Rural Settlements in Peninsular India
Peninsular India, dominated by plateaus, hills, ravines, and forests, presents high diversity in rural settlement patterns. Here, relief, soil, water availability, and socio-economic conditions govern the nature and structure of settlements.
Let’s explore region-wise:
🧭 Western Peninsular Uplands – Aravalli’s & Rajasthan Plateau
| Region | Settlement Pattern |
|---|---|
| Aravalli hills (general) | Widely dispersed huts within village lands |
| Mewar, Marwar, Alwar (narrow valleys) | Isolated farmsteads |
| Tonk, Sawai Madhopur, Jaipur, Banas Valley | Compact to semi-compact |
| Sirohi & Udaipur Plateau | Dispersed and isolated settlements |
🧠 Relief and security factors lead to dispersion in hills, while valleys & plains offer compact settlement potential.
🪨 Bundelkhand & Malwa
| Region | Settlement Features |
|---|---|
| Bundelkhand (ravines & badlands) | Compact villages in protected sites; semi-compact/dispersed in degraded tracts |
| Malwa Plateau (fertile) | Large, clustered settlements due to soil fertility |
| Sagar (rough terrain) | Semi-dispersed and dispersed settlements dominate |
🧠 Soil fertility = clustering; rugged badlands = fragmentation and dispersal.
🏞️ Chotanagpur Plateau Region (Jharkhand)
| Sub-Region | Settlement Type |
|---|---|
| Rajmahal Highlands, Panch Pargana, Dal Bhumi | Clustered settlements |
| Ranchi Plateau, Hazaribagh Plateau, Damodar Basin | Semi-clustered |
| Southern Hazaribagh & SE Rajmahal | Hamleted settlements |
🧠 Diverse physiography = diverse rural forms; tribal populations, forests, and resource accessibility play key roles.
🌾Southern Peninsula (Deccan & Tamil Nadu)
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh & Rayalaseema
| Region | Settlement Feature |
|---|---|
| Northern Maidan (Karnataka) | Large, compact, widely spaced villages |
| Rayalaseema (AP) | Similar pattern of large, spaced villages |
| Kaveri–Tungabhadra belt | Numerous tanks → compact villages |
🧠 Tank irrigation encourages close, permanent rural settlements.
Malnad & Tamil Nadu Uplands
| Region | Settlement Pattern |
|---|---|
| Malnad (forested & hilly) | Semi-dispersed to scattered hamlets |
| Tamil Nadu Uplands | Similar semi-dispersed/dispersed rural forms |
| Sahyadri foothills (Western Ghats) | Isolated dwellings dominate due to forest cover and terrain |
📌 Key Factors Shaping Settlements in Peninsular India
| Factor | Influence |
|---|---|
| Relief (hilly/dissected) | Tends to encourage dispersed or scattered settlement |
| Soil fertility (e.g. Malwa) | Supports clustered or compact settlement |
| Water availability (tanks, rivers) | Promotes compactness |
| Forest & tribal areas (e.g. Sahyadri, Chotanagpur) | Associated with hamleted/isolated settlement pattern |
| Socio-economic backwardness | Limits growth of large compact settlements |