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The history of South India covers a span of over two thousand years during which
the region saw the rise and fall of a number of dynasties and empires. The
period of known history of the region begins with the ancient period during
which the great king Asoka ruled over most of the Indian subcontinent. The
dynasties of Satavahana, Chalukya, Pallava, Rashtrakuta, Chola, Pandya, Kakatiya
and Hoysala were at their peak during various periods of history. India's Great
Divide is the Vindhya Mountains. They run from east to west, separating the
fertile river valley of the Ganges called the Ganga, from the Deccan Plateau
which occupies much of the peninsula of India. It also separates the north,
where the predominant languages are Sanskrit - based (brought in by the Indo
Iranian herds people about 3,500 years ago), from the Dravidian tongues brought
in by a long headed race from the Mediterranean about a thousand years earlier.
The South India's coastal plains are backed by the mountains rimming the wedge
of the Deccan plateau. On these plains lie the best beaches in South India. On
the rimming mountains, the western and eastern ghats are the tea, coffee and
spice lands. Beyond these mountains, in the wedge shaped plateau, are great old
cities supported by rich farm lands and a culture that has its roots in the
almost historical Kumari Continent from where, they claim, civilization spread
across the world. After Indian independence South India was linguistically
divided into the state of: |
