Rural Settlements in the Northern Great Plains
The Northern Great Plains—spanning Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam—represent a complex mosaic of settlement patterns influenced by hydrology, physiography, soil types, flood risks, and irrigation.
🗺️ Rajasthan Plain – Arid & Semi-arid
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| General Pattern | Small, compact, sparsely distributed settlements |
| Western Rajasthan (Barmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner) | Hamleted settlements around water points, surrounded by sand dunes |
| Eastern & NW Rajasthan | Larger, compact villages due to slightly better water access & cultivability |
| Indira Gandhi Canal | Promoting permanent compact settlements resembling those in Punjab |
🧠 Key Concept: Water availability and aridity directly shape settlement size, spacing, and type.
🌾 Punjab Plains – Canal Irrigation Zone
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| General Pattern | Uniformly spaced, compact, often circular villages |
| Flood-prone (Ravi basin) & Chos areas | More widely spaced, smaller settlements |
🧠 Key Point: Planned canal irrigation encourages nucleated settlements; flood-prone zones show dispersed/homestead-like patterns.
🌿 Upper Ganga Plain (Western UP)
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Settlement Size | majorly live in medium-sized villages |
| Rohilkhand Tarai (near Nepal border) | Uneven distribution due to marshes, forests, floods |
| Hamleted villages on river bluffs and embankments | |
| Bhangar region (older alluvium) | Compact & closely packed settlements |
🧠 Key Concept: Topographic elevation like river bluffs and alluvium age (Khadar vs. Bhangar) impact settlement structure.
🌾 Middle Ganga Plain (East UP + West Bihar)
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| General Pattern | Small but closely spaced settlements |
| Ganga-Ghaghara Doab | Hamleted villages common |
| Mithila Plain (North Bihar) | Diverse patterns: |
| – Lower Gandak Valley | Linear settlements |
| – Champaran | Dispersed |
| – Ganga–Burhi Gandak Doab | Relatively dispersed |
| – Purnea | Linear or scattered near dead channels/oxbow lakes |
| South Bihar | More compact settlements due to better terrain and accessibility |
🧠 Key Insight: Alluvial morphology and floodplain dynamics dominate the village patterns here.
💧 Lower Ganga Plain (Bengal)
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Rahr Plain, Duars, Sundarbans | Mostly scattered settlements |
| Ajay-Damodar-Brahmani interfluves | Compact settlements |
| Bhagirathi–Dwarka interfluve | Hamleted villages |
| Coastal belt | Linear villages along shorelines |
🧠 Key Point: Hydrological regimes (tidal floods, siltation, salinity) lead to a mix of compact, hamleted, and linear forms.
🌊 Brahmaputra Valley (Assam)
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Village Type | Generally agglomerated (clustered) |
| Location | Aligned along levees and transport routes |
| House Form | Machan-style houses (on stilts) in flood zones |
| Size | Villages are small, houses separated by bamboo fences |
| Mobility | Boats used in rainy season due to waterlogging |
🧠 Key Learning: Settlements here adapt to flooding and river behavior through elevated structures and transport innovations.
📌 Conclusion: Key Factors Governing Settlement Patterns in Northern Plains
| Factor | Influence |
|---|---|
| Hydrology (Floods, Rivers) | Determines compactness vs dispersion |
| Soil & Alluvium Type | Bhangar = compact; Khadar/flood-prone = dispersed |
| Irrigation Projects | Encourage nucleated and planned settlements |
| Cultural & Historical Legacy | Jajmani ties, caste patterns also influence layout |