A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar c7.17

c7.17

The Deccan plateau has a general elevation of 2,000 feet, but tends to become higher and more rugged as the ghats are approached on the east and west, and attains its highest elevation at the southern end, in the Nilgiris formed by the convergence of the two ghats; the Mysore plateau in consequence has a higher average elevation than the rest of the Deccan. The general slope of the whole is towards the south-east as indicated by the course of the major rivers of the peninsula, the Godāvari, Krishna (Kistna) and Kaveri (Cauvery). The monotony of the plateau surface is broken by a number of spurs from the Western Ghats and other mountain features. Among these, two may be noted in particular: the two ranges enclosing the triangular plateau on which Ahmadnagar stands, the watershed between the Godāvari and the Bhima; and the Mahadeo range forming the watershed between the Bhima and the Krishna. Closely associated with the Eastern Ghats are a range of hills with different local names. The Nallamalais extend north to south from the banks of the Krishna to the Penner valley and are made up of Cuddapah quartzite overlaid by Cuddapah slate; their average height is less than 2,000 feet, but the maximum elevation reached is over 3,000; they contain several plateaux but scarcity of water has foiled attempts at habitation there. Śrīśailam was apparently inhabited of old, and the remains of ancient towns, forts, temples, reservoirs and wells testify to the prosperity of the settlements. Only Chenchus inhabit the region today. The forests are neither dense nor large as the rainfall is poor and the rocks are deeply fissured and fail to retain enough moisture on the suface for large trees to grow. The Erramalais to the west of the Nallamalais in the Kurnool district, and other minor ranges, do not call for detailed notice.