LOCATION: Lies in the Indian Subcontinent in South Asia; between parallels of latitude 37o7'E and 9o25'. Check out this site for more detailed information |
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India- the beauteous land herself
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~The Indian Media
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A taste of Indian music and Bollywood
Classical Indian Music is divided into two types: the Hindustani music in popularity in the North, and the Carnatic music that is more the 'sound of the South'. These two types of music are structurally quite formidable, and each represent a section of culture that has brilliantly evolved through different passages in time.'Bollywood' is the Indian equivalent of the American Film Industry, but with the 'H' of Hollywood switched with a 'B' for Bombay, where it has its base. Indian movies are well-known for their family-oriented story-lines, embellished with beautiful songs sung by the characters in them. Here are a few wonderful sites that incorporate this major part of Indian society:
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The East India Company
The original purpose of the English in coming to India was for financial gains, by the formation of trade settlements. The English East India Company was formed in 1600 through a charter signed by Queen Elizabeth I granting permission to trade with India. However, it was only in 1613 that Sir Thomas Roe was successful in getting permission to establish the first factory in Surat (a place in Maharashtra). As the company grew, it had establishments in Bombay (now known as Mumbai, Calcutta and Madras (now known as Chennai.
Gradual Political Growth
Of course, with their kind of power, the motives of the British went gradually from merely financial profits to political empowerment over India. Many Governor Generals of India help strengthen the British hold over India. One such notable man was Sir Robert Clive, who helped capture Arcot and other regions. Wars such as the Carnatic Wars(1746-1763)Battle of Plassey (1757), the Battle of Buxar (1764) guaranteed the British a firm grip over India.
Striking Back
India didn't actually begin to fight back until 1857. It was in that year that a wave of discontentment sparked a revolution, one that would later be dubbed as the Sepoy Mutiny by the British, and the First War of Indian Independence by the Indians. Though the Indians were severely defeated in that War, the unrest was too great to subside. The Indian National Congress was formed in Pune in December 1885. The world saw the rise of many revolutionaries such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, and Gopalkrishna Gokhale. Unfortunately, it was around this time that the British decided to implement a most disastrous policy, the 'Divide and Rule policy'. India being a secular nation, had many regions where the two major religions (Hinduism and Islam) collectively flourished. The Partition of one such place, namely Bengal (in 1905), led to turmoil and resentment. The sad point of it all is that the British actually succeeded in segregating the two religions. Standing testimony of this dastardly policy is the perpetual enmity that seems to have been rooted in the neighbouring countries of India and Pakistan, ever since the partition in 1945.
Early 20th century: the Gandhian era
The early 20th century saw the advent of a young politician by the name of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948). Dominating the Indian political scenario since the very time that he entered it in 1918, he introduced various methods of retaliation against the British, the most famous of which are Satyagraha (Transalated as: 'the path of truth), and Ahimsa (The buddhist principle of non-violence). The people of the land were thrown into jail like cattle being driven into an enclosure, but that sure didn't waiver their spirit. Gandhiji, as he was now affectionately called by the people, began to request the Indian people to boycott British goods and to make their own clothes by spinning. This method was known as Swadeshi (Swa- self, deshi- country : Hence, Swadeshi means, "from one's own country") The 1920's amd 1930's were strewn with incidents from both parties, treaties that were never honoured, disappointments, and revolutions. All this came to a head with the Quit India Movement of 1942.
The Quit India Movement
On 8th August, 1942, the Congress in its meeting at Bombay passed a resolution known as 'Quit India' movement led by Gandhiji. In this resolution, Gandhi asked the British to quit India and gave a call for 'Do or die' to his countrymen. This was the worst movement of its kind. Leaders were arrested, government offices destroyed, telegraph wires were cut and communication paralysed. This movement ,too, was crushed by the Government. By now, there were two local parties struggling to grip the reins of India- The Indian National Congress, headed by Gandhiji, and the Muslim League, headed by Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
A stroke of luck- and Independence at last!
In March 1947, Lord Mountbatten replaced the previous viceroy, Lord Wavell. This is seen, by most historians, to be a brilliant stroke of luck for, that very year, India claimed its independence. Lord Mountbbatten came up with a plan (dubbed as 'The Mountbatten Plan'). In this plan he detailed principles based on which the country would be partitioned. Instructions on how power would be transferred from the hands of the British to the Indians were laid out, and its acceptance by the Congress and the Muslim League resulted in the birth of a new nation, Pakistan. The Indian Independence Act 1947 was the official name given to the Mountbatten Plan when it was introduced into the British Parliament on June 3, 1947. In accordance with this plan, India was partitioned on August 15, 1947 (a day henceforth celebrated by the Indian as Independence Day). Though Lord Mountbatten continued as Governal General for quite some time after the Independence, the real power had finally been transferred into the hands of the Indians. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of Free India.
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