NCERT Textbook: India and Her Neighbours

 Page 1


29
India and the World: Land and the People 
2 – India and Her Neighbours
India and Her Neighbours
CHAPTER
2
Our destinies are inextricably tied together . What a??ects 
one nation a??ects the rest of us.
— Nelson Mandela (1995)
The Big 
Questions
1. What de??nes a ‘neighbour’?  
Is it just shared land borders?
2. How do geography and 
history in??uence the nature of 
India’s relationships with her 
neighbours?
3. In what ways are India and her 
neighbours interconnected today?
Fig. 2.1. India and some of her neighbours
INDIAN INDIAN 
OCEAN OCEAN
Chapter 2.indd   29 Chapter 2.indd   29 11/27/2025   12:15:35 PM 11/27/2025   12:15:35 PM
Page 2


29
India and the World: Land and the People 
2 – India and Her Neighbours
India and Her Neighbours
CHAPTER
2
Our destinies are inextricably tied together . What a??ects 
one nation a??ects the rest of us.
— Nelson Mandela (1995)
The Big 
Questions
1. What de??nes a ‘neighbour’?  
Is it just shared land borders?
2. How do geography and 
history in??uence the nature of 
India’s relationships with her 
neighbours?
3. In what ways are India and her 
neighbours interconnected today?
Fig. 2.1. India and some of her neighbours
INDIAN INDIAN 
OCEAN OCEAN
Chapter 2.indd   29 Chapter 2.indd   29 11/27/2025   12:15:35 PM 11/27/2025   12:15:35 PM
30
Exploring Society: India and Beyond | Grade 7 Part 2
Framing the Neighbourhood
When we think of a neighbour, we often imagine a country that 
shares a land boundary with us. That is the traditional view of 
neighbourhood. In that sense, Pakistan and Afghanistan in the 
northwest, China’s region of Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan in the 
north, and Bangladesh and Myanmar in the east are indeed our 
neighbours. India’s total land boundary stretches over 15,100 
km and passes through diverse landscapes, including deserts, 
plains, forests, mountains, marshes, and river valleys.
India, however , has always been a maritime nation, surrounded 
by the sea on three sides. This makes Sri Lanka and the Maldives 
our immediate neighbours across the waters. But if we look at 
India from a high-altitude satellite, we can also see that nations 
like Iran, Oman, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia 
are part of our maritime neighbourhood. In this chapter, we use 
this understanding of a wider neighbourhood to situate India’s 
central and strategic place in South Asia (Fig. 2.1).
  DON’T MISS OUT
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. 
(Revisit the chapter ‘Oceans and Continents’ in your Grade 6 
textbook.) The ocean acts as a vital link, facilitating centuries 
of trade, cultural exchange, and historical ties. In this chapter , 
we will visit only the maritime neighbours nearest to India. 
LET’S EXPLORE
Identify the three large water bodies that surround India in 
the map on the facing page (Fig.2.2).
Chapter 2.indd   30 Chapter 2.indd   30 11/27/2025   12:15:36 PM 11/27/2025   12:15:36 PM
Page 3


29
India and the World: Land and the People 
2 – India and Her Neighbours
India and Her Neighbours
CHAPTER
2
Our destinies are inextricably tied together . What a??ects 
one nation a??ects the rest of us.
— Nelson Mandela (1995)
The Big 
Questions
1. What de??nes a ‘neighbour’?  
Is it just shared land borders?
2. How do geography and 
history in??uence the nature of 
India’s relationships with her 
neighbours?
3. In what ways are India and her 
neighbours interconnected today?
Fig. 2.1. India and some of her neighbours
INDIAN INDIAN 
OCEAN OCEAN
Chapter 2.indd   29 Chapter 2.indd   29 11/27/2025   12:15:35 PM 11/27/2025   12:15:35 PM
30
Exploring Society: India and Beyond | Grade 7 Part 2
Framing the Neighbourhood
When we think of a neighbour, we often imagine a country that 
shares a land boundary with us. That is the traditional view of 
neighbourhood. In that sense, Pakistan and Afghanistan in the 
northwest, China’s region of Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan in the 
north, and Bangladesh and Myanmar in the east are indeed our 
neighbours. India’s total land boundary stretches over 15,100 
km and passes through diverse landscapes, including deserts, 
plains, forests, mountains, marshes, and river valleys.
India, however , has always been a maritime nation, surrounded 
by the sea on three sides. This makes Sri Lanka and the Maldives 
our immediate neighbours across the waters. But if we look at 
India from a high-altitude satellite, we can also see that nations 
like Iran, Oman, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia 
are part of our maritime neighbourhood. In this chapter, we use 
this understanding of a wider neighbourhood to situate India’s 
central and strategic place in South Asia (Fig. 2.1).
  DON’T MISS OUT
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. 
(Revisit the chapter ‘Oceans and Continents’ in your Grade 6 
textbook.) The ocean acts as a vital link, facilitating centuries 
of trade, cultural exchange, and historical ties. In this chapter , 
we will visit only the maritime neighbours nearest to India. 
LET’S EXPLORE
Identify the three large water bodies that surround India in 
the map on the facing page (Fig.2.2).
Chapter 2.indd   30 Chapter 2.indd   30 11/27/2025   12:15:36 PM 11/27/2025   12:15:36 PM
31
India and the World: Land and the People 
2 – India and Her Neighbours
Fig. 2.2. A simpli??ed map of the major land and sea routes that have connected 
India with many regions and countries of Eurasia and Africa over the centuries. 
(The routes shown here are approximate and ??uctuated in time.)
Chapter 2.indd   31 Chapter 2.indd   31 11/27/2025   12:15:37 PM 11/27/2025   12:15:37 PM
Page 4


29
India and the World: Land and the People 
2 – India and Her Neighbours
India and Her Neighbours
CHAPTER
2
Our destinies are inextricably tied together . What a??ects 
one nation a??ects the rest of us.
— Nelson Mandela (1995)
The Big 
Questions
1. What de??nes a ‘neighbour’?  
Is it just shared land borders?
2. How do geography and 
history in??uence the nature of 
India’s relationships with her 
neighbours?
3. In what ways are India and her 
neighbours interconnected today?
Fig. 2.1. India and some of her neighbours
INDIAN INDIAN 
OCEAN OCEAN
Chapter 2.indd   29 Chapter 2.indd   29 11/27/2025   12:15:35 PM 11/27/2025   12:15:35 PM
30
Exploring Society: India and Beyond | Grade 7 Part 2
Framing the Neighbourhood
When we think of a neighbour, we often imagine a country that 
shares a land boundary with us. That is the traditional view of 
neighbourhood. In that sense, Pakistan and Afghanistan in the 
northwest, China’s region of Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan in the 
north, and Bangladesh and Myanmar in the east are indeed our 
neighbours. India’s total land boundary stretches over 15,100 
km and passes through diverse landscapes, including deserts, 
plains, forests, mountains, marshes, and river valleys.
India, however , has always been a maritime nation, surrounded 
by the sea on three sides. This makes Sri Lanka and the Maldives 
our immediate neighbours across the waters. But if we look at 
India from a high-altitude satellite, we can also see that nations 
like Iran, Oman, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia 
are part of our maritime neighbourhood. In this chapter, we use 
this understanding of a wider neighbourhood to situate India’s 
central and strategic place in South Asia (Fig. 2.1).
  DON’T MISS OUT
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. 
(Revisit the chapter ‘Oceans and Continents’ in your Grade 6 
textbook.) The ocean acts as a vital link, facilitating centuries 
of trade, cultural exchange, and historical ties. In this chapter , 
we will visit only the maritime neighbours nearest to India. 
LET’S EXPLORE
Identify the three large water bodies that surround India in 
the map on the facing page (Fig.2.2).
Chapter 2.indd   30 Chapter 2.indd   30 11/27/2025   12:15:36 PM 11/27/2025   12:15:36 PM
31
India and the World: Land and the People 
2 – India and Her Neighbours
Fig. 2.2. A simpli??ed map of the major land and sea routes that have connected 
India with many regions and countries of Eurasia and Africa over the centuries. 
(The routes shown here are approximate and ??uctuated in time.)
Chapter 2.indd   31 Chapter 2.indd   31 11/27/2025   12:15:37 PM 11/27/2025   12:15:37 PM
32
Exploring Society: India and Beyond | Grade 7 Part 2
DON’T MISS OUT
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest ocean in the world and 
is a busy route where half of the world’s container ships, one 
third of the bulk cargo, and two-thirds of the world’s oil are 
transported. This ocean connects many countries, which are 
home to around 2.7 billion people.
With a long coastline of approximately 11,100 km, India holds a 
unique maritime position. Her peninsular shape extends deep 
into the Indian Ocean — a location that provides India with 
access to important sea routes, making her a vital link between 
Southeast Asia, West Asia, and Africa. This has allowed India to 
play a key role in trade and regional cooperation. India’s ports 
serve as gateways for imports and exports, and her central 
position helps in providing timely humanitarian aid and disaster 
relief in the region. 
Such involvement is called regionalism and helps create peace, 
stability, and shared progress. It teaches us that being good 
neighbours is not just about borders, but also about working 
together for the bene??t of everyone in the region. See the map in 
Fig. 2.2 to get a sense of the dense networks of land and sea routes 
connecting India with many regions in this part of the world.
India and Her Land-based Neighbours
 India and her largest neighbour
Since 1950, India and China, two of Asia’s largest and most 
in??uential nations, have shared a long and strategic relation-
ship shaped by history, geography, culture, trade, and politics. 
Separated by the Himalayas, their border stretches (from 
east to west) across the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, 
Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and the Union Territory of 
Ladakh.
Culturally , Buddhism is a powerful link between the two countries. 
Originating in India, it reached China around the 1
st
 century CE 
via trade and pilgrimage routes. A few centuries later, Chinese 
monks like Faxian and Xuanzang travelled to Indian centres of 
Chapter 2.indd   32 Chapter 2.indd   32 11/27/2025   12:15:37 PM 11/27/2025   12:15:37 PM
Page 5


29
India and the World: Land and the People 
2 – India and Her Neighbours
India and Her Neighbours
CHAPTER
2
Our destinies are inextricably tied together . What a??ects 
one nation a??ects the rest of us.
— Nelson Mandela (1995)
The Big 
Questions
1. What de??nes a ‘neighbour’?  
Is it just shared land borders?
2. How do geography and 
history in??uence the nature of 
India’s relationships with her 
neighbours?
3. In what ways are India and her 
neighbours interconnected today?
Fig. 2.1. India and some of her neighbours
INDIAN INDIAN 
OCEAN OCEAN
Chapter 2.indd   29 Chapter 2.indd   29 11/27/2025   12:15:35 PM 11/27/2025   12:15:35 PM
30
Exploring Society: India and Beyond | Grade 7 Part 2
Framing the Neighbourhood
When we think of a neighbour, we often imagine a country that 
shares a land boundary with us. That is the traditional view of 
neighbourhood. In that sense, Pakistan and Afghanistan in the 
northwest, China’s region of Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan in the 
north, and Bangladesh and Myanmar in the east are indeed our 
neighbours. India’s total land boundary stretches over 15,100 
km and passes through diverse landscapes, including deserts, 
plains, forests, mountains, marshes, and river valleys.
India, however , has always been a maritime nation, surrounded 
by the sea on three sides. This makes Sri Lanka and the Maldives 
our immediate neighbours across the waters. But if we look at 
India from a high-altitude satellite, we can also see that nations 
like Iran, Oman, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia 
are part of our maritime neighbourhood. In this chapter, we use 
this understanding of a wider neighbourhood to situate India’s 
central and strategic place in South Asia (Fig. 2.1).
  DON’T MISS OUT
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. 
(Revisit the chapter ‘Oceans and Continents’ in your Grade 6 
textbook.) The ocean acts as a vital link, facilitating centuries 
of trade, cultural exchange, and historical ties. In this chapter , 
we will visit only the maritime neighbours nearest to India. 
LET’S EXPLORE
Identify the three large water bodies that surround India in 
the map on the facing page (Fig.2.2).
Chapter 2.indd   30 Chapter 2.indd   30 11/27/2025   12:15:36 PM 11/27/2025   12:15:36 PM
31
India and the World: Land and the People 
2 – India and Her Neighbours
Fig. 2.2. A simpli??ed map of the major land and sea routes that have connected 
India with many regions and countries of Eurasia and Africa over the centuries. 
(The routes shown here are approximate and ??uctuated in time.)
Chapter 2.indd   31 Chapter 2.indd   31 11/27/2025   12:15:37 PM 11/27/2025   12:15:37 PM
32
Exploring Society: India and Beyond | Grade 7 Part 2
DON’T MISS OUT
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest ocean in the world and 
is a busy route where half of the world’s container ships, one 
third of the bulk cargo, and two-thirds of the world’s oil are 
transported. This ocean connects many countries, which are 
home to around 2.7 billion people.
With a long coastline of approximately 11,100 km, India holds a 
unique maritime position. Her peninsular shape extends deep 
into the Indian Ocean — a location that provides India with 
access to important sea routes, making her a vital link between 
Southeast Asia, West Asia, and Africa. This has allowed India to 
play a key role in trade and regional cooperation. India’s ports 
serve as gateways for imports and exports, and her central 
position helps in providing timely humanitarian aid and disaster 
relief in the region. 
Such involvement is called regionalism and helps create peace, 
stability, and shared progress. It teaches us that being good 
neighbours is not just about borders, but also about working 
together for the bene??t of everyone in the region. See the map in 
Fig. 2.2 to get a sense of the dense networks of land and sea routes 
connecting India with many regions in this part of the world.
India and Her Land-based Neighbours
 India and her largest neighbour
Since 1950, India and China, two of Asia’s largest and most 
in??uential nations, have shared a long and strategic relation-
ship shaped by history, geography, culture, trade, and politics. 
Separated by the Himalayas, their border stretches (from 
east to west) across the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, 
Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and the Union Territory of 
Ladakh.
Culturally , Buddhism is a powerful link between the two countries. 
Originating in India, it reached China around the 1
st
 century CE 
via trade and pilgrimage routes. A few centuries later, Chinese 
monks like Faxian and Xuanzang travelled to Indian centres of 
Chapter 2.indd   32 Chapter 2.indd   32 11/27/2025   12:15:37 PM 11/27/2025   12:15:37 PM
33
India and the World: Land and the People 
2 – India and Her Neighbours
learning, while Indian monks such 
as Bodhidharma, Dharmak?hema 
and Kumarajiva carried Buddhist 
teachings to China, creating deep 
spiritual and intellectual ties.
     DON’T MISS OUT
In the 13
th
 century, Hindu merchants 
built temples in the Chinese port 
city of Quanzhou, an important 
trading centre. At the Kaiyuan 
temple, pillars depict carvings of 
Vi?h?u, Shiva, and stories from the 
Ramaya?a and the Pura?as.
Fig. 2.3. India and China. (Note that China is approximately three 
times larger than India in area.)
Fig. 2.4. ‘Gajendra mok??ham’ or the 
story of Vi??h??u rescuing the elephant 
from a crocodile, carved on a pillar at 
the Kaiyuan temple 
70°E 80°E 90°E 100°E 110°E 120°E 130°E
70°E 80°E 90°E 100°E 110°E 120°E 130°E
50°N 40°N 30°N 20°N 10°N
10°N 20°N 30°N 40°N 50°N
N
S
E W
CHINA
INDIA
New Delhi
BAY OF 
BENGAL
ARABIAN 
SEA
Beijing
Tibet
Andaman &  
Nicobar Islands 
Lakshadweep 
Chapter 2.indd   33 Chapter 2.indd   33 11/27/2025   12:15:39 PM 11/27/2025   12:15:39 PM