India From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about the Republic of India. For other uses, see India (disambiguation). Republic of India Bhārat Gaṇarājyaṇ Flag Emblem Motto: "Satyameva Jayate" (Sanskrit) "Truth Alone Triumphs"[1] Anthem: Jana Gana Mana "Thou art the rulers of the minds of all people"[2][3] MENU 0:00 National song: Vande Mataram "I Bow to Thee, Mother"[a][1][3] Area controlled by India shown in dark green; claimed but uncontrolled regions shown in light green. Capital New Delhi 28°36.8′N 77°12.5′E Largest city Mumbai Official languages Hindi English [show] Recognised regional languages 8th Schedule [show] National language None Demonym Indian Government Federal parliamentary constitutional republic [1] - President Pranab Mukherjee - Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari - Prime Minister Narendra Modi (BJP) - Chief Justice H. L. Dattu [6] - Speaker of the House Sumitra Mahajan (BJP) Legislature Parliament of India - Upper house Rajya Sabha - Lower house Lok Sabha Independence from the United Kingdom - Dominion 15 August 1947 - Republic 26 January 1950 Area - Total 3,287,590[7] km2[b] (7th) 1,269,346 sq mi - Water (%) 9.6 Population - 2011 census 1,210,193,422[8] (2nd) - Density 380.5/km2 (31st) 985.6/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2014 estimate - Total $7.277 trillion[9] (3rd) - Per capita $5,777[9] (125th) GDP (nominal) 2014 estimate - Total $2.048 trillion[9] (10th) - Per capita $1,626[9] (145th) Gini (2010) 33.9[10] medium · 79th HDI (2013) 0.586[11] medium · 135th Currency Indian rupee ( ) (INR) Time zone IST (UTC+05:30) - Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+05:30) Date format dd-mm-yyyy (CE) Drives on the left Calling code +91 ISO 3166 code IN Internet TLD .in other TLDs[show] India ( i / ˈ ɪ n d i ə /), officially the Republic of India (Bhārat Ganarājyaṇ ),[12][c] is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largestcountry by area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the south-west, and the Bay of Bengal on the south-east, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west;[d] China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Burma and Bangladesh to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; in addition, India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia. Home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation mostly in present day Pakistan and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history.[13] Four world religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism—originated here, whereas Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived in the 1st millennium CE and also helped shape the region's diverse culture. Gradually annexed by and brought under the administration of the British East India Company from the early 18th century and administered directly by the United Kingdom from the mid-19th century, India became an independent nation in 1947 after a struggle for independence that was marked by non-violent resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi. The Indian economy is the world's tenth-largest by nominal GDP and third-largest by purchasing power parity (PPP).[14] Followingmarket-based economic reforms in 1991, India became one of the fastest-growing major economies; it is considered a newly industrialised country. However, it continues to face the challenges of poverty, corruption, malnutrition, inadequate public healthcare, and terrorism. A nuclear weapons state and a regional power, it has the third-largest standing army in the world and ranks ninth in military expenditure among nations. India is a federal constitutional republic governed under a parliamentary systemconsisting of 29 states and 7 union territories. India is a pluralistic, multilingual, and a multi-ethnic society. It is also home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats. Contents [hide] 1 Etymology 2 History o 2.1 Ancient India o 2.2 Medieval India o 2.3 Early modern India o 2.4 Modern India 3 Geography 4 Biodiversity 5 Politics o 5.1 Government o 5.2 Subdivisions 6 Foreign relations and military 7 Economy 8 Demographics 9 Culture o 9.1 Art and architecture o 9.2 Literature o 9.3 Performing arts o 9.4 Motion pictures o 9.5 Society o 9.6 Clothing o 9.7 Sport 10 See also 11 Notes 12 References 13 Bibliography 14 External links Etymology Main article: Names of India The name India is derived from Indus, which originates from the Old Persian word Hinduš. The latter term stems from the Sanskritword Sindhu, which was the historical local appellation for the Indus River.[15] The ancient Greeks referred to the Indians as Indoi(Ινδοί), which translates as "the people of the Indus".[16] The geographical term Bharat (pronounced [ˈ b ʱ a ː rə tt ] ( listen)), which is recognised by the Constitution of India as an official name for the country,[17] is used by many Indian languages in its variations. The eponym of Bharat is Bharata, a theological figure that Hindu scriptures describe as a legendary emperor of ancient India. Hindustan ([ɦɪ n dtʊˈ s tt a ː n] ( listen)) was originally a Persian word that meant "Land of the Hindus"; prior to 1947, it referred to a region that encompassed northern India and Pakistan. It is occasionally used to solely denote India in its entirety.[18][19] History Main articles: History of India and History of the Republic of India Ancient India The earliest authenticated human remains in South Asia date to about 30,000 years ago.[20] Nearly contemporaneous Mesolithicrock art sites have been found in many parts of the Indian subcontinent, including at the Bhimbetka rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh.[21] Around 7000 BCE, the first known Neolithic settlements appeared on the subcontinent in Mehrgarh and other sites in western Pakistan.[22] These gradually developed into the Indus Valley Civilisation,[23] the first urban culture in South Asia;[24] It flourished during 2600–1900 BCE in Pakistan and western India.[25] Centred on cities such as Mohenjo-daro, Harappa, Dholavira, and Kalibangan, and relying on varied forms of subsistence, the civilisation engaged robustly in crafts production and wide-ranging trade.[24] During the period 2000–500 BCE, in terms of culture, many regions of the subcontinent transitioned from the Chalcolithic to the Iron Age.[26] The Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism,[27] were composed during this period,[28] and historians have analysed these to posit a Vedic culture in the Punjab region and the upper Gangetic Plain.[26] Most historians also consider this period to have encompassed several waves of Indo-Aryan migration into the subcontinent from the north-west.[29][27] [30] The caste system arose during this period, which created a hierarchy of priests, warriors, free peasants and traders, and lastly the indigenous peoples who were regarded as impure; and small tribal units gradually coalesced into monarchical, state-level polities.[31][32] On the Deccan Plateau, archaeological evidence from this period suggests the existence of a chiefdom stage of political organisation.[26] In southern India, a progression to sedentary life is indicated by the large number of megalithic monuments dating from this period,[33] as well as by nearby traces of agriculture, irrigation tanks, and craft traditions.[33] Paintings at the Ajanta Caves in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, 6th century In the late Vedic period, around the 6th century BCE, the small states and chiefdoms of the Ganges Plain and the north-western regions had consolidated into 16 major oligarchies and monarchies that were known as the mahajanapadas.[34][35] The emerging urbanisation and the orthodoxies of this age also created heterodox religious movements, two of which became independent religions. Buddhism, based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha attracted followers from all social classes excepting the middle class; chronicling the life of the Buddha was central to the beginnings of recorded history in India.[36][37][38] Jainism came into prominence during the life of its exemplar, Mahavira.[39] In an age of increasing urban wealth, both religions held up renunciation as an ideal,[40] and both established long-lasting monastic traditions. Politically, by the 3rd century BCE, the kingdom of Magadha had annexed or reduced other states to emerge as the Mauryan Empire. [41] The empire was once thought to have controlled most of the subcontinent excepting the far south, but its core regions are now thought to have been separated by large autonomous areas.[42][43] The Mauryan kings are known as much for their empire-building and determined management of public life as forAshoka's renunciation of militarism and far-flung advocacy of the Buddhist dhamma.[44][45] The Sangam literature of the Tamil language reveals that, between 200 BCE and 200 CE, the southern peninsula was being ruled by the Cheras, the Cholas, and the Pandyas, dynasties that traded extensively with the Roman Empire and with West and South-East Asia.[46][47] In North India, Hinduism asserted patriarchal control within the family, leading to increased subordination of women. [48][41] By the 4th and 5th centuries, the Gupta Empire had created in the greater Ganges Plain a complex system of administration and taxation that became a model for later Indian kingdoms.[49] [50] Under the Guptas, a renewed Hinduism based on devotion rather than the management of ritual began to assert itself.[51] The renewal was reflected in a flowering of sculpture and architecture, which found patrons among an urban elite.[50] Classical Sanskrit literature flowered as well, and Indian science, astronomy, medicine, and mathematics made significant advances.[50] Medieval India The granite tower ofBrihadeeswarar Temple inThanjavur was completed in 1010 CE by Raja Raja Chola I.