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India
is a multi-lingual, multi-cultural, multi-religious secular
country. It is the largest democratic country in the world. We
can write volumes and volumes describing India but very shortly
and sweetly it is described in the National Anthem (Jana Gana
Mana ….). This is just a small picture, which we are trying to
show about the Indian Sub-continent.
India is an ancient land. The Indus valley civilization
is the most important early civilization of India. This
civilization flourished around 3000 BC, on the fertile valley of
the river Indus. The Aryans were the first invaders to
enter India around 1500 BC. These invading tribes pushed the
original Dravidian inhabitants of the Indus valley
further south.
The Aryans brought with them the Sanskrit language and their
religion. This played an important role in shaping the Indian
culture. In the sixth century BC Mahavira founded the Jain
religion and Gautama Buddha founded Buddhism. The third century
BC gave rise to the first great Indian empire under Chandragupta
Maurya which was the start of the Mauryan era. The
greatest Mauryan emperor was Ashoka the Great (286-231
BC). During the 4th to 5th AD the major empire was the Gupta
Empire.
Another very important event in Indian history is the arrival
of ISLAM.
Arab traders brought Islam to India in the 7th
century and the Afghans and Mughals further strengthened the spread of
Islam. Islam follows the
teachings of Prophet Mohammed based on the holy book of Koran.
In the late 12th century, Qutub-ud-din Aibak laid
the foundation of the Islamic Empire who ruled India for
centuries. The Lodis, Tughlaks and Khiljis, are some of the
famous empires. In the 16th century Babar laid
the stone of the Mughal Empire which was one the most
important empires of the Islamic Empire in the Indian History.
During their reign art, culture, architecture flourished. They
built great landmarks like the Buland Darwaza, Jama Masjid, Taj
Mahal and Red Fort. Akbar the Great (1562-1605) was the
greatest of the Mughal emperors. One of the great lover of art
was Shahjehan (Akbar's grandson). He built the Taj Mahal
in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. Mogul Empire started
declining after the rule of Aurangazeb, who was the last
major Mughal emperor.
British rule and the freedom struggle
A very important historical event was the arrival of
Europeans to India. Christianity arrived in India with
the arrival of St. Thomas in the south of India. In 1542 St.
Francis Xavier established the Roman Catholic faith in India. In
the early 17th century the British, French, Dutch and
Portuguese arrived in India establishing trade outposts. But the
British emerged as the supreme power and started spreading all
over India. The British constructed one of the largest railway
networks in India.
But the fire of the freedom movement started burning within
the hearts of Indians who wanted freedom from British rule.
Thinkers like Raja Rammohan Roy, Bankim Chandra Bose and
Vidyasagar conceived the freedom movement.
The Sepoy Mutiny started in 1857 by a group of
soldiers who were in the British army led by Mangal Pandey, but
it failed drastically. Later the control of the leadership of
the freedom movement was taken over by the Indian National
Congress in 1855 formed by some western educated Indians.
Balagangadhar Tilak and Aurobindo Ghose by which common
people started getting involved in the Freedom Struggle started
Swadeshi Movement.
One of the most remarkable leaders of India was Mohandas
Karamchand Gandhi (Father of the Nation) who was a British
trained lawyer of Indian origin from South Africa.
Under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi the Congress launched
mass movements like the Non-cooperation Movement (1912 to 1922)
and the Civil Disobedience Movement (1930).
Indians from all classes, castes and creeds participated
actively. Quit India Movement was launched in 1942 urging the
British to leave the country.
Finally at the end of the 2nd World War, the British decided
to leave India. India finally attained independence on 15 August
1947 having Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, as its first Prime
Minister.
Tourist Attractions
There are countless tourist attractions in India and hence it
is quite impossible to include all.
Agra fort (Agra, Madhya Pradesh), Ajanta and Ellora Caves
(Aurangabad, Maharashtra), Darjeeling, Goa, Hawa Mahal (Jaipur,
Rajasthan), Jama Masjid (Old Delhi), Jantar Mantar (Delhi),
Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh), Taj Mahal (Agra, Madhya Pradesh),
Charminar (Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh) etc.
People, Religion and Culture
India has a population of 840 million, according to the 1991
census. One very unique fact about India is its unity in
diversity. It is a secular country with different religions,
castes, cultures and languages. This unique Indian culture binds
the country together in perfect harmony. India has about 15
major nationally recognized languages. Hindi is the
national language, which is spoken by majority of the people,
while English is the language used for official communication.
Some of the important religions of India are:
Hinduism, Islam,
Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Christianity, Judaism &
Zoroastrianism.
The culture of India
The culture of India is varied and diverse. Indians are great
music lovers. The two prominent forms of classical music
in India - the Hindustani style (North) and the Carnatic
style (South). Folk music can be traced from the rural areas.
Western influenced music is also gaining widespread popularity
among the young. Ghazals, Film music is also very popular among
the masses of India. India has an ancient background of classical
dance. Important classical dance forms of India are Bharat
Natyam, Kathakali, Kathak, Manipuri, Odissi etc. India has a
remarkable array of handicrafts to offer. Fabric weaving and
printing are renowned all over the world as Indian silk and
muslin are prized all over the world.
Festivals of India
Important festivals celebrated in India are:
Christmas, Diwali, Dussehra, Easter and Good Friday, Guru
Nanak Jayanti, Holi, Id-ul-Fitr (Ramzan), Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid)
etc.
The land
India is a land of snowbound peaks, beautiful cool hills,
fertile river valleys, tropical rainforests, blistering hot
deserts and breathtakingly beautiful coasts. The Indian
peninsula has an area of approximately 3,287,580 sq. kilometers
with the Bay of Bengal to its east, the Indian Ocean to its
south and the Arabian Sea to its west. To its north lies the
world's highest mountain range, the Himalayas. Its neighbors are
Bangladesh to its east, China, Nepal and Bhutan to the north and
Afghanistan and Pakistan on the northwest. Sri Lanka lies to the
south.
The climate
India has 3 major seasons: summer, winter and monsoon.
Summer months (March to May) are generally hot and humid in most
parts of India. Winter months (mid November to early March) are
pleasantly cool for most parts of India but severe in the
northern plains. India experiences two monsoon spells, the
southwest monsoon from June to September and the northwest
monsoon from October to early December.
Wild life
The wild life found in India is varied and exotic. Which
includes birds, mammals, animals (carnivores, herbivorous and
primates). India also has a large variety of marine lives found
in its rivers and seas. The National bird is the peacock and the
National Animal in the Tiger.
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