Abstract:
Physically, India may be divided more or less into three main regions
viz. (1) the mountainous borders of Himalayas in the north and of the
Vindhyas in the south with the linings of Ghats in the south-eastern and
south-western coasts and the traverse range of Aravalli hills; (2) the
Deccan plateau or table land; and (3) the plains or low-lands, a rich Indo-
Gangetic alluvium overflown by the rivers — the Ganges, Jamuna and
Brahmaputra.
Although primordial mountains remained inaccessible for human
settlement, the foothills have been increasingly brought under cultivation
and settlement and the upland valleys striking the Himalayas include some
of the most fertile of Indian lowland formations. Megasthenes and earlier
Greek eye-witnesses whose memoirs were utilised for reference by
subsequent classical writers, were all inspired by the great rivers
of India. The whole Indo-Gangetic alluvium consists of rich fertile
soil and has contributed materially to the growth of civilization.
