The Peninsular plateau is a tableland made up of crystalline, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. It was produced by the breakup and drifting of the Gondwana continent, making it the oldest landmass on the planet. Tors, block mountains, rift valleys, spurs, bare rocky formations, series of hummocky hills, and wall-like quartzite dykes are some of the region's key physiographic characteristics, which provide natural water storage sites. This article will explain to you about the Peninsular Plateau which will be helpful in Geography preparation for the UPSC Civil service exam.

The Peninsular Plateau

• The Peninsular plateau is a tableland made up of old crystalline, igneous, and metamorphic rocks.
• It was developed as a result of the breakup and drifting of the Gondwana continent, making it one of the oldest landmasses.
• The plateau has large and shallow valleys as well as rounded hills.
• This plateau is divided into two sections: the Central Highlands and the Deccan Plateau.
• The Central Highlands are the parts of the Peninsular plateau to the north of the Narmada river that cover a large portion of the Malwa plateau.
• The general height of the plateau is from west to east, as seen by the direction of river flow.
• This Peninsular plateau has seen recurring periods of uplift and submergence, which have been accompanied by crustal faulting and fractures.
• The relief of the Peninsular plateau has become more diverse as a result of these spatial variations.

Peninsular Plateau

The Peninsular Plateau - Features

• It is roughly triangular in form, with its base coincident with the southern boundary of North India's vast plain. Kanyakumari is the triangular plateau's apex.
• It has a total size of around 16 lakh square kilometres (India as a whole is 32 lakh sq km).
• The plateau's typical elevation is 600-900 m above sea level (varies from region to region).
• The majority of the peninsular rivers run west to east, illustrating the overall slope of the peninsula.
• The Narmada-Tapti rivers are the exceptions, flowing from east to west in a rift (rift formed by diverging border)
• The Peninsular Plateau is one of the world's oldest landforms.
• It is a highly stable block made up primarily of Archaean gneisses and schists.
• It has remained a stable shield with little structural modifications since its construction.
• The Peninsula has remained a land region for a few hundred million years and has never been submerged beneath the sea except in a few locations.
• The Peninsular Plateau is made up of multiple smaller plateaus and hill ranges that are interlaced by river basins and valleys.

Minor Plateaus in Peninsular Plateau

Central High Land

• Madhya Bharat Pathar or Madhya Bharat Plateau are other names for the Central HighLand.
• It's located to the east of the Marwar or Mewar Upland.
• The majority of the plateau is made up of the Chambal river basin, which runs in a rift valley.
• Its main tributaries are the Kali Sindh, which flows from Rana Prataph Sagar, the Banas, which flows through the Mewar plateau, and the Parwan and Parbati, which come from Madhya Pradesh.
• It is a sloping plateau with rounded sandstone hills. Thick woodlands may be found here.
• To the north are the Chambal river's ravines or badlands.

Marwar Plateau

• It is the eastern Rajasthan plateau. The Marwar plain lies to the west of Aravalis, while the Marwar plateau is to the east.
• The typical elevation is 250-500 m above sea level, and the terrain slopes eastward.
• It is composed of Vindhyan period sandstone, shales, and limestones.
• The Banas River and its tributaries (Berach and Khari rivers) rise in the Aravali Range and flow northwest into the Chambal River. Because of the erosional activity of these rives, the plateau top seems to be a rolling plain.

Bundelkhand Plateau

• The Yamuna River runs through the north, the Madhya Bharat Pathar runs through the west, the Vindhyan Scarplands go through the east and south-east, and the Malwa Plateau runs through the south.
• It is the ancient dissected (split by several deep valleys) upland of the 'Bundelkhand gneiss,' which is made up of granite and gneiss.
• It is divided into five districts in Uttar Pradesh and four districts in Madhya Pradesh.
• This region has an average height of 300-600 m above sea level and dips down from the Vindhyan Scrap toward the Yamuna River.
• A chain of hillocks (little hills) built of granite and sandstone define the region.
• The erosion process of the rivers that pass through here has changed it into an undulating (wave-like surface) land that is unsuitable for farming.
• The topography of the region is characterised by senile (typical of or produced by old age).
• The plateau is traversed by streams such as Betwa, Dhasan, and Ken.

Malwa Plateau

• The Malwa Plateau generally forms a triangle centred on the Vindhya Hills, delimited in the west by the Aravali Range, in the north by Madhya Bharat Pathar, and in the east by Bundelkhand.
• This plateau has two drainage systems, one towards the Arabian Sea (through the Narmada, Tapi, and Mahi) and the other towards the Bay of Bengal (Chambal and Betwa, joining the Yamuna).
• The Chambal and many of its right bank tributaries, including the Kali, Sindh, and Parbati, drain it in the north.
• It also covers the upper courses of the Sindh, Ken, and Betwa rivers.
• It is made up of vast lava flows and coated with black soils.
• The overall slope is northward [from 600 m in the south to less than 500 m in the north].
• This is a river-cut plateau with undulating hills. The Chambal ravines delineate the plateau to the north.

Baghelkhand Plateau

• Baghelkhand is located north of the Maikal Range.
• On the west, it is composed of limestones and sandstones, whereas on the east, it is composed of granite.
• In the north, it is surrounded by the Son River.
• The plateau's middle section serves as a water divide between the Son drainage system to the north and the Mahanadi river system to the south.
• The terrain is uneven, with elevations ranging from 150 to 1,200 metres.
• The Bhanrer and Kaimur are situated near the trough-axis.
• The overall horizontality of the strata indicates that no substantial disturbance has occurred in this location.

Chotanagpur Plateau

• The Chotanagpur plateau is the Indian Peninsula's north-eastern protrusion.
• Mostly in Jharkhand, northern Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal's Purulia area.
• The Son river travels through the plateau and enters the Ganga.
• The plateau's average elevation is 700 metres above sea level.
• This plateau is mostly made up of Gondwana rocks.
• The plateau is drained in various directions by multiple rivers and streams, resulting in a radial drainage system. Pattern of Drainage
• Rivers such as the Damodar, Subarnarekha, North Koel, South Koel, and Barkar have formed enormous drainage basins.
• The Damodar River flows through the centre of this area, forming a rift valley from west to east.
• The Gondwana coal fields, which supply the majority of India's coal, are located here.
• The Hazaribagh plateau, located north of the Damodar river, has an average height of 600 metres above mean sea level.
• There are solitary hills on this plateau. Because of large-scale erosion, it seems to be a peneplain.
• To the south of the Damodar Valley, the Ranchi Plateau rises to around 600 m above mean sea level. Where the city of Ranchi (661 m) is located, the majority of the terrain is rolling.
• Monadnocks (an isolated hill or ridge of erosion-resistant rock rising above a peneplain) interrupt it in spots. Ayers Rock in Australia is an example of a conical hill.
• The Rajmahal Hills, which comprise the northwestern boundary of the Chotanagpur Plateau, are largely formed of basalt and are covered with basaltic lava flows.
• They go north-south and reach an elevation of 400 m on average (highest mount is 567 m). These hills have been subdivided into plateaus.

Meghalaya Plateau

• Beyond the Rajmahal hills, the peninsular plateau stretches eastward to Meghalaya or the Shillong plateau.
• This plateau is separated from the main block by the Garo-Rajmahal Gap.
• This chasm was created via down-faulting (normal fault: a block of earth slides downwards). Sediments deposited by the Ganga and Brahmaputa later filled it.
• Archaean quartzites, shales, and schists make up the plateau.
• The plateau descends down to the north to the Brahmaputra river and south to the Surma and Meghna valleys.
• Its western border is roughly parallel to the border with Bangladesh.
• The plateau's western, middle, and eastern sections are known as the Garo Hills (900 m), Khasi-Jaintia Hills (1,500 m), and Mikir Hills, respectively (700 m).
• Shillong (1,961 m) is the plateau's highest peak.

Deccan Plateau

• It has a land area of around 500,000 square kilometres.
• It is triangular in shape and is limited in the north-west by the Satpura and the Vindhya, in the north by the Mahadev and the Maikal, in the west by the Western Ghats, and in the east by the Eastern Ghats.
• It has an average elevation of 600 metres.
• It reaches 1000 metres in the south but drops to 500 metres in the north.
• The flow of its principal rivers indicates that its overall slope is west to east.
• Rivers have fragmented this plateau into several smaller plateaus.

Maharashtra Plateau

• It is located in the northern section of the Deccan Plateau.
• Much of the land is underlain by basaltic lava rocks, the majority of the Deccan Traps are located in this region.
• Weathering has given the land the appearance of a rolling plain.
• Horizontal lava sheets have resulted in typical Deccan Trap topography.
• The large and shallow basins of the Godavari, Bhima, and Krishna rivers are flanked by flat-topped steep-sided hills and mountains.
• The entire region is covered with regur, a black cotton soil.

Karnataka Plateau

• The Mysore plateau is another name for the Karnataka Plateau.
• It is located to the south of the Maharashtra plateau.
• The terrain seems to be an undulating plateau with an average elevation of 600-900 metres.
• It is heavily crisscrossed by various rivers that flow from the Western Ghats.
• The hills' basic tendency is either parallel to or across the Western Ghats.
• Mullayanagiri, in the Baba Budan Hills of Chikmagalur district, has the highest peak (1913 m).
• The plateau is separated into two sections known as Malnad and Maidan.
• Malnad is Kannada for "high country." It is divided among deep valleys with lush trees.
• The Maidan, on the other hand, consists of an undulating plain with modest granite hills.
• In the south, the plateau tapers between the Western and Eastern Ghats and merges with the Nilgiri hills.

Telangana Plateau

• Archaean gneisses make up the Telangana plateau.
• It has an average elevation of 500-600 metres.
• The southern section is higher than the northern section.
• Three river systems, the Godavari, the Krishna, and the Penneru, drain the area.
• The plateau is separated into two sections: the Ghats and the Peneplains (a vast featureless, undulating plain which is the last stage of the deposition process).

Chhattisgarh Plain

• The Chhattisgarh plain is the Peninsular plateau's sole plain worthy of the term.
• The upper Mahanadi drains this saucer-shaped valley.
• The basin as a whole is located between the Maikala Range and the Odisha hills.
• The territory was originally dominated by the Haithaivanshi Rajputs, whose thirty-six forts (Chhattisgarh) gave rise to the region's name.
• The basin is composed of almost horizontal strata of limestone and shales.
• The plain's overall elevation fluctuates from 250 m in the east to 330 m in the west.

Rivers in Peninsular Plateau

• The Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery, Narmada, and Tapti or Tapi rivers are among India's peninsular rivers.
• They collectively drain a sizable section of rural India. In the life of Indians, these rivers have religious and cultural importance.
• The Kaveri River is another name for the Cauvery River. It is one of the Hindu rivers that are considered sacred.
• The river's headwaters are in the Western Ghats Mountain Range, in Talakaveri in Karnataka's Kodagu District. The river flows from the south Deccan hills to the southeast lowlands.
• The Godavari is South India's longest and largest river. The Dakshina Ganga is another name for it.
• The Godavari is India's second-longest river, behind the Ganga.
• The river originates in the Maharashtra district of Nashik. The river empties out into the Bay of Bengal.
• The Mahanadi River is a significant river in Eastern India. The river runs about 900 kilometres.
• The Mahanadi River flows through states such as Chhattisgarh, Orissa, and Jharkhand.
• The Krishna River is a significant river in South India. The river is sometimes referred to as the Krishnaveni. The Krishna flows through Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
• The Narmada is one of Western India's most beautiful rivers. The river's headwaters are located on Amarkantak Hill. Rewa is another name for the river.
• The Tapi or Tapti River is a major river in peninsular India. The river rises in the East Satpura Mountain Ranges in Madhya Pradesh.
• The rivers of the Indian peninsular landscape are mostly supplied by rain. During the summer, their discharge is greatly reduced.
• Some of its tributaries even get desiccated, only to be replenished during the monsoon season.

Significance of Peninsular Plateau

• This Peninsular plateau has seen recurring periods of uplift and submergence, which have been accompanied by crustal faulting and fractures.
• The relief of the Peninsular plateau has become more diverse as a result of these spatial changes.
• The plateau's northern region features a complicated terrain with ravines and gorges. Some well-known examples include the ravines of Chambal, Bhind, and Morena.
• There are massive reserves of iron, manganese, copper, bauxite, chromium, mica, gold, and other minerals.
• The Peninsular Plateau has 98% of India's Gondwana coal resources.
• Aside from that, there are vast quantities of slate, shale, sandstones, marbles, and so forth.
• A major portion of the northwestern plateau is covered in fertile black lava soil, which is ideal for cotton cultivation.
• Some hilly locations in south India are ideal for growing plantation crops such as tea, coffee, rubber, and so on.
• Rice may be grown in some low-lying regions of the plateau.
• The plateau's highlands are covered with several types of forests that provide a wide range of forest products.
• The rivers that originate in the Western Ghats provide excellent opportunities for creating hydroelectricity and supplying irrigation for agricultural crops.
• The plateau is also well-known for its hill resorts, which include Udagamandalam (Ooty), Pachmarhi, Kodaikanal, Mahabaleshwar, Khandala, Matheron, and Mount Abu.

Conclusion

The Peninsular plateau is a tableland made up of crystalline, igneous, and metamorphic rocks from the past. It was produced by the breakup and drifting of the Gondwana continent, making it the oldest landmass on the planet. Its base coincides with the southern boundary of the broad plain of North India, giving it a roughly triangular form. Kanyakumari is the highest point on the triangular plateau.

FAQs

Question: What is the Peninsular Plateau?

Question: What are the two major divisions of the Peninsular Plateau?

Question: What are the significant rivers flowing through the Peninsular Plateau?

Question: What is the significance of the Western and Eastern Ghats?

Question: What type of soil is predominantly found in the Peninsular Plateau?

MCQs

1. Which of the following rivers flows through a rift valley in the Peninsular Plateau?

a) Godavari

b) Krishna

c) Narmada

d) Mahanadi

2. Which of the following plateaus forms part of the Peninsular Plateau?

a) Chota Nagpur Plateau

b) Malwa Plateau

c) Meghalaya Plateau

d) All of the above

3. What is the main geological feature of the Peninsular Plateau?

a) Sedimentary rocks

b) Igneous and metamorphic rocks

c) Volcanic rocks

d) Coral formations

4. Which region in the Peninsular Plateau is known for its black soil?

a) Central Highlands

b) Deccan Plateau

c) Malwa Plateau

d) Aravalli Range

5. The Eastern and Western Ghats meet at which of the following places?

a) Palghat Gap

b) Nilgiri Hills

c) Anaimalai Hills

d) Cardamom Hills

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

Question: Discuss the geological structure and significance of the Peninsular Plateau in the context of India’s physical geography.

Answer: The Peninsular Plateau is one of the oldest and most stable landmasses in India, composed of igneous and metamorphic rocks. It plays a significant role in shaping India’s river systems and climate. The plateau is a source of major rivers like the Godavari, Krishna, and Mahanadi, which support agriculture in peninsular India. It is also rich in minerals like coal, iron ore, and manganese, contributing to India’s economic growth.

Question: Analyze the role of the Western and Eastern Ghats in influencing the climate and biodiversity of the Peninsular Plateau.

Answer: The Western and Eastern Ghats significantly influence the climate and biodiversity of the Peninsular Plateau. The Western Ghats act as a barrier to the southwest monsoon, leading to heavy rainfall on the western side and a rain shadow region on the eastern side. These mountain ranges are biodiversity hotspots, supporting diverse ecosystems. The forests of the Ghats are home to a variety of flora and fauna, many of which are endemic to the region.

Question: Examine the impact of the topography of the Peninsular Plateau on agricultural practices in the region.

Answer:  The topography of the Peninsular Plateau, with its uneven terrain, plateaus, and shallow valleys, influences agricultural practices. The black soil of the Deccan Plateau is ideal for cotton cultivation. In regions with less fertile soils, crops like millet and pulses are grown. The plateau’s rivers, though seasonal, are crucial for irrigation, and the region has seen the development of several irrigation projects to support agriculture.

Previous Year Questions on The Peninsular Plateau

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2016:

Question: Which of the following regions is the Deccan Trap region associated with?

A. Extensive lava flows

B. Glacial deposits

C. Marine sediments

D. Wind-blown deposits

Answer: (A) Extensive lava flows

Explanation: The Deccan Trap region is formed by extensive volcanic lava flows, which occurred millions of years ago. This volcanic activity resulted in the deposition of basalt rocks.

2. UPSC CSE Mains 2017 (GS Paper 1):

Question: Discuss the physiographic features of the Peninsular Plateau and their impact on the river systems of India.

Answer: The Peninsular Plateau is characterized by broad and shallow valleys, dissected plateaus, and steep slopes. The rivers originating from the Peninsular Plateau, like the Godavari and Krishna, flow from west to east, draining into the Bay of Bengal. The plateau’s rift valleys, like the one formed by the Narmada and Tapti, are key geographical features. The plateau’s terrain impacts water flow, contributing to moderate river velocity compared to Himalayan rivers.

3. UPSC CSE Prelims 2018:

Question: Which of the following statements about the Peninsular Plateau is true?

A. It is mainly composed of sedimentary rocks

B. It has experienced volcanic activity

C. It is a young landform

D. It is rich in fossil fuels

Answer: (B) It has experienced volcanic activity

Explanation: The Deccan Trap region of the Peninsular Plateau was formed by extensive volcanic activity, leading to the deposition of basalt rocks. These formations are millions of years old, indicating volcanic activity during the Mesozoic period.