Hinglish

Sri Lanka and the Maldives

Class 7 Social Science · Chapter 14: India and Her Neighbours · NCERT Exploring Society: India and Beyond section 14.5

Learn

From a few centuries BCE, Indian traders sailed east in search of gold, calling Java, Sumatra and Malaya Suvarṇabhūmi, the golden land. Closer home, Sri Lanka lies across the narrow Palk Strait, only about 32 km away at the nearest point. Mahendra and Sanghamitrā, Emperor Aśhoka's son and daughter, took Buddhism there in the 3rd century BCE, and the Epics travelled too. Sri Lanka's civil war (mid-1980s to about 2010) between the Sinhalese majority and the Tamil minority sent many Tamil families to Tamil Nadu. Today the two cooperate in trade, culture and security.

The Maldives is over 1,100 islets, only about 130 km from India's Minicoy island. South Indian influence shows in its coconut curries, the Boduberu dance and its language Dhivehi, which borrows words like "raajje" (king, from rājā) and "mas" (fish, from matsya). India was among the first to recognise it after independence in 1965, and rushed help during the 2004 tsunami, Malé's 2014 water crisis and COVID-19, a first responder. Rising seas could submerge many of its islands. The two also cooperate in SAARC, formed in 1985 by eight South Asian nations, and in the International Solar Alliance.

Explore: place events on the timeline.

  1. The Maldives became independent in 1965. Put the marker there.
  2. SAARC was formed in 1985. Put the marker there.

Remember

  • Sri Lanka, 32 km across the Palk Strait, shares Buddhist and epic heritage with India.
  • The Maldives shows South Indian influence; India is its trusted first responder in crises.

Quick check

Who took Buddhism to Sri Lanka?

  1. Mahendra and Sanghamitrā
  2. Faxian and Xuanzang
  3. Bodhidharma
  4. Guru Padmasambhava
Answer

Mahendra and Sanghamitrā. They were the son and daughter of Emperor Aśhoka.

Think about it

Why does it matter that India can respond quickly when a neighbour faces a disaster?

One answer

Fast help saves lives in the first hours, builds trust and goodwill, and shows that neighbours who help each other are stronger together.

Practice

Practise with fresh questions at three levels (easy, medium, hard), some answered hands-on, with hints and worked answers. Get 4 of your last 5 right to finish the topic.