Southern South Asia is noted for being the most culturally distinct region of South Asia from
Northern South Asia,[5] with greater gender equality.[6][7] There is significant competition between India and China for influence over the island nations of the region.[2]
History
Southern South Asia was a hub of global trade in ancient times because of its position in the important
Indian Ocean corridor.[8] For example, a significant number of
Roman products have been discovered in the region.[9][10]
Governments throughout Southern South Asia adopted
Sanskrit for public political expression beginning around 300 CE and ending around 1300, resulting in greater integration into the broader
South Asian cultural sphere.[11] This significantly influenced the languages of the region, making all of the major Dravidian languages except for Tamil highly
Sanskritised.[12][13]
Artisanal production of handicraft articles, metal-working (see
Wootz steel) and cloth production were historically important features of the economy in Southern South Asia.[14]
Tamil influence in the region is quite significant, with prominent empires such as the
Chola dynasty taking
Tamil culture to Sri Lanka and beyond South Asia, and Sri Lanka having an ancient
Tamil minority and a Dravidian-influenced majority language of
Sinhala.[15][16][17] Chola innovations include various techniques for water resource management,[18] some of which are used today to restore lakes throughout India.[19] During British rule,
Madras (now Chennai) became the center of the region, and a stability was created that benefitted Tamils throughout the region; Tamils were also favoured by the British in Sri Lanka over the Sinhalese people of the island. This laid the foundation for resentment and later
ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka which lasted for decades.[20]