What are the 5 names given to the Indian subcontinent
Answers
Explanation:
The Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, or simply the subcontinent, is a southern region and peninsula of Asia, mostly situated on the Indian Plate and projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geologically, the Indian subcontinent is related to the land mass that rifted from Gondwana and merged with the Eurasian Plate nearly 55 million years ago. Geographically, it is the peninsular region in south-central Asia delineated by the Himalayas in the north, the Hindu Kush in the west, and the Arakanese in the east. Politically, the Indian subcontinent includes all or part of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Sometimes, the geographical term 'Indian subcontinent' is used interchangeably with 'South Asia', although the latter term is used typically as a political term and is also used to sometimes include Afghanistan and Myanmar. Which countries should be included in either of these remains the subject of debate.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term "subcontinent" signifies a "subdivision of a continent which has a distinct geographical, political, or cultural identity" and also a "large land mass somewhat smaller than a continent". It was especially convenient for referring to the region comprising both British India and the princely states under British Paramountcy. Though the English term "subcontinent" mainly refers to the Indian subcontinent from early 20th century, the term was earlier attested in 1845 to refer to the North and South Americas, before they were regarded as separate continents. The geopolitical definition and the use of terms such as Indian subcontinent, South Asian subcontinent and South Asia is a contested topic.
The region has been variously labelled as "India" (in its pre-modern sense), Greater India, the Indian Subcontinent (a term in particularly common use in the British Empire and its successors) and South Asia. Though the terms "Indian subcontinent" and "South Asia" are generally used interchangeably, some academics hold that the term "South Asia" is the more common usage in Europe and North America. According to historians Sugata Bose and Ayesha Jalal, the Indian Subcontinent has come to be known as South Asia "in more recent and neutral parlance." Indologist Ronald B. Inden argues that the usage of the term "South Asia" is becoming more widespread since it clearly distinguishes the region from East Asia.
The terms "Indian subcontinent" and "South Asia" are sometimes used interchangeably. There is no globally accepted definition on which countries are a part of South Asia or the Indian subcontinent. The Indian subcontinent has been a term particularly common in the British Empire and its successors. Historians Catherine Asher and Cynthia Talbot state that the term "Indian subcontinent" describes a natural physical landmass in South Asia that has been relatively isolated from the rest of Eurasia. According to Mittal and Thursby, it has also been labelled as India (in its classical and pre-modern sense), Greater India, or as South Asia. The BBC and some academic sources refer to the region as the "Asian Subcontinent". Some academics refer to it as "South Asian Subcontinent
Definition
According to anthropologist John R. Lukacs, "the Indian Subcontinent occupies the major landmass of South Asia", while the political science professor Tatu Vanhanen states, "the seven countries of South Asia constitute geographically a compact region around the Indian Subcontinent". According to Chris Brewster, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan constitute the Indian subcontinent; with Afghanistan and Maldives included it is more commonly referred to as South Asia. The geopolitical boundaries of the Indian subcontinent, according to Dhavendra Kumar, include "India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and other small islands of the Indian Ocean". The Maldives, a country consisting of a small archipelago southwest of the peninsula, is considered part of the Indian subcontinent.
The precise definition of an "Indian subcontinent" as opposed to "South Asia" in a geopolitical context is somewhat contested. There is no globally accepted definition on which countries are a part of South Asia or the Indian subcontinent. While Afghanistan is not considered as a part of the Indian subcontinent, Afghanistan is sometimes included in South Asia. Similarly, Myanmar is included by some scholars in South Asia but not in the Indian subcontinent.