other minor princely states. British Residents were stationed in the capitals of the important states to supervise and report on the activities of the rulers.
The
States Reorganisation Act (1956) created new states (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala) and reorganised modern-day Tamil Nadu along linguistic lines. Additionally, the
enclaves of
French India, which were ceded to India in the 1950s, were constituted into the union territory of
Pondicherry.
Geography
South India is a
peninsula in the shape of a vast inverted triangle, bounded on the west by the
Arabian Sea, on the east by the
Bay of Bengal and on the north by the
Vindhya and
Satpura ranges. The
Narmada flows westwards in the depression between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges. The Satpura ranges define the northern spur of the
Deccan plateau. The
Western Ghats, along the western coast, mark another boundary of the plateau. The narrow strip of verdant land between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea is the
Konkan region. The Western Ghats continue south, forming the
Malnad (
Canara) region along the Karnataka coast, and terminate at the
Nilgiri mountains, an inward (easterly) extension of the Western Ghats. The Nilgiris run in a crescent approximately along the borders of
Tamil Nadu with northern
Kerala and
Karnataka, encompassing the
Palakkad and
Wayanad hills, and the
Satyamangalam ranges, and extending on to the relatively low-lying hills of the
Eastern Ghats, on the western portion of the
Tamil Nadu -
Andhra Pradesh border. The
Tirupati and
Annamalai hills form part of this range. The low lying
coral islands of
Lakshadweep are off the south-western coast of India.
Sri Lanka lies off the south-eastern coast, separated from India by the
Palk Strait and the chain of low sandbars and islands known as
Rama's Bridge. The
Andaman and Nicobar islands lie far off the eastern coast of India, near the
Tenasserim coast of
Burma. The southernmost tip of mainland India is at
Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin) on the
Indian Ocean.
The
Deccan plateau is the vast elevated region bound by the C-shape defined by all these mountain ranges. No major elevations border the plateau to the east, and it slopes gently from the Western Ghats to the eastern coast. The plateau is watered by the east flowing
Godavari and
Krishna rivers. The other major rivers of the Deccan plateau are the
Pennar and the
Tungabhadra, a major tributary of the Krishna. The three major river deltas of South India, the Kaveri, the Godavari and the Krishna, are located along the Bay of Bengal. These areas constitute the
rice bowls of South India.
The region has a very
tropical climate with the monsoons playing a major part. The
South - West Monsoon accounts for most of the rainfall in the region and much of it falls from about June to October. The south-west monsoon starts from Kerala during June and moves up towards the northern parts of
India.
Tamil Nadu and southeast
Andhra Pradesh receive rains from the North - East Monsoon from about November to February.
Much of
Andhra Pradesh and
Karnataka has a distinct dry season from about October - May when there isn't much rainfall. This region also experiences cooler nights from October to March while the days are pleasantly warm. In the northern parts of the region temperatures can fall below 10 degrees Celsius on occasions at night during this time. Days are very hot from March to June when temps can go over 40 degrees. The southern coastal region has an average minimum temperature of 20 degrees and maximum of 35 degrees.
Flora and fauna
There is a wide diversity of plants and animals in South India, resulting from its varied climates and geography.
Deciduous forests are found along the
Western Ghats while
tropical dry forests and scrub lands
Deccan thorn scrub forests are common in the interior Deccan plateau. The southern Western Ghats have high altitude rain forests called the
South Western Ghats montane rain forests. The
Malabar Coast moist forests are found on the coastal plains. The Western Ghats itself is a
biodiversity hotspot.
Some of India's famous protected areas are found in South India. These include
Project Tiger reserves
Periyar National Park,
Kalakad - Mundanthurai and
Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve. Important ecological regions of South India are the
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, located at the conjunction of the borders of Karnataka, Kerela and Tamilnadu in the
Nilgiri Hills including
Mudumalai National Park,
Bandipur National Park,
Nagarhole National Park Silent Valley National Park,
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary and the
Anamalai Hills including the
Eravikulam National Park,
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary,
Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary and the adjacent
The Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park of the Western Ghats. Important bird sanctuaries including
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, Neelapattu Sanctuary and Pulicat Sanctuary are home to numerous migratory and local birds. Other protected ecological sites include the
backwaters like the Pulicut Lake in Andhra Pradesh, Pitchavarum in Tamil Nadu and the famed backwaters of Kerala formed by the
Vembanad Lake, the
Ashtamudi Lake and the Kayamkulam Lake.
Banana,
Musaparadisiaca and
Moringa oleifera are found extensively in
Lakshadweep while
coconut plantations provide economic support to the islands. Lashadweep has been declared a bird sanctuary by the Wildlife Institute of India.
Crabs, chiefly
hermit crabs,
parrot fish and
butterfly fish are also found on the islands.
Subdivisions
South India consists of the four southern Indian states of
Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka,
Kerala and
Tamil Nadu as well as the
union territories of
Pondicherry and the
Lakshadweep archipelago. Together with Pondicherry, each South Indian state has an elected state government, while the Lakshadweep islands are
centrally administered by the
President of India. The modern states of South India were created as a result of the
States Reorganisation Act (1956), which established states and union territories based on linguistic boundaries. As a result of this act:
- Andhra Pradesh was formed with the transfer of all districts from Hyderabad State and some taluks from Raichur, Bidar, and Gulbarga to Andhra State,
- Kerala was created with the transfer of Malayalam-dominated territories from Madras State, Kasaragod taluk and Malabar district to unapportioned districts of Travancore-Cochin State,
- Mysore State was formed with the transfer of Belgaum, Bijapur, Dharwad and Canara districts from Bombay State, Kollegal taluk of Coimbatore from Madras State, unapportioned taluks of Raichur, Bidar and Gulbarga from Hyderabad State and all territories of Coorg to the erstwhile Kingdom of Mysore,
- Madras State was reorganised with the transfer to some talkus from Travancore-Cochin to form the districts of Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli,
- Pondicherry was formed out of the territories that were under the control of France,
- Lakshadweep was formed out of the archipelago under the Malabar district of Madras State.
Madras State was renamed
Tamil Nadu in 1968, while Mysore State was renamed
Karnataka in 1973.
Each subregion is further divided into
districts; the region of South India has over 100 districts. Each state is headed by a
Governor, who is a direct appointee of the President of India, while the
Chief Minister is the elected head of the state government and represents the states ruling party or
coalition (the role of the Governor is largely
ceremonial).
Demographics
The estimated population of South India is 233 million. The largest linguistic groups in South India include the
Telugus,
Tamils,
Kannadigas,
Malayalis,
Tulus,
Kodavas and
Konkanis. About 83% of South Indians follow
Hinduism.
Islam has the second-highest number of followers in the region, with 11%, while 5% follow Christianity.
The average
literacy rate of South India is approximately 73%, considerably higher than the Indian national average of 60%. Kerala leads the nation with a literacy rate of 91%. The
sex ratio in South India is fairly equable at 997; Kerala is the only state in India with a favourable sex ratio. South India's predominant language family is
Dravidian, a
family of approximately seventy-three languages spoken in
South Asia. The
States Reorganisation Act of 1956 divided states in India along linguistic lines and led to the creation of separate states of
Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka,
Kerala and
Tamil Nadu in areas where Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Tamil respectively were dominant.
In the 2001
Census,
Telugu had the third largest base of native speakers in India (74 million), after
Hindi and
Bengali. Tamil was accorded the status of
classical language by the
Government of India in 2002 and had about 60 million native speakers. Kannada had 38 million, while Malayalam had 33 million native speakers. Each of these languages is listed as an
official language of India, per the
Official Languages Act (1963).
Urdu is spoken by over half of the 25 million
Muslims in South India. South Indian Muslims in some regions of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka speak a
dialect of Urdu called
Dakhni, while some in the
Dakshina Kannada region of Karnataka and regions in Kerala speak
Beary bashe. Both Dakhni and
Beary bashe are influenced by other South Indian languages.
Economy
| Economic and demographic indicators
|
| Parameter |
South India |
National |
Per capita net state domestic product (SDP) |
|
|
| Percentage share in total FDI approved (1993-2003) |
5.48 |
NA |
| Average annual growth of SDP |
5.6 |
5.6 |
| Percentage of population below poverty line |
17.41 |
26.10 |
| Percentage of urban population |
32.82 |
27.81 |
| Percentage of households with electricty |
89.32 |
67.9 |
| Literacy rate |
72.87 |
61 |
India's economy after
independence in 1947 conformed to a
socialist framework, with strict governmental control over
private sector participation,
foreign trade and
foreign direct investment (FDI). Through 1960-1990, South Indian economies experienced mixed economic growth. In the 1960s, Karnataka and Kerala achieved above average economic growth, while Andhra Pradesh's economy declined during this period. Similarly, Kerala experienced economic decline in the 1970s while the economies of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu consistently exceeded national average growth rates after 1970. Karnataka experienced the highest positive differential in
economic growth after the
liberalisation of the Indian economy in 1991, while Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were noted by some to be more
reform-oriented in terms of economic policy when compared to other Indian states.
Over 48% of South India's population is engaged in
agriculture, which is largely dependent on seasonal
monsoons while Karnataka produces 70% of India's coffee. Frequent droughts in northern Karnataka,
Rayalaseema and
Telangana have left farmers debt-ridden, forcing them to sell their livestock and sometimes even to commit suicide. The region also suffers from water scarcity, especially during summer. Since the liberalisation of the Indian economy, South India has seen a decrease in revenue from agriculture and agriculture related services .
Traditionally, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have been home to large,
public sector industries (referred to as
Public Sector Undertakings, or PSUs), with both states posting above average growth rates in this sector following economic liberalisation. while the registered headquarters of 42% of all Central PSUs in South India are located in Karnataka. Additionally, the growth of information technology (IT) hubs in the region have spurred economic growth and attracted foreign investments and job seekers from other parts of the country.
Bangalore, the
Silicon Valley of India, is India's IT hub, and is home to over 200 software companies. In
fiscal 2006-2007, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka attracted the third and fourth highest total FDI approvals in India, respectively, totalling to over Software exports from South India grossed over in fiscal 2005-06.
Change in policies made the agriculture rich state Andhra Pradesh to move into a very refined state in terms of IT and pharmaceutical areas. With major defence establishments in Hyderabad it has become a major city to a cosmopolitan city next to Mumbai.
Though Kerala lags behind many of the Indian states in terms of industrialisation, it ranks first in the country in terms of
quality of life.
Politics
Politics in South India is dominated by a mix of regional parties and larger national political parties like the
Congress (INC), the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the
Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)). With the exclusion of
Karnataka, each state has at least
two parties dominating politics in that state.
Pre-independence politics in the Madras Presidency was dominated by the
Justice Party and the
INC.
Periyar Ramasami who started the
Periyar movement was elected leader of the Justice party in 1938 and in 1944 renamed it to
Dravidar Kazhagam, with its initial aim being the secession of
Dravida Nadu from the rest of India on independence. Following independence, Periyar strongly believed that the party shouldn't participate in elections in the newly created India, something his closest followers disagreed with. In 1948,
C. N. Annadurai, a follower of Periyar and a Joint Secretary of Dravidar Kazhagam parted ways with Periyar to form the
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam political party. occurred in Tamil Nadu.
In 1982, the establishment of the
Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh by former Telugu actor
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR) broke the dominance of the INC in Andhra Pradesh politics. NTR successfully challenged the INC's supremacy in the state and his party was voted into power a total of four times. In 1996, a year after winning the state assembly election by a landslide, a dispute between NTR, his wife Lakshmi Parvati and his immediate family resulted in a split in the TDP. Concerned over undue influence over NTR and his policies, the bulk of the party favoured the family under the leadership of NTR's son-in-law,
N Chandrababu Naidu, who later became Chief Minister of the state. Naidu was regarded as a visionary who promoted the growth of information technology in the state.
The
Janata Dal has been far more successful in Karnataka than it has been in national politics. National political parties such as the BJP and INC have experienced more comparative success in Karnataka than they've in other states of South India. Karnataka's political environment is dominated by two rival caste groups — the
Vokkaligas and the
Lingayats.
Ramakrishna Hegde played an integral part in the ascent of the Janata Dal into the national foray in the late 1980s. However, it was his political rival
H. D. Deve Gowda, then the Chief Minister of Karnataka, who later went on to become the
Prime Minister of India.
Kerala hosts two major political alliances: the
United Democratic Front (UDF, led by the
Indian National Congress) and the
Left Democratic Front (LDF, led by the
Communist Party of India (Marxist)). Kerala numbers among India's most left-wing states. An interesting phenomenon of Kerala politics is the alternate election of Congress and the Communists to power.
Culture and heritage
weltanschauung of South Indians is essentially the celebration of the eternal
universe through the celebration of the beauty of the body, and
motherhood, which is exemplified through their dance, clothing, and sculptures. South Indian women traditionally wear the
Saree while the men wear a type of
sarong, which could be either a white
pancha or a colourful
lungi with typical
batik patterns.
Rice is the staple diet, while fish is an integral component of coastal South Indian meals.
Coconut is an important ingredient in Kerala whereas
Andhra Pradesh cuisine is characterized by
pickles and spicy
curries.
Hyderabadi cuisine a legacy of the past, is popular for its
Biryani.
Dosa,
Idli,
Uttapam are popular throughout the region. There are large
coffee estates in southern Karnataka and parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
The music of South India is known as
Carnatic music, which includes
rhythmic and structured music by composers like
Purandara Dasa,
Kanaka Dasa,
Tyagaraja,
Annamacharya,
Muthuswami Dikshitar,
Shyama Shastri, Subbaraya Shastri, Mysore Vasudevachar and
Swathi Thirunal. The contemporary singer
Dr. K. J. Yesudas is a cultural ambassador of Carnatic music. The motion picture industry has emerged as an important platform in South India, over the years portraying the cultural changes, trends, aspirations and developments experienced by its people. Some movie classics like
Nammukku paarkkaan munthiri thoppukal (1986) by
Padmarajan,
Adi Shankara (1984) by director
G V Iyer, and
Perumthachan (1990) by
Ajayan have gained worldwide acclaim. South India is home to several distinct dance forms — the
Koodiyattam,
Bharatanatyam,
Kuchipudi,
Kathakali,
Yakshagana,
Theyyam,
Ottamthullal,
Oppana,
Kerala Natanam and
Mohiniaattam.
South India has an independent literary tradition going back over 2000 years. The first known literature of South India are the poetic
Sangams, which were written in Tamil between 2000 to 1500 years ago. The 850 CE Kannada classic
Kavirajamarga written by King Amoghavarsha I makes references to Kannada literature of King Durvinita in the early sixth century CE. Tamil Buddhist commentators of the tenth century CE
Nemrinatham make references to Kannada literature of the fourth century CE. Distinct Malayalam and Telugu literary traditions developed in the following centuries.
South India has two distinct styles of rock architecture, the
pure dravida style of Tamil Nadu and the
Vesara style (also called
Karnata dravida style) present in Karnataka. The inspirational
temple sculptures of
Hampi,
Badami,
Bhattiprolu,
Pattadakal,
Aihole,
Belur,
Halebidu,
Lakkundi,
Shravanabelagola,
Mahabalipuram,
Tanjore,
Madurai and the mural paintings of
Travancore and Lepakshi temples, also stand as a testament to
South Indian culture. The paintings of
Raja Ravi Varma are considered classic renditions of many a scenes of South Indian life and mythology.
Murudeshwara, a town in
Uttar Kannada district is known for the world's tallest Shiva statue.
The main spiritual traditions of South India include both
Shaivite and
Vaishnavite branches of
Hinduism, although
Buddhist and
Jain philosophies had been influential several centuries earlier.
Shravanabelagola in Karnataka is a popular pilgrimage center for
Jains.
Ayyavazhi is spread significantly across South India. Its followers are more densely populated in South
Tamil Nadu and
Kerala. There is a large
Muslim community in South India, particularly in the
Malabar coast, which can trace its roots to the ancient maritime trade between Kerala and
Omanis and other Arabs.
Christianity has flourished in coastal South India from the times of
St. Thomas the Apostle who is believed to have come to Kerala and established the Syrian Christian tradition today called as Saint Thomas Christians or
Nasranis. Kerala is also home to one of the oldest
Jewish communities in the world who are supposed to have arrived in the Malabar coast during the time of
King Solomon. The oldest surviving Jewish
synagogue in the
Commonwealth of Nations is the
Paradesi Synagogue in
Kochi, Kerala.
Further Information
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