Class 6 Social Science Chapter 5 Notes India, That is Bharat
→ Constitution: A document that spells out the basic principles and laws of a nation.
→ Inhabitants: People who live in a particular place.
→ Subcontinent: A large landmass that is part of a continent and usually consists of a: number of countries.
→ 86th century BCE: Launch of a military campaign by a Persian emperor.
→ 7th century CE: Xuanzang, a Chinese scholar travelled from China to India.
→ Around 1,800 years ago: The term ‘Hindustan’ was used for the first time in α Persian inscription.
Learning Objectives
- Learn the different names used to refer to India.
- Understand how these names evolved over time.
- Explore what names were given to India by foreigners.
Introduction
India’s history is defined by changing names and boundaries. Different names for India have evolved over time, from ancient texts and inscriptions to the accounts of travellers. The names by which India has been known reveal much about its past.
How India Got Its Name
Let’s Explore how the names for India have evolved over years.
Sapta Sindhava: The Land of Seven Rivers
- The earliest name for India, ‘Sapta Sindhava’, comes from the Rig Veda, referring to the northwest region as the ‘land of seven rivers’.
- The term ‘Sindhava’ is derived from ‘Sindhu’, referring to the Indus River, a major river in the region.
Regional Names
Over time, other names for different parts of India emerged in literature.
The Mahabharata, a famous Indian epic, mentions various regions such as:
- Kashmira (modern-day Kashmir)
- Kurukshetra (modern-day Haryana)
- Vanga (modern-day Bengal)
- Pragjyotisha (modern-day Assam)
- Kaccha (modern-day Kutch)
- Kerala (modern-day Kerala)
The Mahabharata also contains references to words that were used to describe the entire Indian subcontinent.
The first word referring to the entire subcontinent is ‘Bharatavarșha,’ meaning ‘the country of the Bharatas.’ ‘Bharata’ is a name that first appears in the Rig Veda, where it was used for a group of Vedic people.
Another name for the subcontinent found in the Mahabharata is ‘Jambudvipa’, meaning “the island of the Jamun tree.” This name was later popularised during the reign of Emperor Ashoka (around 250 BCE), and was used to describe all of India, including parts of modern-day Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
Adoption of Bharata
‘Bharata’ became the widely accepted name for India, as seen in ancient texts like the Vishnu Purana. It is still used today as ‘Bharat’ in North India and ‘Bharatam’ in South India.
Other definitions for India were also found. For example, a Tamil poem reflects a clear understanding of India’s geography, recognising its boundaries from Cape Kumari (Kanyakumari) in the south to the great mountain in the north (likely the Himalayas).
How Foreigners Named India
The Persians were the first foreigners to mention about. They referred to India as ‘Hind,’ ‘Hidu’ or ‘Hindu’ around the 6th century BCE in their earliest records and stone inscriptions, based on the Indus River. The Greeks, influenced by the Persians, called the region ‘Indoi’ or ‘Indike,’ dropping the initial ‘ h’.
The Chinese also derived their terms ‘Yintu,’ ‘Yindu’ and ‘Tianzhu’ from ‘Sindhu,’ with ‘Tianzhu’ reflecting their reverence for India as the land of the Buddha. Later, the term ‘Hindustan’ emerged in Persian inscriptions about 1,800 years ago and became a common name for the Indian subcontinent.