Monsoon determines the socio-economic life of a particular sub-division: Sunil Tambe

Описание: In this episode of Frontline Conversations, author Sunil Tambe, discusses his Marathi book Monsoon Jan Gan Man, which argues that the monsoon—not religion, language, or ethnicity—is the true binding force of the Indian subcontinent. In a political moment dominated by hyper-majoritarian nationalism, Tambe suggests that understanding India requires understanding the monsoon: its ecology, its rhythms, and the civilisations it has shaped.

Tambe traces how monsoon-dependent water cycles structured India’s social and economic life. He explains how caste emerged as an adaptive system of resource distribution, how Arab- and China-driven maritime trade fostered coastal cosmopolitanism and religious tolerance, and how monsoon-linked agrarian abundance powered empires from the Cauvery delta to Southeast Asia. As climate change disrupts rainfall, glaciers, coastal lines, and livelihoods across Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India, he warns that monsoon nationalism—not religious nationalism—might be the more urgent political idea for our era.

Highlights
How the monsoon acts as South Asia’s centripetal cultural force
Why caste evolved from ecological constraints and resource adaptation
How monsoon winds created cosmopolitan coasts, trade networks, and religious pluralism
The monsoon logic behind India’s two agricultural seasons and festival calendars
Why the Cauvery delta’s dual monsoons fuelled Chola expansion into Southeast Asia
How new states increasingly align with IMD’s monsoon subdivisions

Perfect for
Students of environmental history, anthropology, and South Asian studies
Researchers studying caste ecology, maritime trade, and climate politics
Policy analysts examining state formation, hydrology, and resource conflicts
Readers curious about the cultural and political logic of the monsoon

Credits
Host: Amey Tirodkar
Camera: Emmanuel Jackkie Karbhari
Editing: Razal Pareed
Producer: Mridula Vijayarangakumar

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