India has a rich and varied history, full of remarkable heroes,
bloody battles and intertwined with countries from all over the
world.
There is more to Indian history than the British and their East
India Company. Long before Britain was Great and had
stamped her Imperial feet across the globe, India had a highly
developed civilization of its own.
India's roots are found in the Indus Valley, at around the time of
the ancient Egyptians, in Harappa, Mohenjo-daro and Lothal. What remains of this civilization
shows us that these people were extremely advanced in their technologies, however because no
one can read the writings left behind by this mysterious civilization very little is actually known
about these people.
India was given its name by the River Indus in the north; much of this river is now part of Pakistan.
Many different races and cultures have made their mark on India leaving behind long lasting
traditions. The Aryans brought to India the Vedas and the Hindu tradition was born. The
Ashoka
Empire in the thirteenth century saw the spread of
Buddhism across the subcontinent and the
Ashoka wheel is the symbol in the centre of the Indian flag. Muslim invaders from the North
eventually gained rule in India and their leaders the
Moguls were responsible for wonders such
as the
Taj Mahal.
In 1510, drawn as many have been by the mysteries of the East and its riches, the Port - uguese
settled to
Goa, not leaving until 1961, fourteen years after India became a Republic. However, the
Portuguese did attempt to int - egrate with the local population rather than rule them. The
French also had
colonial con nections with India, and they were based in Pondicherry which still has
a distinctly French feel.
Queen Elizabeth I sent the British East India Trading Company to India in 1600 which eventually
became a means of ruling parts of India. The British established ports in Bombay (Mumbai),
Calcutta (
KolKata) and Madras (
Chennai). Due to British occupation in India the local population largely
became much poorer, this led for calls for independence.
In 1947, led by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, India was given independence from British rule
and was declared a
Republic in
1950. However, not without bloodshed; India was split largely by
religion, creating Pakistan to the west and what is now Bangladesh to the east.
The legacy of these many foreign links can be seen today in the architecture, the roads and
canals, the education, legal and civil service systems and of course cricket!
Government and Politics:
Home to more than one billion people, nearly 17% of the world's
population,
India is the world's largest democracy. All Indians
over the age of 18 have the right to vote. India became an
independent republic in 1947 and is a member of the
Commonwealth.
The Republic of India has 29 states and six union territories. The
states are locally administered and the union territories are
controlled from
Delhi. However, if a problem occurs in a state
that cannot be resolved something called President's Rule
comes into force, this is when the central government assumes power to try and resolve the
situation. This controversial practice has been enforced recently in states such as Kashmir and
Assam.
India has a President and a Prime Minister. Currently the President is Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
and his Prime Minister is Mr. Manmohan Singh. In a similar style to the British system there are
two
houses of Parliament. The lower house is the
Lok Sabha, or House of the People with 545
members it has elections every five years. The upper house is the
Rajya Sabha or Council of
States, elections for this are held every six years and there are 245 members of this house. Both
houses gather to elect the president every five years. The role of the President is largely
ceremonial.