India That is Bharat Class 6 Notes

India That is Bharat Class 6 Notes

India That is Bharat Class 6 Notes

History of India

1. India, a modern nation with defined borders and states, has undergone significant changes over time.
2. The ‘Indian Subcontinent’ has been referred to by various names and boundaries.
3. These names have been derived from ancient texts, accounts of travelers and pilgrims, and inscriptions.

Indian Names and Geographical Understanding

The Rig Veda: An Ancient Text

1. The Rig Veda, a thousand-year-old text, names the northwest region of India as ‘Sapta Sindhava’, meaning ‘land of the seven rivers’.
2. The word ‘Sindhava’ comes from ‘Sindhu’, which refers to the Indus River or a general river.

The Mahabharata: A Famous Text

1. The Mahabharata lists many regions, including Kashmira, Kurukhetra, Vanga, Pragjyotiha, Kaccha, and Kerala.
2. The Mahabharata uses the terms ‘Bharatavarsha’ and ‘Jambudvipa’, indicating the existence of the entire Indian Subcontinent.

The Origin of ‘Bharata’

1. ‘Bharatavarsha’ refers to the entire Subcontinent, including rivers and peoples.
2. ‘Jambudvipa’ means ‘the island of the fruit of the jamun tree’, a common tree native to India.
3. An Indian emperor, Ashoka, used ‘Jambudvipa’ to describe the whole of India, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, and parts of Afghanistan.

The Use of ‘Bharata’

1. ‘Bharata’ is still used today, with ‘Bharat’ in north India and ‘Bharatam’ in south India.
2. Different parts of the country adopted a similar definition for India.

India’s Foreign Names: Ancient and Modern Perspectives

1. Persians, ancient inhabitants of Iran, first mentioned India in 6th century BCE. They referred to India as ‘Hind’, ‘Hidu’, or ‘Hindu’, adaptations of ‘Sindhu’.
2. Ancient Greeks named the region ‘Indoi’ or ‘Indike’ based on Persian sources. The initial letter ‘h’ of ‘Hindu’ was dropped due to its non-existence in Greek language.
3. Ancient Chinese referred to India as ‘Yintu’ or ‘Yindu’, derived from ‘Sindhu’. ‘Tianzhu’, also derived from ‘Sindhu’, could also mean “heavenly master’.
4. The term ‘Hindustan’ was first used in a Persian inscription 1,800 years ago, later used by most invaders to describe the Indian Subcontinent.

IMPORTANT TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

1. Jambudvipa: An ancient name used to describe the Indian Subcontinent, which included regions that are now part of Bangladesh, Pakistan, and parts of Afghanistan. The term means ‘the island of the fruit of the jamun tree’.

2. Bharata: Bharata’s means the people of Bharatavarsha, many ancient king named ‘Bharata’.

3. Mahabharata: One of India’s most famous ancient texts, which lists many regions and kingdoms across the Subcontinent, including Kashmir, Kutch, and Kerala.

4. Vishnu Purana: An ancient text that describes the geography of India, stating that “the country that lies north of the ocean and south of the snowy mountains is called Bharata.”

5. Rig Veda: It is referred to as one of the main and the earliest Vedic texts.

6. Hindustan: A term that refers to the Indian Subcontinent, which first appeared in a Persian inscription over 1,800 years ago.

7. Sindhu: The ancient name for the Indus River, which was adapted by Persians to refer to the region. This led to the derivation of names like ‘Hindu’.

8. Ashoka: An Indian emperor from around 250 BCE, who ruled almost whole of Indian Subcontinent. He is known for his inscriptions that provide insights into the geography and culture of ancient India.

9. Bharatavarsha: A term used in ancient texts to refer to the entire Indian Subcontinent, meaning ‘the country of the Bharatas’.

10. Inhabitants: People who live in a particular place. Tourists are not inhabitants.

11. Constitution: A document that spells out the basic principles and laws of a nation. The Indian Constitution, came into force in 1950.