History behind the name of India

01. History behind the name of India

India is a state in South Asia. It is also known as the Republic of India. On the basis of the geographical size, it is the largest country in South Asia and the seventh largest in the world. On the other hand, in terms of population, this country is the most populous and largest democracy in the world. India is bordered by Pakistan to the west, China, Nepal and Bhutan to the northeast and Bangladesh, Myanmar and Malaysia to the east. Several island countries either big or small like Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia are found in the Indian Ocean. We can find the Indian Ocean to the south, the Arabian Sea to the west, and the Bay of Bengal to the east.

The Indian subcontinent has been known for its economic prosperity and cultural heritage since time immemorial. The historical Indus Valley Civilization developed in this region. Giant multiple empires were established here in different periods of history. The famous trade routes of various histories protected the trade and cultural relations of this region with other civilizations of the world. India is the birthplace of the four religions of the world - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. In the first millennium AD, Zoroastrianism (Persia), Judaism, Christianity and Islam entered the country and made a significant impact on Indian culture. Unfortunately, from the first half of the eighteenth century, the British East India Company was gradually able to capture most of the Indian Territory under its control. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the country had become a full-fledged British colony. Then, after a long struggle for independence, India emerged as an independent state in 1947. With the enactment of the Constitution in 1950, India became a sovereign democratic republic.

At present, India is a parliamentary republic with 28 states and 8 union territories. The Indian economy is twelfth largest in terms of market exchange rate and fourth largest in the world in terms of purchasing power. Today, India is the second fastest growing economy in the world in terms of economic growth as a result of the fiscal reform policy adopted by the Indian government in 1991. However, extreme poverty, illiteracy and malnutrition are now one of the major problems in India. Culturally, India is a multi-religious, multi-lingual multinational state.

It was known that the name 'Bharat' was originated from the name of the mythical king Bharat of the Chandra Dynasty. It is said that this year or region was named Bharatvarsha because it was donated to Raja Bharat. The word, India comes from the original Persian name for the river Indus. The ancient Greeks also referred to the Indians as Indoi (meaning ‘inhabitants of the Indus’ (Indus) river basin). After independence, the name India came into vogue in the Constitution of India and in public. In the middle ages, the Persian word Hindustan (or the land of the Indus River) was also used to mean North India. In some cases, the term is also used to mean the whole of India.

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