ABSTRACT

The countries that are now known as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh were, historically, a single country known as India and were under the British rule from the 19th century up to the end of the Second World War. In 1947, India was partitioned into two countries, namely, India and Pakistan. In 1971, Pakistan was further split into two countries, namely, Pakistan (earlier known as West Pakistan) and Bangladesh (earlier called East Pakistan). Sri Lanka was also under the British rule since the 19th

century up to the end of the Second World War and known as Ceylon. It became independent in 1948. Nepal and Bhutan, the two sub-Himalayan countries were all along independent. This chapter deals with the history of rice in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka that are the major rice growing countries of the region since their independence.