The maps show ancient civilizations and modern population density in the Indian subcontinent.

Two maps. Left: A map titled Ancient Indian Civilizations. A key shows Ancient Indian civilizations with orange dots and Central India with a teal line. There are groups of orange dots near the western coast and along rivers in the western region of India. A teal line forms a circle in the middle of the map. There are no orange dots within the circle. Right: A map titled Population Density of India. A key shows Persons per kilometer squared. Yellow is 0 to 500, orange is 500 to 1,000, red is 1,000 plus. Most of the interior of India is yellow. Orange and red areas are near the southern tip and northern border near Nepal.

Why has central India been the least populated part of India in both ancient and modern times?

Central India does not support easy access to water.
Central India does not support fertile land for farming.
Central India does not provide protection from invasion.
Central India does not provide connections to other cities.