Exploring The Culture & History of South Asia 

With City Lit’s South Asia Season launching soon, let’s look at what this incredible region’s history, heritage and culture has to offer…

South Asia has been hugely influential in shaping the world as we know it, including life in the UK. When we explore our shared past, reflect on our present and anticipate our future, South Asia plays a central role in all of it. 

Home to nearly two billion people (a quarter of the world’s population), the eight countries that make up South Asia are India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal. This varied region stretches from tropical Sri Lanka in the south to mountainous Nepal in the north, and from Pakistan in the west to Bangladesh in the east.

South Asia’s rich history goes back thousands of years. Some of the earliest forms of advanced human civilisation began there and it was also part of the ancient Silk Road trading route.
The region’s past encompasses kingdoms and empires, as well as spiritual and artistic movements. Historically, it has had cultural, religious, economic and political connections to East Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, East Asia and Europe.

Because of these historic connections, most of South Asia’s languages are part of the Indo-European family spoken by almost half of the world’s population. In fact, this region is one of the most linguistically diverse on the planet and has over 650 languages (some people put that figure even higher). A few of the main ones are Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Punjabi, Urdu, Dari and Nepali.

South Asia is the origin of various major religions, including Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism. Several countries in the region also have Muslim-majority populations. 

These faiths have spread across the world, influencing spirituality, philosophy, art, culture and history. For instance, in just the UK there are over 300 Hindu temples and over 200 Buddhist temples.

British links to South Asia span centuries and have left lasting (and sometimes difficult) legacies still being negotiated today. These include Britain’s role in Partition, the current Indian-Pakistani relationship and the Bangladeshi War of Independence. 

However, South Asia’s ongoing connection with the UK means that communities with roots across all of the region are still enriching British life.

From yoga to ayurvedic medicine to Indian head massage, South Asian wellbeing and spiritual practices currently benefit millions of people worldwide.

The region’s rich food and drink heritage is also influential, with Sri Lankan tea and North Indian korma being two obvious examples. However, Afghan kofta, Nepalese momos and Goan fish curry are also increasingly finding their way onto plates across the globe.

South Asia is central to current day politics and economics. It plays a major role in military relationships, climate agreements, and arms sales & manufacturing. South Asia’s ports are also vital global trade hubs.

The region’s importance can be seen in how Russia, China, Europe, the US and Japan are engaging with it. Decisions made by South Asian countries can have a huge global impact that affect all of us.

Beyond the world of geopolitics, it’s well worth getting to know South Asia’s incredible cultural heritage. Across film, TV, music, dance, literature and contemporary art, this region has endless experiences to offer. 

From Bollywood movies to traditional Sri Lankan dance, South Asia’s arts and culture has extended far beyond its borders into cinemas, theatres and homes globally. Yet in many respects, the rest of the world has barely scratched the surface of what South Asia has to offer.

From culture to cuisine, the various countries and nations of South Asia enrich us all. The more we explore what they have to offer, the more that we can discover.