Southern India and Sri Lanka are more developed than Afghanistan, Pakistan, northern India and
Bangladesh in terms of Human development, literacy rate and GDP. But this was not always the case.
From the 4th century BC to the 6th century CE parts of northern India was more developed than southern
India as northern India produced the greatest Dynasties of ancient India like the Maurya Empire and
Gupta Empire. Under Mauryan and Gupta rule northern India was the center of South Asian civilization.
But from the 7th century onwards the northern part of South Asia started to decline and the southern part
of South Asia started to flourish. During the early medieval period southern India became the center of
South Asian civilization and science. Indian mathematics flourished in southern India during the medieval
period and the greatest mathematicians of medieval South Asia were from southern India like Bhaskara II
and Madhava. During the medieval period the greatest Dynasties of South Asia were established in
southern india like the Rashtrakuta Empire, Chola Empire, Western Chalukya Empire, Vijayanagar Empire
and Maratha Empire. The Mughal rule reestablished the glory of northern India for a short period of time
but even the Mughals were defeated and conquered by a power from the south the Maratha Empire.
How can the northern part of South Asia regain its past glory and is there any hope for countries like
Afghanistan and Bangladesh?
