Publisher's Synopsis
This work is a chronological study of South Asia that emphasizes the effect of humans on their environment, and in return the influence of nature on the evolution of human society.
Ranging from prehistory to the present and encompassing the whole of South Asia, this volume in ABC-CLIO's Nature and Human Societies series offers the first chronological history of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka from the perspective of the crucial reciprocal relationship between humankind and the environment.
South Asia: An Environmental History shows how the civilizations of this geographically diverse region were formed (physically, ethically, and culturally) by their interactions with the environment-a relationship with particularly strong social and spiritual dimensions because of the interdependence of the predominantly agrarian population and the land. Specific topics range from ancient irrigation techniques and peasant adaptation to the environment, to the impact of imperialism on nature, the effect of post-colonial technology on contemporary life, and the enduring influence of religion on the way South Asian societies address ecological issues.
- A chronology charting important events in the environmental history of South Asia, from the development of the Indus civilization ca. 2500 B.C.E., to the impact on Sri Lanka of the tsunami of December 2004
- A series of maps ranging from general depictions of South Asian physiography to specific topics, such as the westward movement of the Kosi River from 1732 to 1948
