Indica: A Deep Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent

471 Pages·2016·36.12 MB·English

by  Pranay Lal

INDICA
INDICA
A DEEP NATURAL
HISTORY OF
THE INDIAN
SUBCONTINENT
PRANAY LAL
ALLEN LANE
an imprint of
PENGUIN BOOKS
For Aria and Avie
Who complete my Circle of Life.
CONTENTS
5 30 78
WHY ON BREATH FINS, FLIPPERS
EARTH OF LIFE AND FEET
128
THE 150
104
MAKING BEASTS AND
REVIVAL
OF A BEHEMOTHS
DYNASTY
204 234
180
DECCAN’S HUMBLE
ISOLATION
INFERNO BEGINNINGS
284
252
THE 316
MOVING
CARNIVAL BIRTH OF
HEAVEN
OF THE WHALES
AND EARTH
MAMMALS
356
334 372
CITIUS,
HOW TO THE PROMISED
MAKE A MAN ALTIUS, LAND
FORTIUS
455
397 399
LIST OF
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS NOTES
ILLUSTRATIONS
461
INDEX
A PERSONAL NOTE
TO THE READER
I love nature. I spent my childhood in different parts of Africa and in small
towns of Uttar Pradesh, where my days were spent flipping stones and logs,
climbing trees, swimming in ponds, and following bird catchers and snake
charmers, and my nights lying on my back, watching the stars and hearing
stories from grandparents, uncles and watchmen about their experiences in
jungles and with animals. I love the beauty of spectacular mountains just as
much as the intricate patterns on the back of a tiny unnamed beetle. But what
mesmerizes me, now and as a child, is how nature is constantly at work and how
everything is related to each other. This book is a culmination of over twenty
years of research, travel, conversations, interviews, and a lifetime awe of nature.
During my journeys criss-crossing India, I have met fascinating people who
love nature passionately—qualified scientists, but also ordinary people who take
time out of their busy lives to observe nature and record its intricacies and inter-
linkages. True scientists are like explorers—they have a fascination for the
unknown and an indefatigable quest for answers. They work tirelessly,
excavating through layers of rocks and sediment, climbing canopies and
descending into caves, or working in laboratories. Every discipline of natural
science has its own Marco Polos, Magellans, Drakes, Amundsens, Hillarys and
Tenzings who have set off in search for answers in the terra incognita of science.
Their works help us understand how our planet and our life came to be and what
forces have shaped them. Each piece of rock, every pinch of soil and every little
fossil tells a story, and because of the persistence and dedication of the scientists,
who decipher these stories and make them available to us, we understand our
supremely complex and supremely exciting world better. It is the work of these
discoverers that I celebrate in this book.
I have included all that I believe is crucial to understanding the grand story of
the formation of India from the time Earth was formed to the arrival of humans;
how the position, the contours and the composition of land and oceans changed,
how thousands of types of plants and animals evolved and thrived and became
extinct and why different places in India look the way they do today. The plan of
the book is chronological and there is some overlap in the fifteen chapters to
maintain continuity. I have combined scientific depth and historical insights that
would interest anybody who has looked out of their window and wondered why
there is a river in one place and not another, why rocks in one place look
different from those elsewhere or why there is a hill or a forest or a mine in front
different from those elsewhere or why there is a hill or a forest or a mine in front
of them. It should appeal to a wide range of readers, even if they do not have any
particular scientific or geographic inclinations. Those not wanting to spend time
on details can skip some of the more technical passages and can look at the maps
and illustrations through which I have tried to convey the essence of the chapter.
For those who would like to dive deeper into their areas of interest, I hope the
detailed notes will help in their further exploration.
This story of 4 billion years is one without an end, and the journey to discover
our world, our country and us is a work in progress. I welcome you, and thank
you for being part of my beautiful voyage.