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Indo-Gangetic Plain

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In geography , a plain , commonly known as flatland , is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation , and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains , as coastal plains , and as plateaus or uplands . Plains are one of the major landforms on earth, being present on all continents and covering more than one-third of the world's land area. Plains in many areas are important for agriculture . There are various types of plains and biomes on them.

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46-526: The Indo-Gangetic Plain , also known as the Northern Plain or North Indian River Plain , is a fertile plain spanning 700,000 km (270,000 sq mi) across the northern and north-eastern part of the Indian subcontinent . It encompasses northern and eastern India , eastern Pakistan , southern Nepal , and almost all of Bangladesh . It is named after the two major river systems that drain

92-516: A north west to south east orientation till the Aravalli Hills and is about 300 km (190 mi) wide stretching from Haryana in India into Pakistan's Punjab Province . The elevation varies from 275 m (902 ft) in the north to 176 m (577 ft) in the south west. The left quarter of the region is drained mainly by the tributaries of Indus – Ravi , Beas , and Sutlej and

138-484: A rift valley and that the existence of such a large rift valley is not possible. According to the recent research, sediment deposited at the bed of the per-historic Tethys Sea folded towards the northern end due to the northward drift of the Indian plate and a trough was formed later due to the emergence of the Himalayas in the north. Beneath the silt deposition, the region rests on hard crystalline rocks which connect

184-512: A valley, a plain is enclosed on two sides, but in other cases a plain may be delineated by a complete or partial ring of hills, by mountains, or by cliffs . Where a geological region contains more than one plain, they may be connected by a pass (sometimes termed a gap ). Coastal plains mostly rise from sea level until they run into elevated features such as mountains or plateaus. Plains can be formed from flowing lava ; from deposition of sediment by water, ice, or wind; or formed by erosion by

230-408: Is a flat expanse of land with a layer of grass that generally does not change much in elevation , and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains , as coastal plains , and as plateaus or uplands . Plains are one of the major landforms on earth, where they are present on all continents, and cover more than one-third of the world's land area. In

276-399: Is drained by three major river systems and has a high ground water table . Due to its rich water resources and fertile alluvial soil, it is one of the world's most densely populated and intensely farmed areas. The eastern part of the plain receives heavy rainfall during the monsoon after the summer, which commonly results in floods and inundations. The rainfall decreases from the east towards

322-662: Is now Afghanistan into the northwest of the Indian subcontinent in the middle of the 1st century CE. Maritime trade along the Silk Road flourished during the period. The Gupta period existed from the 4th to 7th century CE and is noted for its arts, architecture and science. In the 12th century CE, much of the region was ruled by the Rajputs . In 1191 CE, the Rajput king Prithviraj Chauhan unified several Rajput states and defeated

368-680: Is the river delta formed by the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers when they enter the Bay of Bengal . Spread over the Bengal region , consisting of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal , it is the world's largest river delta and is one of the most fertile regions of the plains. The delta stretches from about 260 km (160 mi) from the Hooghly River east to the Meghna River in

414-510: The Arabian Sea . Most of the delta lies in the southern Sindh province of Pakistan with a small portion in the Kutch region of India. The delta covers an area of about 41,440 km (16,000 sq mi), and is approximately 210 km (130 mi) across where it meets the sea. The climate is arid , the region receives only 25 and 50 cm (9.8 and 19.7 in) of rainfall. Since

460-710: The Aryans ). According to Manusmṛti (2.22), 'Aryavarta' is "the tract between the Himalaya and the Vindhya ranges, from the Eastern Sea ( Bay of Bengal ) to the Western Sea ( Arabian Sea )". The region was part of what was historically referred to as Hindustan , a term used to refer to the whole of the Indian subcontinent . The term "Hindustani" is also commonly used to refer to the people, music , and culture of

506-476: The Himalayas in the north and Deccan plateau in the south. However, there has been divergent theories as to the formation of the depression. As per Darashaw Wadia , the depression was a furrow that originally existed since the formation of the plateau in the south and the mountains in the north. Edward Suess had suggested that the depression was a large syncline that was formed when the southward advance of

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552-611: The Himalayas in the north to the Vindhyas and Satpura and the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the south in the south, and extends from North East India in the east to the Iranian border in the west. The region is home to many major cities and nearly one-seventh of the world's population. In India, it mainly encompasses the states and union territories of Rajasthan in the west, Punjab , Haryana, Chandigarh , and Delhi in

598-584: The Indus delta and the Rann of Kutch . The western part of the region is covered by shifting sand dunes (dharian) and the eastern part of the region (Rajasthan Bagar) is rocky. The region is largely arid with seasonal streams uch as Luni supporting limited agriculture. The Punjab-Haryana Plain lies to the east and north east of the Rajasthan Plain. It extends for a length of 640 km (400 mi) in

644-786: The Mughal Emperor —the three main scions—the British East India Company emerged as the preeminent power in Bengal. The battle was the beginning of the end for the Mughal Empire's political control, as the Company continued to consolidate its influence over vast territories. However, this rise to power came with various challenges, especially from the zamindars of Bihar . Mir Qasim disappeared into impoverished obscurity. Shah Alam II surrendered himself to

690-824: The Shivalik range in the north and the Deccan Plateau in the south with the Yamuna River forming the rough western boundary. The region extends 550 km (340 mi) in the north–south direction and is about 380 km (240 mi) wide with an average elevation of 100–300 m (330–980 ft). The Middle Ganga Plain stretches to the east of the Upper Ganga plain and forms part of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. It covers an area of 1.44 km (0.56 sq mi), stretching 330 km (210 mi) in north–south direction and 600 km (370 mi) in

736-536: The Yamuna waters a small portion on the eastern border. The in-between land which encompasses the city of Delhi, largely consists of no major streams except the seasonal Ghaggar River . The region has a humid sub tropical climate with dry winters and receives the major part of rainfall during the south west monsoon between July to September. The Ganga Plain forms the largest sub-unit of the plains and encompasses an area of 375,000 km (145,000 sq mi) across

782-654: The subcontinent (most notably, Nawab of Bengal and Nawab of Awadh ), Nizam of Hyderabad and short lived Sultanate of Mysore . According to one brigadier-general H. Biddulph, "the European infantry was composed of the Bengal European Battalion, two weak companies of the Bombay European Battalion, and small detachments of Marines and of H.M. 84th, 89th and 96th Regiments. The only officers killed were Lt. Francis Spilsbury of

828-454: The 1940s, the delta has received less water as a result of large-scale irrigation works capturing large amounts of the Indus water before it reaches the delta. The region is home to the largest arid mangrove forests in the world. The population of the active part of the delta was estimated at 900,000 in 2003 with fishing being the major industry. The Rajasthan Plains form the western extreme of

874-462: The 96th Foot and Ensign Richard Thompson of the Bengal European Battalion." The Battle of Buxar had far-reaching consequences that reshaped the political landscape of colonial India. Its aftermath witnessed significant shifts in power dynamics and set the stage for British dominance in the Bengal region. Following their victory over the combined forces of the Nawab of Bengal , the Nawab of Awadh , and

920-835: The British East India Company . The war was brought to an end by the Treaty of Allahabad in 1765. The defeated Indian rulers were forced to sign the treaty, granting the East India Company Diwani rights, which allowed them to collect revenue from the territories of Bengal , Bihar , and Orissa on behalf of the Mughal emperor. The British engaged in the fighting numbered 17,072 comprising 1,859 British regulars, 5,297 Indian sepoys and 9,189 Indian cavalry . The alliance army's numbers were estimated to be over 40,000, but they were still defeated by

966-510: The British side and 6,000 casualties on the Mughal side. The victors captured 133 pieces of artillery and over 1 million rupees of cash. Immediately after the battle, Munro decided to assist the Marathas , who were described as a "warlike race", well known for their relentless rivalry and unwavering hatred towards Mughal Empire , Durrani Empire , Rohilla Chieftaincies , different Nawabs of

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1012-546: The British, and Shuja-ud-Daula fled west hotly pursued by the victors. The whole Ganges valley lay at the company's mercy; Shuja-ud-Daula eventually surrendered. In 1765, the British East India Company was granted the right to collect taxes from Bengal-Bihar. Eventually, in 1772, the East India company abolished local rule and took complete control of the province of Bengal-Bihar. The battle exposed

1058-523: The British. A lack of basic co-ordination between the three disparate allies is seen as responsible for their decisive defeat. Mirza Najaf Khan commanded the right flank of the Mughal imperial army and was the first to advance his forces against Major Hector Munro at daybreak; the British lines formed within twenty minutes and reversed the advance of the Mughals . According to the British, Durrani and Rohilla cavalry were also present and fought during

1104-508: The Earth. They are structurally depressed areas of the world that make up some of the most extensive natural lowlands on the Earth's surface. Battle of Buxar British victory [REDACTED]   Great Britain The Battle of Buxar was fought between 22 and 23 October 1764, between the forces of the British East India Company , under the command of Major Hector Munro , and

1150-514: The Himalayan region with the peninsula. As the region was formed by the deposits of major rivers, the plains consists of the world's largest expanse of uninterrupted alluvium . The fertile plains span 700,000 km (270,000 sq mi) across the northern and north-eastern part of the Indian subcontinent . It encompasses northern and eastern India , eastern Pakistan , southern Nepal , and almost all of Bangladesh . Its stretches from

1196-428: The Himalayas was blocked by the Indian landmass. Sydney Burrard opined that the region was a deep rift that existed in the earth's crust , which was subsequently filled with alluvium. He also pointed out the existence of other rift valleys in the Himalayan and Deccan plateau region. However, geologists such as Ferdinand Hayden and Richard Oldham have rejected this stating that there is no evidence of existence of

1242-404: The agents from hills or mountains. Biomes on plains include grassland ( temperate or subtropical ), steppe ( semi-arid ), savannah ( tropical ) or tundra ( polar ). In a few instances, deserts and rainforests may also be considered plains. Plains in many areas are important for agriculture because where the soils were deposited as sediments they may be deep and fertile , and

1288-829: The battle in various skirmishes. But by midday, the battle was over and Shuja-ud-Daula blew up large tumbrils and three massive magazines of gunpowder. Munro divided his army into various columns and particularly pursued the Mughal Grand Vizier Shuja-ud-Daula , the Nawab of Awadh , who responded by blowing up his boat-bridge after crossing the river, thus abandoning the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II and members of his own regiment. Mir Qasim also fled with his 3 million rupees worth of gemstones and later died in poverty in 1777. Mirza Najaf Khan reorganised formations around Shah Alam II , who retreated and then chose to negotiate with

1334-539: The combined armies of Balwant Singh , Maharaja of the Banaras State ; Mir Qasim , Nawab of Bengal ; Shuja-ud-Daula , Nawab of Awadh ; and Shah Alam II , Emperor of the Mughal Empire . The battle was fought at Buxar , a "strong fortified town" within the territory of Bihar , located on the banks of the Ganges river about 130 kilometres (81 mi) west of Patna ; it was a challenging victory for

1380-542: The defeat of the Marathas, the entire region came under the control of British Raj and remained same until the Indian Independence in 1947. The plains were named after the two major river systems that drain the region– Indus and Ganges . The region was formed as a result of continuous deposition of silt by the major river systems of Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra in the depression that existed between

1426-405: The east–west direction. The elevation varies from 100 m (330 ft) in the western boundary to 30 m (98 ft) towards the south east. This plain is largely drained by Ghaghara, Gandak and Kosi rivers. The Lower Ganga Plain includes parts of Bihar, West Bengal and most of Bangladesh . It stretches for 81,000 km (31,000 sq mi) along a 580 km (360 mi) stretch from

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1472-595: The flatness facilitates mechanization of crop production; or because they support grasslands which provide good grazing for livestock . The types of depositional plains include: Erosional plains have been leveled by various agents of denudation such as running water, rivers, wind and glacier which wear out the rugged surface and smoothens them. Plain resulting from the action of these agents of denudation are called peneplains (almost plain) while plains formed from wind action are called pediplains . Structural plains are relatively undisturbed horizontal surfaces of

1518-578: The foothills of the Himalayas in the north to the Bay of Bengal in the south, and extends between the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the west and Bangladesh's eastern boundary with India. The average elevation is 50 m (160 ft) along the western boundary. The Brahmaputra Valley largely covers the Indian state of Assam and is an eastern extension of the plains. It stretches from the Eastern Himalayas in Arunachal Pradesh in

1564-796: The invading army of Shihabuddin Ghori in the First Battle of Tarain . However, Shihabuddin defeated the Rajputs in the Second Battle of Tarain , which led to the rise of the Delhi Sultanate in the region in the 13th century CE. In 1526 CE, Babur swept across the Khyber Pass and established the Mughal Empire , which ruled for almost the next three centuries. The Maratha Empire founded by Chatrapati Shivaji , briefly captured

1610-558: The north west, Uttar Pradesh in the north, Bihar and West Bengal in the east, and Assam in the north east. The Indo-Gangetic Plain is divided into two drainage basins by the Delhi Ridge , which is a northern extension of the Aravalli Hills . The western part is drains by the Indus, and the eastern part consists of the Ganga–Brahmaputra river systems. The plains encompassed four distinct geographical regions: The region

1656-607: The north, to the Garo - Khasi - Jaintia and Mikir Hills in the south. Its has the Patkai and Naga Hills to the east and the boundary of the Lower Ganga Plain to the west. The region covers an estimated 56,000 km (22,000 sq mi) and is watered by Brahmaputra and its tributaries. The elevation varies from 130 m (430 ft) in the east to 30 m (98 ft) in the west. The Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta

1702-545: The plains consists of the world's largest expanse of uninterrupted alluvium . Due to its rich water resources, it is one of the world's most densely populated and intensely farmed areas. The region was home to the Indus Valley civilisation in 3000 BCE, which was one of the earliest human settlements in the Indian subcontinent. During the Vedic period (c. 1500 – 600 BCE), the region was referred to as " Aryavarta " (Land of

1748-609: The plains in India and is mostly composed of Thar desert , which occupies an area of 200,000 km (77,000 sq mi) stretching acrss 650 km (400 mi). About three-fourth of the plains lie in India and rest in Pakistan. In India, two-thirds of the region is part of western Rajasthan , extending to the west of Aravalli Hills and rest form parts of Haryana , Punjab and Gujarat . The region has an average elevation of 325 m (1,066 ft) which reduces from east to west, reaching about 150 m (490 ft) towards

1794-451: The region in the early 18th century CE. The Sikh Empire was established by Ranjit Singh around the same time in the north western part of the region. The Europeans arrived in the end of the 15th century CE in peninsular India . The English East India company 's in the Battle of Plassey (1757) and Battle of Buxar (1767) consolidated the company's power in the lower Gangetic plain. With

1840-557: The region. The fertile terrain facilitated the rise and expansion of various empires such as the Mauryas , Kushan , Guptas , all of whom had their demographic and political centers in the Indo-Gangetic plain. The Maurya Empire existed from 4th to 2nd century BCE and unified most of the Indian subcontinent into one state, and was the largest empire ever to exist on the Indian subcontinent. The Kushan Empire expanded out of what

1886-466: The region– Indus and Ganges . Its stretches from the Himalayas in the north to the northern edge of the Deccan plateau in the south, and extends from North East India in the east to the Iranian border in the west. The region is home to many major cities and nearly one-seventh of the world's population. As the region was formed by the deposits of the three major rivers–Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra ,

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1932-590: The states of Uttar Pradesh , Bihar, and West Bengal . The Ganges along with its tributaries such as the Yamuna , Gomti , Ghagara , Gandak , Chambal , Kosi , and Sone drain the region. The various rivers and streams originating from both the Himalayas and the Deccan Plateau contribute to fertile soil in the region. The region gently slopes towards the south east and consists of three regions: Upper, Middle and Lower Ganga Plains. The Upper Ganga Plain stretches 149,000 km (58,000 sq mi) from

1978-494: The victorious British. The historian John William Fortescue claimed that the British casualties totalled 847: 39 killed and 64 wounded from the European regiments and 250 killed, 435 wounded and 85 missing from the East India Company's sepoys. He also claimed that the three Indian allies suffered 2,000 dead and that many more were wounded. Another source says that there were 69 European and 664 sepoy casualties on

2024-755: The west with the western region encompassing drier areas such as the Thar desert . The region can be sub-divided into various geographical units such as the Sindh Plains , and the Indus Delta in Pakistan; Rajasthan Plain, and Punjab-Haryana Plain in India and Pakistan, Ganga Plain in India and Bangladesh, Brahmaputra Valley in India, Terai region in Nepal, and the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta in India and Bangladesh. The Sindh Plains forms

2070-525: The west. It encompasses an area of more than 100,000 km (39,000 sq mi) with two-thirds of it in Bangladesh. It is also one of the most densely populated regions in the world with more than 130 million inhabitants. The area is prone to heavy tropical cyclones . Agriculture and fishing form important part of the economy in the region. 27°N 80°E  /  27°N 80°E  / 27; 80 Plain A plain or flatland

2116-657: The western part of the plains and encompasses the Sindh region of Pakistan to the west of the Thar desert with the Punjab Plains in the north and the Indus River Delta in the south. The region receives about 13 in (330 mm) of rain annually, mostly from June to September. The economy is largely based on agriculture. The Indus River Delta encompasses the region where the Indus River flows into

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