Hindustan [Persian,=Hindu land], historical term, usually applied to the Ganges Plain of N India, between the Himalayas in the north and the Deccan plateau in the south. Used variably throughout Indian history—generally in contradistinction to the Deccan of peninsular India—it gradually came to mean the whole of N India from the Punjab to Assam. The term Hindustan has also been applied to the whole Indian subcontinent.

Historically, name applied to northern India, in contrast to the Deccan, or southern India. It is also sometimes used for all of India. It included the region bounded to the north by the Himalayas and to the south by the Vindhya Mountains and Narmada River, comprising the Ganges (Ganga) River valley from the Punjab to Assam. The name was also applied to a small area comprising the upper basin of the Ganges.

Learn more about Hindustan with a free trial on Britannica.com.