India

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India
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Images of India
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Republic of India

• Some Facts
• 7th largest country in the world by area
  (3,287,590 km2)
• 2nd largest by population (1.1 billion people)
• capital New Delhi
• biggest city Mumbai (former Bombay)
• border to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar (Burma),
  China, Nepal and Pakistan
• Languages English (most important for national,
  political and commercial communication), Hindi as
  the national language (30) and 14 other official
  languages
• Religions Hindu 81.3, Muslim 12, Christian
  2.3, Sikh 1.9 and others 2.5

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History of India (the beginning - 1600)
3300 - 1700 BC Indus Valley Civilization
1500 BC Aryan tribes invade and merge with
the Dravidian inhabitants 712 BC Islam
arrives on subcontinent (several Islamic
invasion between 1000 and 1500) 12th
century Turkish invasions 15th century European
traders arrive 1526 Babur of Timur establishes
the Mughal Empire by 1600 Mughal Dynasty rules
most of the Indian sub- continent
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History of India (1600-1857)
31 Dec. 1600 British East India Company founded
by Elizabeth I. 1526 British set up first
trading post in Surat. Trade in cotton, silk,
indigo, saltpetre, tea and opium. Monopoly
over trade in East Indies, EIC had own
military 1757 Victory in the Battle of Plassey
established EIC as a military and commercial
power. 1857 Indian Mutiny is defeated by the
British, Mughal Empire is defeated all
political power is transferred from the East
India Company to the British Crown
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The British Raj (1858-1947)
The Raj British control of the political affairs
of the whole of India After the Indian Rebellion
the governance of India was organized in
imperial government in London, central government
in Calcutta ( represented by the viceroy) and the
provincial governments 1876 Queen Victoria
proclaimed Empress of India Both the direct
administration of India by the British crown and
the technological change brought by the
industrial revolution, had the effect of closely
intertwining the economies of India and Great
Britain. Railways, roads, canals, and bridges
were rapidly built in India and telegraph links
equally rapidly established in order that raw
materials, such as cotton, from India's
hinterland could be transported more efficiently
to ports. Likewise, finished goods from England
were transported back just as efficiently, for
sale in the Indian markets.
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1885 Indian National Congress founded to unite
all Indians and strengthen bonds with
Britain 1920 Satyagraha (Ghandis Non-Cooperation
Movement) founded Campaigns against British
rule 1929 Indian Congress calls for
independence 1930 (12 March - 6 April) Ghandis
Salt March 1942 Quit India Movement initiated by
Ghandi 1947 (15 August) Indian Independence
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Republic of India
15 Aug. 1947 Independence Day and Partition of
India and Pakistan Jawaharlal Nehru becomes
first Prime Minister of India, Mohammed Ali
Jinnah becomes first Governor-General 1947 Due
to sectarian violence over 1 million people
were killed when 6 million Muslims moved to
Pakistan and 5 million Hindus moved to
India. Ghandi opposed partition but had to
cooperate to achieve Indian independence. 30
Jan. 1948 Ghandi is assassinated by Hindu
fundamentalist 1950 India becomes republic based
on British model 1956 War between India and
Pakistan
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1966 Indira Ghandi first woman to become
PM. 1971 2nd Indo-Pakistani war leads to 2nd
partition East Pakistan becomes
Bangladesh 1974 India builds the atomic
bomb 1975-1977 The Emergency due to political
unrest (highly controversial) 1984 assassinati
on of Indira Ghandi by Sikh bodyguard Since
independence, India has suffered from religious
violence, caste-related violence and insurgencies
in various parts, but has been able to control
them through tolerance and constitutional
reforms. Terrorism in India is also a major
security problem, especially in Jammu and
Kashmir, North-east India and recently in major
cities like Delhi and Mumbai, 2001 Indian
Parliament attack being the most prominent one.
Despite impressive gains in economic investment
and output, India faces pressing problems such as
significant overpopulation, environmental
degradation, extensive poverty, and ethnic and
religious strife.
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The Indian Caste System
The Caste System is a rigid class structure based
on Hinduism which is found in India. It is
believed that if one leads a good life, following
good karma and dharma, then they will be rewarded
by being reincarnated as a person belonging to
the next highest level in the Caste System.
However, if one is wicked during their life, they
will be demoted, and possibly even removed from
the Caste System altogether. Outcasts, or
Untouchables, are members of Hindu society
thought to have been removed from the Caste
System, with no hope of returning to it, due to
their misdeeds in previous lives. Work that is
deemed unclean for all other Hindus is reserved
for these Outcasts.