2. India: Some Insights

In this chapter, some insights into India are provided for all readers who are not so familiar with the culture and history of the subcontinent. The chapter starts with some general facts about landscape and climate. Then, a short narrative of India's history is provided, as historical facts are also important for understanding urban developments. This part starts with the pre-Vedic developments of the Indus valley, followed by a brief review of the Indian Middle Ages, continued by the Islamic invasions that led to the Mughal Empire. The section continues with introducing the British rule and highlights some facts of the post-independence era. In the second half of the chapter the main religion, Hinduism, is described and some of the main deities of the Hindu pantheon are introduced. This is on the one hand important in all cultures around the world, because a certain believe moulds the cultural heritage of a region. In India, however, religion has a spatial dimension and thus shapes the layout of towns and villages, as will be addressed throughout the book. Finally, the caste system is introduced, because of its importance for the layout of villages and cities, until today.