India and Her Neighbours — Class 7 Social Science
Exploring Society Part 2 · Chapter 2
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- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
- Space weighted by chapter size
- Charts from the book's own data
- Traps corrected
Chapter summary
Key ideas & terms
- Maritime neighbour
- A country connected to another by a shared sea or ocean, even without a direct land border, linked through trade and cultural exchange.
- Regionalism
- Countries of a region working together to create peace, stability and shared progress, as India does in the Indian Ocean.
- Open border
- An arrangement, as between India and Nepal, where people can cross without a visa or passport, enabling work, study, trade and family ties.
- SAARC
- The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, formed in 1985 to promote sociocultural and economic progress among member nations.
- Suvarnabhumi
- The 'golden land' — a name early Indian traders gave to parts of Southeast Asia like Java, Sumatra and Malaya.
- Gross National Happiness
- A holistic measure of progress developed by Bhutan, including sustainability, good governance and the promotion of culture.
Extra questions & answers
Who is a maritime neighbour?
A maritime neighbour is a country connected to another by a shared sea or ocean, even without a direct land border, with the ocean acting as a vital link for trade and cultural exchange.
Which countries share a land border with India?
Pakistan and Afghanistan in the northwest, China's region of Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan in the north, and Bangladesh and Myanmar in the east.
How is Buddhism a cultural link between India and China?
Buddhism originated in India and reached China around the 1st century CE; later Chinese monks like Faxian and Xuanzang travelled to Indian centres of learning, while Indian monks carried Buddhist teachings to China.
What is the Kartarpur Corridor?
It is a visa-free border crossing opened in 2019 that lets Indian pilgrims visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev.
What does India's 'open border' with Nepal mean?
It allows citizens of both countries to cross freely without passports or visas, enabling them to access education, healthcare and employment and to maintain family connections.
Why is Bhutan called the 'Land of the Thunder Dragon', and how is it linked to India?
Bhutan calls itself Drukyul, meaning 'Land of the Thunder Dragon'; it is linked to India through rivers that generate hydroelectric power and through the shared heritage of Buddhism.
Why is Myanmar called India's gateway to Southeast Asia?
Because it shares both a land and maritime border with India and connects India's northeastern states to Southeast Asia through agreements and connectivity projects like the trilateral highway.
How do place names in Thailand reflect Indian influence?
The Dvaravati culture took its name from Dvaraka and the Ayutthaya Kingdom was named after Ayodhya, the birthplace of Rama in the Ramayana, showing the deep impact of Indian civilisation.
What is SAARC?
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, formed in 1985 by nations including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, to promote shared progress.
How has India helped her smaller neighbours?
India has provided quick humanitarian aid and disaster relief, such as during the 2004 tsunami and the Maldives water crisis, and has supported education, healthcare and infrastructure in countries like Afghanistan.
The Big Questions
1. What defines a ‘neighbour’? Is it just shared land borders?
A ‘neighbour’ is not defined only by a shared land border. In the traditional sense a neighbour is a country that touches our land boundary, like Nepal or Pakistan. In a wider and more realistic sense it also includes maritime neighbours – countries connected to us across the sea or ocean, like Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Indonesia, Thailand, Oman and Iran – because seas have linked India to other lands for trade, culture and cooperation for centuries.
2. How do geography and history influence the nature of India’s relationships with her neighbours?
Geography shapes how we meet our neighbours. High mountains like the Himalayas separate India from China and Bhutan, deserts and plains define the border with Pakistan, open flat borders allow easy movement with Nepal, and the long coastline and peninsular shape put India in the centre of the Indian Ocean close to Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Southeast Asia. History shapes the relationship further. Ancient pilgrim and trade routes spread Buddhism from India to China, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia, Hindu traditions reached Quanzhou in China and Thailand’s kingdoms of Dvaravati and Ayutthaya, and the Uttarapatha and Silk Route linked India with Afghanistan and Iran. More recent history, such as the Partition of 1947 that created Pakistan and later Bangladesh in 1971, wars and border tensions, and treaties like the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship with Nepal, also influence whether the relationship is cooperative, tense or very close.
3. In what ways are India and her neighbours interconnected today?
Today India and her neighbours are connected in many ways. Culturally and spiritually through shared religions like Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism, common festivals like Dashain/Dussehra and Tihar/Diwali, languages like Bangla and Tamil, food, music, films and pilgrimages to places like Pashupatinatha in Nepal, Bodh Gaya for Bhutanese and Myanmar pilgrims, and Kartarpur Sahib for Sikhs. Economically through trade in goods, joint hydroelectric projects with Bhutan, use of Chabahar Port with Iran, and connectivity projects like the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway. Strategically and humanly through open borders with Nepal and Bhutan, disaster relief and first-responder help given to the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Indonesia after the 2004 tsunami, and regional groups like SAARC and the International Solar Alliance that work on development, climate change and maritime security.
LET’S EXPLORE
Identify the three large water bodies that surround India in the map on the facing page (Fig.2.2).
The three large water bodies that surround India are the Arabian Sea on the west, the Bay of Bengal on the east, and the Indian Ocean on the south. India’s long coastline of about 11,100 km juts into the Indian Ocean, which is why India is called a peninsular and maritime nation.
LET’S EXPLORE
The scene in Fig. 2.21 depicts the well-known Hindu myth of samudra manthana or the churning of the ocean. The devas (gods, on the right here) and the asuras (demons, on the left) decided to join forces to churn the cosmic ocean in search of amrita or the nectar of immortality, with the serpent Vāsuki as the churning rope and Viṣhṇu (above) presiding over the operation — he will eventually deceive the asuras to make sure that the amrita goes to the devas alone. Note also the airport’s official name of ‘Suvarnabhumi Airport’ — does it remind you of something?
Yes. The name Suvarnabhumi comes from the Sanskrit words suvarna meaning gold and bhumi meaning land. The chapter explains that from a few centuries BCE Indian traders sailed to Southeast Asia in search of gold and called the islands of Java, Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula Suvarnabhumi or Suvarnadvipa, the golden land or golden island. Naming Bangkok’s main airport Suvarnabhumi shows that the ancient Indian cultural and trade link still lives on in Thailand’s identity today, just like the sculpture of samudra manthana at the airport that shows the shared Hindu-Buddhist heritage.
LET’S EXPLORE
Seeing that Tamil is one of Singapore’s official languages, what does this suggest to you about the relationship between south India and Singapore?
It suggests a very old and strong relationship between south India and Singapore. Tamil being an official language along with English, Mandarin and Malay shows that many people of Tamil and broader South Indian origin have lived in Singapore for a long time and still form a significant community, about 9 percent of the population. It reflects centuries of trade and migration by merchants and monks from ancient times, and later large migration of workers from south India in the 19th and 20th centuries to work there. Their language, religion, food and culture became a lasting part of Singapore, seen in the Little India area, Hindu temples and Tamil schools.
Questions and activities
1. Explain who a maritime neighbour is with two examples with respect to India.
A maritime neighbour is a country that is connected to another country by a shared sea or ocean, even if they do not share a land boundary. The sea works as a link for trade, culture and history. For India, Sri Lanka is a nearest maritime neighbour across the Palk Strait, only about 32 km away at the closest point, and the Maldives is another nearest maritime neighbour, about 130 km from Minicoy in Lakshadweep. Wider maritime neighbours include Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Oman and Iran, all linked to India across the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.
2. How has Buddhism created links with India’s neighbours? Give examples to explain your answer.
Buddhism was born in India and spread to almost all neighbours along trade and pilgrimage routes, creating deep cultural links. It reached China around the 1st century CE and was carried further by Chinese monks Faxian and Xuanzang who visited Indian learning centres and by Indian monks Bodhidharma, Dharmakshema and Kumarajiva who taught in China. It was introduced to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BCE by Mahendra and Sanghamitra, children of Emperor Ashoka. Tibetan Buddhism, derived from Vajrayana, links India with Bhutan and Tibet. Theravada Buddhism links India with Myanmar, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Ancient links are still visible in restored sites like the Ananda temple in Bagan in Myanmar, the Borobudur stupa in Indonesia, and Buddhist pilgrim visits from Bhutan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka to Bodh Gaya, Nalanda, Rajgir and Sarnath in India.
3. What does ‘open border’ policy mean? How does the India–Nepal ‘open border’ policy affect the lives of people living along the border?
An open border means people of two countries can cross the border freely without needing a visa or passport. Under the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship, India and Nepal have such an open border across Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim. For people along the border this means families can stay connected on both sides, they can cross daily to buy and sell in vibrant border markets, work, study, seek health care and visit pilgrimage sites like Pashupatinatha. India is Nepal’s largest trading partner supplying petroleum, medicines and food while Nepal exports agricultural produce and handicrafts, so daily life and livelihoods depend on easy movement. Both governments work together to keep this border safe and not misused.
4. The chapter says, “Being neighbours is not just about geography.” Explain this statement with an example.
Being neighbours is not only about sharing a line on a map but about sharing history, culture, religion, economy and help in need. For example, India and Thailand share only a maritime boundary and are separated by sea, yet they are close neighbours because ancient traders and monks carried Sanskrit, the Ramayana story, and Theravada Buddhism there. Thai kingdoms were named Dvaravati after Dvaraka and Ayutthaya after Ayodhya, Thai kings are all named Rama, and the Suvarnabhumi Airport displays the samudra manthana story. Another example is India and the Maldives: though separated by water, they share language roots, food habits, and India quickly helped the Maldives after the 2004 tsunami, the 2014 water crisis in Male and during Covid-19, showing neighbourliness is about working together and caring.
5. What are the different ways in which India has helped smaller countries in her neighbourhood? Explain with examples.
India helps smaller neighbours in several ways. For development and infrastructure, it helped build the Afghan Parliament building and the Zaranj-Delaram highway in Afghanistan, and helped Bhutan build hydropower plants like the Tala project that give Bhutan income and India renewable energy. It helped restore the Ananda temple in Bagan in Myanmar and gifted a Buddha statue to Yangon. For humanitarian and disaster relief, being centrally located in the Indian Ocean, India was a first responder after the 2004 tsunami for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, sent water to Male during its 2014 water crisis, and sent aid during the Covid-19 pandemic. It also supports climate and early warning systems through the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre in Hyderabad and the International Solar Alliance for island nations like the Maldives facing sea-level rise. For connectivity and trade, it eases pilgrimage and people-to-people ties through the Kartarpur Corridor with Pakistan and the India-Myanmar-Thailand Highway.
6. How do shared challenges become opportunities for cooperation? Were there examples in this chapter to illustrate this?
When neighbours face the same problem, they can solve it together and build trust. The chapter gives two clear examples. First, the Sundarbans mangrove forest that lies two-thirds in Bangladesh and one-third in India protects both coasts from cyclones. Both countries now jointly protect and manage this UNESCO World Heritage Site and its biodiversity, including the Bengal tiger. With rising sea levels and stronger cyclones expected for Bangladesh due to global warming, joint work on climate resilience becomes even more important. Second, the deadly tsunami of 26 December 2004 triggered by an earthquake near Indonesia killed more than 200,000 people around the Indian Ocean, including about 15,000 in India. This tragedy made India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand cooperate to build a network of sensors, satellites and communication links, with the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre in Hyderabad alerting all neighbours.
7. If borders were drawn only by culture and connections, how would the map look different?
If borders were based only on culture and connections rather than political lines, the map would not show hard straight lines but large overlapping cultural zones. There would be a Buddhist zone stretching from India to Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia, a zone of the Ramayana and Hindu traditions linking India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia where the Garuda is the national symbol, and Thailand where kings are called Rama. Language zones would overlap, like Bangla across West Bengal and Bangladesh, and Tamil across Tamil Nadu, Singapore and Malaysia where 9 percent of people are of Indian origin. River and trade-route zones would connect India and Bangladesh through the Ganga-Brahmaputra rivers, and India with Myanmar and Thailand through the old sea routes and the new trilateral highway. Instead of separate country blocks, we would see friendship borders drawn with rivers, pilgrim paths and spice routes showing one interconnected South and Southeast Asian family.
8. On blank maps: Label India’s neighbours.
On a blank map of South and Southeast Asia, label all neighbours discussed: land neighbours Pakistan, Afghanistan, China (with Tibet), Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar; nearest maritime neighbours Sri Lanka and the Maldives; wider maritime neighbours Iran, Oman, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Mark India in the centre with its long land boundary over 15,100 km and coastline about 11,100 km, and show the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean around it.
8. On blank maps: Draw arrows showing cultural flows (e.g., food, festivals, languages) between India and her neighbours.
Draw coloured arrows to show cultural flows. Arrows for Buddhism from India to China, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia; Hindu traditions and the Ramayana to Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka; language flow of Bangla between West Bengal and Bangladesh and Tamil to Singapore and Malaysia; food flows like coconut curries, roshi and Boduberu dance rhythms between Kerala/Tamil Nadu and the Maldives; festival flows of Dashain, Tihar and Holi between India and Nepal; and pilgrim flows to Pashupatinatha, Bodh Gaya and Kartarpur.
8. On blank maps: Imagine and redraw new “borders of friendship” that connect neighbours through rivers, trade routes, or cultural zones.
Instead of political borders, draw friendship borders as shaded belts. Shade the Ganga-Brahmaputra river system connecting India and Bangladesh; shade the Sundarbans mangrove belt shared by both; draw the Uttarapatha and Silk Route land corridor linking India-Afghanistan-Iran-China; draw the spice and maritime routes across the Bay of Bengal linking India with Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia; and circle the Indian Ocean community of India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Oman and Indonesia to show maritime security and disaster-relief cooperation. Label these as belts of culture, rivers and trade rather than dividing lines.
8. On blank maps: Collect pictures of the flags of the countries listed in this chapter and write your observations.
Collect and paste the flags of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Iran and Oman. Observations: Many flags use strong regional symbols and colours. Bhutan’s flag shows the Druk thunder dragon linked to Buddhist teachings, Indonesia’s Garuda symbol is similar to Vishnu’s vahana, Nepal’s flag is unique with two triangles instead of a rectangle, Sri Lanka’s flag has a lion holding a sword, and the Maldives flag is red with a green rectangle and crescent. Several flags use saffron, red and blue, and many island neighbours use symbols of sea, sun or moon, showing how geography, religion and history shape national symbols, while shared colours like red and white appear across many Asian flags.