6 CENTRAL ASIA
In this chapter
- Geography and History
- Religion and Philosophy
- Literature
- Architecture
- Performing Arts
- Visual Arts
GEOGRAPHY and HISTORY
Brief History of South Asia
Understanding geography is particularly important for the study of art of South Asia, not only because the topography of the region is so diverse, but also because, for many who live on the subcontinent, the landscape itself is considered to be sacred and often appears as a main subject in works of art. Today, the region of South Asia can include the nation-states of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Scholars also use the term “Indian subcontinent” to refer to the broader region of mainland South Asia and the countries that comprise the geographic formation that dominates this southern part of Asia. Historically, the term “India” (or Hindustan) was used by people living outside this region to refer to the land beyond the Indus River.
Studying the geography of South Asia can also be a way to better understand the people who created or commissioned works of art. In addition, maps and depictions of landscapes can provide insight into transitions of political power, the territorial desires of rulers, as well as the places where artists lived and worked. Contemporary maps of the Indian subcontinent often utilize satellite images and focus on geo-political boundaries. But these contemporary maps are only one perspective of the geography of South Asia.
Indo-Gangetic Plain
One of the most famous rivers in South Asia is the Ganges River, which runs along the northern and eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent just below the Himalayan mountain range. The fertile land on either side of the Ganges River is known as the Gangetic Plain. This large region has long been home to important cities, artistic sites, and cultural activity. The Gangetic Plain encompasses present-day Bangladesh, parts of Nepal and Bhutan, as well as areas within the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal in India.
Another important river in South Asia, the Indus River, has also been a center for cultural activity for millennia. The Indus begins in the high mountains of western Tibet then flows down through Kashmir as well as through the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Punjab, and Sindh provinces in Pakistan, ultimately emptying into the Arabian Sea, just south of the city of Karachi.
These two rivers—the Indus and the Ganges—and their surrounding landscape form an area known as the Indo-Gangetic Plain, which crosses the northern part of the Indian subcontinent and includes both its northeastern and northwestern regions.
The Deccan + the South
The Deccan Plateau is a large triangular plateau of basalt and granite that rises between the coastal mountain ranges of the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, just below the Vindhya mountains. The Deccan Plateau crosses the border of several states in India including Andhra Pradesh,