Chapter 5 India, That Is Bharat

Defining India and Its Geography

India, as a modern nation-state, has clearly defined borders, states, and a known population. However, the geographical region we commonly refer to as the Indian Subcontinent has a long history with changing boundaries and has been known by various names over time.

The Indian Subcontinent is a distinct geographical area, often naturally bounded by features like the Himalaya mountains in the north and surrounded by oceans on its eastern, western, and southern sides.

Learning about the past and evolution of this region is possible through diverse historical sources, including ancient texts, traveller accounts, pilgrim writings, and inscriptions.

Ancient Indian Names For India

The inhabitants of the Indian Subcontinent have used several names for their land throughout history, as recorded in ancient texts and inscriptions.

Sapta Sindhava

One of the earliest names appears in the Rig Veda, one of India's most ancient texts, dating back several thousand years. It refers to the northwest region of the Subcontinent as 'Sapta Sindhava', meaning the 'land of the seven rivers'. This name is derived from the word 'Sindhu', which primarily refers to the Indus River but can also mean a river in a broader sense.

Bharatavarsha And Jambudvipa

Later Indian literature provides names that seem to encompass a larger area. The Mahabharata, a famous Indian epic, which scholars believe was composed over several centuries starting from a few centuries BCE, lists numerous regions spread across the entire Subcontinent, suggesting a growing awareness of the geographical extent of the land.

The Mahabharata uses the terms 'Bhāratavarṣha' and 'Jambudvīpa' to refer to the entire Indian Subcontinent.

• Bhāratavarṣha: Means 'the country of the Bharatas'. 'Bharata' was originally the name of a prominent Vedic group mentioned in the Rig Veda and later referred to various kings. This name was clearly associated with the whole Subcontinent and its various regions and peoples.
• Jambudvīpa: Means 'the island of the fruit of the jamun tree'. The jamun (jambul) tree is native and common in India. This term also came to signify the Indian Subcontinent.

Historical evidence, such as the inscriptions of Emperor Ashoka (around 250 BCE), also uses the name 'Jambudvīpa' to refer to his vast empire, which included present-day India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and parts of Afghanistan.

Bharata / Bharatam

Over subsequent centuries, the name 'Bhārata' became widely adopted for the Indian Subcontinent. Ancient texts like the Vishnu Purana describe Bhārata as the land located "north of the ocean and south of the snowy mountains" (referring to the Himalayas and the Indian Ocean), confirming its application to the entire region.

This name continues to be used today, often written as 'Bharat' in North India and 'Bharatam' in South India.

Ancient Indian texts and literature, including Tamil literature from around 2,000 years ago, demonstrate a clear understanding of the geographical expanse of the land, describing it stretching from the northern mountains to Cape Kumari in the south and bounded by the eastern and western oceans.

Foreign Names For India

Visitors and invaders from other lands also gave names to the Indian Subcontinent, often derived from the prominent geographical features they first encountered.

Persian Names

The ancient Persians, from present-day Iran, were among the first foreigners to refer to the region. After gaining control of the Indus River region in the 6th century BCE, they adapted the local name 'Sindhu' into their language. Their earliest records and inscriptions refer to the area as 'Hind', 'Hidu', or 'Hindu'. It's important to note that in ancient Persian, 'Hindu' was a purely geographical term referring to the people and land of the Indus region, not a religious label.

Greek and Latin Names

Based on the Persian terms, the ancient Greeks began to call the region 'Indoi' or 'Indike'. They omitted the initial 'h' sound from 'Hindu' as it was not common in the Greek language. The term 'Indoi' or its variations were also adopted by the Latins, eventually giving rise to the name 'India'.

Chinese Names

The ancient Chinese also interacted extensively with India. Their names for India, such as 'Yintu' or 'Yindu', also originated from the word 'Sindhu', likely via an intermediate sound change (Sindhu -> Hindhu -> Indu -> Yindu). Another Chinese term used was 'Tianzhu', which could be understood as 'heavenly master', reflecting the high regard the Chinese had for India, especially as the birthplace of Buddhism. Chinese travellers like Xuanzang visited India to collect Buddhist texts and study.

Hindustan

The term 'Hindustān' is another name originating from Persian. It first appeared in a Persian inscription about 1,800 years ago. Later, this term became commonly used by various invaders to refer to the Indian Subcontinent.

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India In The Constitution

Reflecting its rich history and the use of both ancient Indian and foreign-derived names, the Constitution of India explicitly uses two names for the country.

The English version of the Constitution begins with the phrase: "India, that is Bharat".

The Hindi version similarly states: "Bhārat arthāth India".

This acknowledges both 'India' (derived from foreign sources) and 'Bharat' (an ancient name used by its inhabitants) as official names for the nation.

The Constitution itself is the fundamental document outlining the basic principles and laws governing the nation, which came into effect in 1950.