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India.
India
The Republic of India, located in South Asia and comprising most of the Indian subcontinent is the second most populous country in the world and is the world's largest democracy, with over one billion people speaking more than one hundred distinct languages. The Indian economy is the fourth-largest in the world, in terms of purchasing power parity. India borders Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan, with Sri Lanka and the Maldives just across the Indian mainland in the Indian Ocean.
Republic of India
(In Detail)
(In Detail)
National motto: Satyameva Jayaté
(Sanskrit: Truth Alone Triumphs)
Official language
Hindi, English (+17 other national languages and 844 dialects)
Capital
New Delhi
Largest City
Mumbai
President
APJ Abdul Kalam
Prime Minister
Atal Behari Vajpayee
Area
- Total
- % water
Ranked 7th
3,287,590 km˛
9.5%
Population
- Total
- Density
Ranked 2nd
1,049,700,118
319.3/km²
GDP
- Total
- GDP/head
Ranked 4th (among countries) Ranked 5th (among economies)
2.66 trillion $
2,540 $
Independence
August 15, 1947
Republic
January 26, 1950
Currency
Currency Code (ISO 4217)
Indian Rupee (Rs.)
INR
Time zone
UTC +5.30
National anthem
Jana-Gana-Mana
National song
Vandé Mataram
Internet TLD
.IN
Calling Code
91
National Game
Hockey
National animal
Tiger
National bird
Peacock
National flower
Lotus
Table of contents showTocToggle("show","hide")
1 Origin of Name
2 History
3 Politics
4 States and Territories
5 Geography and Climate
6 Economy
7 Demographics
8 Religions in India
9 Culture
9.1 Music in India
9.2 Indian Literature
9.3 Dance
9.4 Festivals
9.5 Science and Math
9.6 Dress and Cuisine
9.7 Film
9.8 Regional Cultures and Influences
9.9 Sports
10 Trivia
11 Miscellaneous Topics
12 Related Topics
13 External links
13.1 Official
13.2 Other
13.3 News Sources
Origin of Name
The name India is derived from Sindhu, the local name for the river Indus. Interestingly the Vedas did not assign any particular name for India, although some scholars assert that references to Indu in the Rig Veda relate to India's present name. Various political parties have their preferred names for India some of which are Hindustan and Bharat. The name "Bharat" is said to derive from any of two ancient Hindu kings named Bharata. "Bha" in sanskrit means knowledge or light, and "rat" is a verb for 'doing'. Bharat is the one who is in search of knowledge. India is also known as Hindustan (the land of the Hindus), though its use as an indicator of the nation is debated.
History
Main article: History of India
The rock art tradition of India has been traced to about 40,000 years ago in the paleolithic at Bhimbetaka in Central India and other sites. The first permanent settlements in South Asia appeared about 9,000 years ago. This indigenous culture developed into the Indus Valley civilization (also referred to by some as the Sindhu-Sarasvati Tradition), which was at its height from around 2600 BC to 1900 BC and was one of the earliest civilizations.
There are two prevailing theories about the early history of India. One is the commonly accepted Aryan Migration/Invasion Theory, first propounded by the German historian Max Müller in the 19th century . It avers that around 1500 BC, the influx of Aryan tribes from the northwest of India and to some extent their merger with the earlier inhabitants resulted in the classical Vedic culture. The other, more recent theory, is that there was no ingress at all. Essentially, Vedic/Aryan culture was not racially distinct but native to the Indian subcontinent. It is known commonly as the continuity theory. see Aryan Invasion Theory.
Persian incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkic in the 12th century. These Turkish invaders formed a series of Dynasties (Slave, Khilji, Tughlaq, Syed, Lodhi) in Northern India based in Delhi. In 1526 the Mughals invaded India and slowly captured most of the country. They were followed by incursions by European traders beginning in the late 15th century.
By subjugating the Mughal empire in the 19th century, the British Empire had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands. India became a formal crown colony of the United Kingdom in 1876, and the successive British monarchs assumed the title of "Emperor of India." The British held much pride over India, describing it as the "crown jewel" in the Empire. However their subjugation of the nation brought with it the effects of a planned and documented "divide-and-conquer" policy. The British, through economic policies that taxed Indians for buying native goods, imported more expensive British goods to India. Through a system that both implicitly and explicitly sought to enrich England through her colonial servants, India was gradually being drained, from natural resources to unscrupulously ellicted manpower. Much of India's freedom-fighters' campaigning focused on the racial discrimination and subversive economic policy that was imposed on the people of India by the British.
Mostly nonviolent resistance to British colonialism under Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, in addition to plenty of opposition voiced by other well-known leaders, among whom were such stalwarts like Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Subhas Chandra Bose, led to the granting of independence in 1947. The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. Pakistan occupied two noncontiguous areas, and a civil war between West and East Pakistan in 1971, in which India eventually intervened, resulted in the secession of East Pakistan to form the separate nation of Bangladesh.
Fundamental concerns in India include the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, overpopulation, environmental degradation, poverty, and ethnic and religious strife, all this despite impressive gains in economic investment and output.
Politics
Main article: Politics of India
India is a sovereign democratic republic. It is a Union of states with an increasingly federal structure. Officially it is declared as The Republic of India. India has as head of state a president, whose duties are largely ceremonial. The president and vice president are elected indirectly for 5-year terms by a special electoral college. Their terms are staggered, and the vice president does not automatically become president following the death or removal from office of the president.
Executive power is centred in the Council of Ministers (cabinet), led by the prime minister. The president appoints the prime minister, who is designated by legislators of the political party or coalition commanding a parliamentary majority. The president then appoints subordinate ministers on the advice of the prime minister.
India's bicameral parliament consists of the upper house called 'The Council of States' (Rajya Sabha) and the lower House called 'The House of the People' (Lok Sabha), both of which were established by the Constitution of India. The Council of Ministers is responsible to the Lok Sabha. The legislatures of the states and union territories elect 233 members to the Rajya Sabha, and the president appoints another 12. The elected members of the Rajya Sabha serve 6-year terms, with one-third up for election every 2 years. The Lok Sabha consists of 545 members; 543 are directly elected to 5-year terms. The other two are appointed by the president.
States and Territories
Main articles: States and Territories of India, Population by State
India is subdivided into 28 states, 6 Union Territories and the National Capital Territory of Delhi:
Indian States and Territories
Andhra Pradesh | Arunachal Pradesh | Assam | Bihar | Chhattisgarh | Goa | Gujarat | Haryana | Himachal Pradesh | Jammu and Kashmir | Jharkhand | Karnataka | Kerala | Madhya Pradesh | Maharashtra | Manipur | Meghalaya | Mizoram | Nagaland | Orissa | Punjab | Rajasthan | Sikkim | Tamil Nadu | Tripura | Uttaranchal | Uttar Pradesh | West Bengal
Union Territories: Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Chandigarh | Dadra and Nagar Haveli | Daman and Diu | Lakshadweep | Pondicherry
National Capital Territory: Delhi
The second-level subdivision is the district. See List of Indian districts.
India has made no territorial claim in Antarctica but had a permanent scientific base there - Dakshin Gangotri.
Geography and Climate
Main article Geography of India
Map shows parts of Kashmir claimed by India, but controlled by Pakistan, as part of Pakistan. (When Microsoft released a map in Windows 95 and MapPoint 2002, a controversy was raised because it did not show all of Kashmir as part of India [1][2]).
Located on the Indian subcontinent, India consists roughly of three major parts; in the north the massive Himalayas mountain range (with the highest point being the Kanchenjunga at 8,598 m) and the Indo-Gangetic plain (with deserts in the western end), and in the south the extensive Deccan plateau. The latter is part of a large peninsula in between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west, with both being part of the greater Indian Ocean. The plateau is bordered on the eastern and western sides by hilly areas called the Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats respectively before it meets the sea.
India is home to several major rivers such as the Ganga (anglicized to Ganges), the Brahmaputra, the Yamuna, the Godavari and the Krishna. A small part of the upper course of the name-giving Indus lies within Kashmir territory controlled by India.
The Indian climate varies from a tropical climate in the south to a more temperate climate in the north. India gets its rains through the monsoons, the South-West monsoon brings in around 80% and the North-East monsoon the remaining.
Economy
Main article Economy of India
India was traditionally a rural economy which subsequently participated in the industrial revolution through colonial rule. After Independence, India tended towards a more socialist policy and large scale infrastructure and industry development was done through public sectors. However, from the early 1990s onwards, the Indian economy has opened up through liberalisation and is on the road to privatisation through disinvestment policies.
A certain amount of dissatisfaction is expressed in the face of these changes in the Indian economy- some of which are that a quarter of the population is still too poor to be able to afford an adequate diet, electricity shortages still continue in many regions and the manufacturing sector has slowed down at the expense of soft skills.
India's economy today encompasses traditional village farming, modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of support services, including software. In fact, India's software exports alone are around $10 billion(2003). India's international payments position remained strong in 2001 with adequate foreign exchange reserves, and moderately depreciating nominal exchange rates. In 2003, India joined a select club of nations having foreign exchange reserves exceeding $100 billion.
As measured by GDP in US Dollars, India's 2002 output of $597 billion ranked it 12th in the world. As measured by GDP on Purchasing Power Parity basis, India's 2002 figure of $2.66 trillion makes it the fourth largest in the world.India has large numbers of well-educated people skilled in the English language; India is a major exporter of software services and software workers.
See also List of software companies, List of Indian companies
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of India
India is the second-most populous country in the world, with only China having a larger population. Language, religion, and caste are major determinants of social and political organisation within the highly diverse Indian population today. Its four biggest urban agglomerations and acknowledged major cities are, in decreasing order of population, Mumbai (Bombay), Kolkata (Calcutta), New Delhi, and Chennai (Madras).
Hindi, in the Devanagari script, is the only official federal language and individual states and territories have adopted 17 other co-official languages. These are the Dravidian languages of Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu, and the Indo-Aryan languages of Bengali, Bhojpuri, Marathi, Urdu, Gujarati, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, Nepali, Konkani and the classical language of Sanskrit. Many other languages belonging to both groups are spoken as well. English, classified as a "Official Associate Language", is still widely in use in law and government, particularly in the higher echelons. It enjoys a Quasi-Official status in the national government, and according to the Constitution, this status is to be periodically reviewed. However, its popularity in business and government affairs and its favourability as a "national language" by certain non-Hindi speaking states have led to its continued patronage.
See also Indian family name
Religions in India
Main article: Religion in India
Although 83% of the people are Hindus, India is home to a large population of Muslims (11%) giving it the world's third largest Muslim population after Indonesia (approx. 200 million) and Pakistan (approx. 140 million). Other smaller religious minorities include Christians (3%), Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Jews, Parsis, Ahmadi and Bahá'í.
The caste system once reflected Indian occupational and religiously defined hierarchies. Traditionally, there were four broad categories of castes (varnas), though they consisted of thousands of castes and subcastes, whose relative status varied from region to region. The caste system was an important social factor for most Indians till the early 1900's. Presently, India has tough laws against discrimination on the basis of caste. There is a policy for the socio-economic upliftment of the erstwhile lower castes, by the provision of free education till graduation, reservation of admission seats in institutions for higher education, a 50% quota in government jobs and faster promotions. However, caste remains a significant factor in the political life of the country as well as in some social customs such as marriage.
Culture
Main article: Culture of India
Indian culture is an expression of the numerous and successive waves of influences in the sub-continent with the Northern part of India being subjected to this more than the South.
Music in India
In Indian music, two main forms are the Carnatic and the Hindustani, the former from South India, a much purer form and the latter from North India deriving much from Mughal (Islamic line of rulers) infuences. (See Indian classical music). Both systems are founded on Vedic principles of sound and fundamental understandings of raga and tala.
Bridging, perhaps, the gap between high classical and more popular songs are many devotional and regional traditions. A national obsession among Hindus are songs known as bhajans, usually in praise of such Hindu deities as Krishna, Rama, or even Shiva. The most popular of the old Hindi devotional poets are Mirabai and Tulsidas. The Qawalli, or devotional Muslim Sufi music that found new expression in India, is also extremely popular among groups of all religions, notable greats including the early Indian native Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and the more recent Pakistani Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The ghazal culture that surrounds the Indian-born language of Urdu (now the official language of Pakistan and one of many in India) is extremely popular, again, among all Indians, especially with the lyrics of old greats like Iqbal, current writers like Javed Akhtar, and the fittingly titled "Ghazal King", the Sikh singer Jagjit Singh.
Regional cultures are also flourish. In West Bengal, for example, the 2,000 plus songs of the national poet, Rabindranath Tagore, known as Rabindrasangeet, have an entire industry devoted to their singing and interpretation. A similar tradition with the devotional songs to the Hindu goddess Kali, called Shyamasangeets, mostly attributed to the Bengali poet-saint Ramprasad Sen is very popular.
India has a rich tradition of folk music too, ranging from Rajasthani to Kashmiri in the North-East to Baul mystics of Bengal to a wide variety of South Indian forms. Indian folk music is generally woven around rural ways of life during marriages or harvest or worship of local village Hindu deities.
One form of music that is extremely popular is the filmi music, songs from Indian films. From Tea stalls and small restaurants to Auto Rickshaws and taxicabs, even in less traditional orchestras during some weddings, one can hear a variety of 'filmi' music, usually of the Bollywood variety in Hindi. One, especially in the South, can often hear popular music of Tamil and Telugu industries as well.
Indian Literature
Also Indian Writing in English
In Indian literature, oral and written forms prevail. Hindu literary traditions dominate a large part of Indian culture. Apart from the Vedas which are a sacred form of knowledge, there are other works such as the Hindu epics of Ramayana and Mahabharatha, treatises such as Vaastu Shastra in architecture and town planning and Artha Shastra in political science.
Devotional Hindu drama, poetry and songs span the subcontinent. Among the best known are the works of Kalidas (writer of the famed Sanskrit play Shakuntala) and Tulsidas (who wrote an epic Hindi poem based on the Ramayana). Tamil Sangam poetry is well renowned.
Among other traditions Urdu poetry is a fine example of linguistic and cultural synthesis. Arab and Persian vocabulary based on the Hindi language resulted in a vast and extremely beloved class of ghazal literature, usually written by Muslims in contexts ranging from romance and society to philosophy and devotion to Allah. Urdu soon became the court language of the Mughals and in its higher forms was once called the 'Kohinoor' of Indian languages.
Dance
Many dance forms exist in India - Bharata Natyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Kathakali, etc., mostly they have a narrative form, telling stories. Other forms such as street theatre and puppetry are also found. (See Indian classical dance and Indian folk music and dance)
Festivals
There are many festivals in India, most of which are Hindu. Some examples of Hindu festivals are Holi, Diwali/Deepavali, Vijayadasami, Sankranthi, Pongal, etc. Most of the others are based on religion and seasonal celebrations, others still commemorating individual milestones.
Science and Math
Indian science was advanced in ancient times - Aryabhatta and Bhaskara were important Hindu scientists who studied planetary motion. The so-called Arabic numerals were an Indian invention.
Dress and Cuisine
Traditional dresses in India include the Sari (Saree), Salwar Kameez, Dhoti and Kurta.
In Indian cuisine, rice and wheat form the staple diet. Some popular dishes include Thali- a full fledged meal, Dosa, Idli and Chapati.
Film
Movies are an integral part of everyday life in India, most notably the Hindi, Tamil and Telugu for their commercial bases, and Bengali and Malayalam for their artistic leanings. ( See Cinema of India). Satyajit Ray, a director from the Bengali cinema tradition, has been seen by movie critics around the world as one of cinema's four greatest filmmakers ever, and is the only Indian to have won an Academy Award (Lifetime Achievment).
Regional Cultures and Influences
Specific regions, most often delineated by state, often have very widely ranging cultures and languages. Indians are very aware of intra-Indian identities, such as being Tamils, Bengalis, Punjabis, etc. However, there is more of a tendency to borrow and imbibe aspects of different regions and major urban centers are often confluences of Indians of widely differing backgrounds. Also, with increasing globalisation, and due to the liberalisation of the Indian economy in the early 1990s, there has been influence of Western culture. So there is Indi-pop in music , Hinglish, Benglish, or Tanglish- English flavoured with terms from local language used most prominently in fields such as advertising, pizzas with indigenous spices, experimental dance and theatre forms, and so on. The invasion of cable TV has spawned an entirely new popular culture.
Apart from these historical and context specific forms, what an Indian sees as important in Indian culture are abstract qualities such as hospitality, family values, acceptance and toleration of differences, resilience and co-existence.
Sports
India's official national sport is Field Hockey, although most would assert that it is in fact Cricket that has become the unofficial national game. In fact, so popular is cricket that it has made India the game's financial powerhouse, even to the point that, as some observers claim, it has become India's fastest growing industry. Some other popular sports are Tennis, Badminton and Chess (Chess is supposed to have originated in India). Some traditional indigenous games are Kabaddi, Gilli-danda, Polo and, indeed, Badminton, which was invented in a British club in Pune in the 16th century.
See also: Indian architecture, List of holidays in India
Trivia
Miscellaneous Topics
Related Topics
Main article: List of India-related topics
Topics in India
History of India
Timeline of Indian history Indus Valley Civilization, Aryan invasion theory, Greek Conquests in India Ashokan Era, Gupta dynasty, Mauryan dynasty, Islamic incursions in India, Mughal Era, British Raj, War of Independance, 1857, Indian independence movement, Quit India Movement, Partition of India, Non-Aligned Movement, Sino-Indian War, Indo-Pak War I, Indo-Pak War 2, Kargil War, Foreign relations, Military, Demographic and Postal history
Politics
Law, Constitution, Political parties (BJP & INC), Elections, Political divisions
Government
Government agencies, Legislative branch (Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha) Executive branch (President & Vice-President, Cabinet, Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, Attorney-General,Solicitor-General, Election Commission, Foreign Minister; Law enforcement: CBI, CID, Intelligence: IB, RAW), Judicial branch (Supreme Court), Military (Army, Navy, Air Force, BSF, Coast Guard)
Geography
Himalayan Mtns., Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, Indo Gangetic Plain, Deccan Plateau, Thar Desert, Ganges River, Rann of Kutch, Brahmaputra River, North-East India; Mountains, Valleys, Islands, Rivers; States, Cities, List of Indian Districts, Regions
Economy
Rupee, Bombay Stock Exchange, Standard of living, Companies, Poverty, Reserve Bank of India
Demographics
Indian Census Bureau, Languages, Standard of living, Religion
Arts & Culture
Music (Carnatic, Hindustani, Indipop), Film & TV (Bollywood), Literature (Poetry), Cuisine, Holidays, Folklore, Dance, Architecture; Education, Languages, Media
Other
Communications, Transportation (Highways, Railways, Auto Rickshaw), Flag, Tourism
External links
Official
Other
News Sources
South Asia
Bangladesh | Bhutan | India | Maldives | Nepal | Pakistan | Sri Lanka
Commonwealth of Nations
Antigua and Barbuda | Australia | Bahamas | Bangladesh | Barbados | Belize | Botswana | Brunei | Cameroon | Canada | Cyprus | Dominica | Fiji | The Gambia | Ghana | Grenada | Guyana | India | Jamaica | Kenya | Kiribati | Lesotho | Malawi | Malaysia | Maldives | Malta | Mauritius | Mozambique | Namibia | Nauru | New Zealand | Nigeria | Pakistan | Papua New Guinea | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Lucia | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Samoa | Seychelles | Sierra Leone | Singapore | Solomon Islands | South Africa | Sri Lanka | Swaziland | Tanzania | Tonga | Trinidad and Tobago | Tuvalu | Uganda | United Kingdom | Vanuatu | Zambia | Zimbabwe
India is also the letter I in the NATO phonetic alphabet
The above article is adapted from from Wikipedia All Wikipedia article text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
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