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The Indus Valley
civilization, India's earliest known
civilization (2500-1700 BC), is identified
by its interesting culture as well as its
artifacts. The strength and basis of
Hinduism is attributed to the Vedic culture
(about 1500), as well as the origin of the caste
system.
India has had many different
influences throughout its history due to the
migration, invasion or expansion of other
nations. Some of these nations or people
who influenced India include the Mongols (under
the direction of Genghis Khan), the Greeks
(Alexander the Great), and the British.
India was a wealthy country,
economically and culturally up until British
colonization. Europeans would trade with
India for spices or cotton textiles, but when
the British colonized the country the economy
declined. This was due in part to
exploitation and destruction of India's
industries and wealth.
Eventually, India would be
granted its independence again in 1947, after
which a slow progression has been seen in its
development.
Present-day India has made
significant headway in large-scale
industrialization. As a result, India has become
one of the top five industrialized nations of
the world. It produces every conceivable
industrial item and consumer goods, and has
achieved significant success in frontier
scientific research including peaceful
application of nuclear energy, space and
satellite research, communication technology and
biotechnology. India also has the third largest
reservoir of scientific and technological
manpower. Pioneering scientists such as Nobel
laureate C. V. Raman, Homi Bhaba, J.C.Bose,
Satyen Bose, Nobel laureates Hargovind Khorana
and S. Chandrasekhar have won laurels for India
both at home and abroad.
Historically India is an
ancient land with a continuous civilization of
5000 years. The Indus valley civilisation (3000
BC to 1500 BC) was followed by the
Sanskrit-speaking Vedic period (1500 BC to 500
BC). The first of the Indian empires, the
Mauryan empire began shortly after Chandragupta
Maurya (274-237 BC). The post-Asoka empires were
followed by empires of the Gupta, Pratihara,
Pala, Chalukya, Chola, Pandya dynasties.
Subsequently, around the 9th century, the Muslim
period was established followed by the arrival
of the Europeans, mostly British in the 17th
century.
On August 15, 1947 India
attained independence. It adopted a
parliamentary system of government with a union
of states proclaiming itself to be a Sovereign
Democratic Republic.
The country has been divided
into 25 States and 7 Union Territories. The
States have considerable autonomy of their own
while the Union Territories are governed by the
President through appointed administrators. At
the village level one finds the system of
Panchayati Raj. It is a pattern of
self-government that oversees the planning and
execution of projects in district, block and
village levels. Adult suffrage is universal.
India's national flag is a
horizontal tri-color of deep saffron at the top,
white in the middle and dark green at the bottom
in equal proportion. In the center of the white
band is a wheel, which appears on the abacus of
the Sarnath Lion seal of Asoka.
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