Overview of India. The Origin of Indian History and Religious Culture. India's economic situation and investment environment.

Overview of India

The world's largest democratic country

Overlord of South Asia

Cold storage of world religions and nations

(1) Indian Human Geography

India (India), the full name of the Republic of India, covers an area of   2.98 million square kilometers (excluding the Sino-Indian border area and Kashmir India’s actual control area, etc.). It is the largest country in South Asia and ranks seventh in the world. The northeast borders China, Nepal, and Bhutan, the east borders Myanmar, the southeast borders Sri Lanka across the sea, and the northwest borders Pakistan. It borders the Bay of Bengal in the east and the Arabian Sea in the west, with a coastline of 5,560 kilometers. With a population of 1.273 billion (2015), India is the second-most populous country in the world after the People’s Republic of China.



India is located in the northern hemisphere, close to the equator, and the whole area is hot. Most of it belongs to the tropical monsoon climate. The year is divided into cool seasons (October to March), summer season (April to June) and the rainy season (July to September) ) Three seasons. Rainfall is more and less frequent, unevenly distributed. The Thar Desert in western India has a tropical desert climate, hot and arid. The Indian territory extends from the Himalayas to the south and extends into the Indian Ocean. The northern part is the mountainous region, the central part is the Indus Ganges Plain, and the southern part is the Deccan Plateau, and the coastal plains on the east and west sides. The crops can grow all year round and have unique natural conditions.



Ancient India is one of the four ancient civilizations in the world. The ancient Indus civilization was created between 2500 and 1750 BC. Around 1500 BC, one of the Aryans who originally lived in Central Asia entered the South Asian subcontinent, conquered the local indigenous people, established some small slavery countries, and established a caste system, and Brahmanism rose. The peacock dynasty that emerged in the 4th century BC united India, with small medieval nations and Hinduism. In 1619, the British East India Company established its first stronghold in northwestern India. From 1757, India gradually became a British colony and was fully occupied by the British in 1858. On August 15, 1947, India and Pakistan were partitioned and India became independent. On January 26, 1950, the Republic of India was established, but it is still a member of the Commonwealth.



India is one of the fastest-growing countries in the world, and its economic growth rate is remarkable. In the first 10 years of this century, the Indian economy entered the fast lane, with an average annual GDP growth rate of 8.5%. Since 2011, affected by factors such as the European debt crisis and the world economic cycle, economic growth has slowed down. In 2014, India’s economy began to bottom out, and GDP grew by 7.6% in 2015. It surpassed China for the first time and became the world’s fastest-growing economy. Fast emerging economies.



India's economic industry is diversified, covering agriculture, handicrafts, textiles, and even service industries. The main crops include rice and barley, and two-thirds of the population still directly or indirectly depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Major industries include software, automotive, mining, petroleum, pharmaceutical, and steel. India’s main exports are petroleum products, textiles, jewelry, software, engineering equipment, chemical products, and leather, etc .; its imports are crude oil, machinery, precious stones, fertilizers, and chemical products. The service industry has grown rapidly in recent years and has become the world's most important exporter of services such as software and finance.



India is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-lingual country with a total of more than 100 ethnic groups, of which the Hindustan population is the largest (46.3%), the other major ethnic groups are Telugu (8.6%) and Bengali (7.7%), Marathi (7.6%), Tamil (7.4%), Gujarati (4.6%), Kannada (3.9%), Malayalam (3.9%), Ori The Ya people (3.8%), Punjabi (2.3%), Sikhs (2%), etc. Due to historical reasons, there are very few Chinese Indians, and their influence in political and economic life is minimal. The places where Chinese people live more concentrated are mainly in foreign commercial cities such as Kolkata, mainly engaged in leather processing, catering and other industries.



There are many Indian languages, and the official languages are Hindi and English. Hindi is the most spoken language in the country, used by about 30% of the population; followed by English, which is a nationwide universal language and the language mainly used in political and business contacts. The vast majority of government documents are in English, and there are many large English daily newspapers. In addition, there are more than 20 officially recognized local languages.



The religious beliefs of the Indian people are quite fanatical, and almost everyone has religious beliefs. All major religions in the world have believers in India. In addition to international religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism, there are also local religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Among them, Hindus and Muslims have a large proportion. Larger, accounting for 80.5% and 13.4% of the total population, respectively.

(2) Indian political situation

India has never achieved complete reunification in history. It was only close to reunification during the Peacock Empire and the Mughal dynasty, but it still lags behind the farther south. Therefore, in ancient times, "India" was only a geographical concept, not a national concept. India was once under British rule in modern times, and it also achieved unity during British rule. British India was extremely important to the British Empire at that time. The British king also served as the Indian emperor. While plundering India, he also invested a lot of resources in the construction and development of India.



By 1913 on the eve of the First World War, India had developed prominently in Asia, and its economic aggregate and important economic indicators surpassed that of the preliminarily modernized Japan at that time. It was the first in Asia, far superior to China, and also better than other British Empire entities. At that time, the revenue of the British and Indian governments was 1 billion rupees, about 100 million pounds, which is about half of the United Kingdom government (that is, the British government of the British Isles).



After the end of World War II, the British power declined sharply and it was difficult to maintain its colonial rule in India. The Royal Indian Navy uprising occurred in 1946, and other conflicts followed one after another. In 1947, the British proposed the Mountbatten proposal. According to the plan, British India is divided into India, Pakistan, and Myanmar and other countries are independent. The Republic of India was formally established on August 15, 1947. India ended British rule but remained a member of the Commonwealth.
The Indian Constitution entered into force on January 26, 1950. Claims that India is a federal state, a sovereign, secular, socialist democratic republic, adopting British-style parliamentary democracy. Citizens are equal before the law regardless of race, gender, origin, religious belief, and place of birth.



The President of India is the head of state and the commander of the armed forces. He is elected by an electoral college composed of the Federal Parliament and the State Parliament. The term of office is five years. But its duties are symbolic, and the real power is controlled by the prime minister. The majority party in Parliament nominates the president for the prime minister, who appoints the prime minister. The prime minister then nominates the deputy prime minister and other cabinet members to the president. The Indian State Council has one secretary of state and several members of the state committee, and no deputy secretary of state.



The post-independence Republic of India is facing a series of serious problems and, like other third-world countries fighting for independence in the world, it is advancing in exploration. In the first year after independence, India and Pakistan broke out a military conflict due to the Kashmir dispute. India won a great victory in the third India-Pakistan War in 1971 and dismembered Palestine, but it also paid a huge price. In the era of Nehru, India preferred socialism and modeled the five-year plan for economic development in the Soviet Union. This approach strengthens internal stability but affects economic efficiency. After independence, India had a strong tendency to expand and pursued South Asian hegemony. In 1975, it annexed the Kingdom of Sikkim and set the original Sikkim Kingdom as the so-called Sikkim State. In addition, it has special status in countries such as Nepal and Bhutan.

India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru

India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru

After its independence, India has been active in international politics and is one of the founding countries of the Non-Aligned Movement. Successive governments have emphasized that non-alignment is the basis of their foreign policy and strive to play an important role in regional and international affairs to promote a full range of practical diplomacy.



. India is also a member of the BRICS Group. On June 9, 2017, India officially joined the SCO.



After independence, India was ruled by the National Congress for a long time, and the opposition party was in power briefly from 1977 to 1979 and from 1989 to 1991. India’s political situation was unstable after 1996, and three general elections were held in 1999, resulting in five governments. From 1999 to 2004, the National League for Democracy headed by the Indian People’s Party came to power and Vajpayee was prime minister. From 2004 to 2013, the United Progressive Alliance led by the National Congress Party was in power, and Manmohan Singh was prime minister. From April 7 to May 12, 2014, India held the 16th People's House election. The People's Party of India won more than half of the seats of the People's House and became the largest party. It ruled alone in the central government and Narendra Modi took office. Prime Minister.



Since 1991, India has pursued economic reforms drastically, and the economy as a whole has maintained rapid growth. After entering the new century, with its huge domestic market size and demographic dividend, and an increasingly open economy, India has become a member of the world's major emerging economies and BRICS countries. Because it is considered to be the world’s largest democratic country and is ideologically consistent with Western countries, India’s attempt to pursue diplomacy with major powers has received widespread support from Western countries, and its international influence has continued to increase.



At the beginning of the 21st century, India has become one of the most important emerging economies in the world.

2. The Origin of Indian History and Religious Culture

(1) History of India

India has a long history and is one of the four ancient civilizations in the world.

The historical tradition of India is not paying attention to history, and the historical materials that it has retained are very scarce, so people have a long obscure understanding of Indian history. Some major archaeological discoveries since modern times have changed people's understanding of Indian history. In the past, the misunderstanding of Indian history is the history of the Aryans. With the discovery of the Indus Valley civilization, the arrival of the Aryans has been completely denied No longer regarded as the beginning of Indian civilization. Archaeological studies have shown that India had become a place of human settlement in the Paleolithic era. By the time the Aryans invaded, many ethnic groups had settled in India. The composition of these inhabitants was complex, and some of them had highly developed cultures.

1. The prehistoric era (before 2350 BC)

Contemporary archaeological studies have found some scattered early human fossils (later named Narmada) in the Narmada Valley in India, indicating that at least in the middle of the Paleolithic period, humans inhabited India. The lineage classification of the Narmada people is undecided (Homo erectus or Homo sapiens); their survival time varies from 200,000 to 500,000 years ago. The late Paleolithic began approximately 40,000 years ago and ended 15,000 years ago.

The Mesolithic cultural sites are widely distributed throughout the subcontinent and Sri Lanka; the earliest Mesolithic site was found in Sri Lanka, and the northernmost site was found in the Hindu Kush Mountains. The Hindu Kush Mountains now belong to Afghanistan, but once belonged to them in ancient times Through India, and the culture there is closely related to Northwest India, it seems to be a direct development of Paleolithic culture in the same area.

Narmada Valley

Since about 6000 BC, all parts of India have entered the Neolithic Age, with a wider cultural distribution. Historically, the Indus Valley has been spatially close to the two river basins, with closer ties and more mutual exchanges, while ties with China are more difficult and have fewer contacts. The Neolithic culture of India is generally late, not only much later than China, but also later than the culture of the Lianghe River Basin.

2. Early culture (before 2350-before and after 1750)

The oldest known Indian civilization is the Indus Valley civilization in the third millennium BC. It is usually named after Xalapa (in West Punjab, Pakistan) where the representative site is located and is called Xalapa culture. The reason why India can be among the four ancient civilizations is precise because of the discovery of Xalapa culture.

When the Xalapa culture reached considerable development and maturity, it declined due to unknown reasons so far, and eventually disappeared completely. The impact on the later is weak and difficult to identify. The characters of the Xalapa culture have not been interpreted, and there is a lack of myths and legends known to future generations, so their rise and fall is a mystery. In fact, without modern archaeology, no one knows this culture. The Indian civilization, generally known to the world, is dominated by the Aryan culture that subsequently entered India.

Indus civilization-Xalapa cultural site

3. Vedic culture (around 1500 BC-around 600 BC)

After the destruction of Xalapa culture, a new cultural system brought by the Aryans who entered India from the northwest, this culture was the origin of later Indian culture.

In the first half of the second millennium, some nomadic peoples living in the Caspian Sea and the grasslands of Central Asia began to expand everywhere. A group entered the Iranian plateau southwest and then broke into the two river basins and Italy and Egypt. The southeast branch passes through Iran, Afghanistan, and Hindu Kush to reach the Indus Valley region. After arriving in India, the Aryan tribal life began to disintegrate. The military leader Luo Jing’s power continued to expand, and the power of the monks and nobles increased at the same time. Society began to split. The country began to appear.

Because the historical materials of this period are kept in "Vedas" and the "Vatican", "Forest Book", "Unanimous Book" and two epics that explain Vedic, "Vedas" are very important in the spiritual system of Indian society. It is called the Vedic era. Vedic means clear and knowledgeable.

Among them, "Ligu Vedas" was written in the 12th to 9th centuries BC and was called the early Vedas, while "Sama Vedas", "Yello Vedas" and "Ari Vedas" were written in 900 BC— 600 years ago or later, it is also called late Vedic.

Brahmanism began to emerge in the late Vedic period. Brahmanism believes in primitive nature worship, with Brahma as the main god, in addition to the god of destruction and dance, Shiva, and the god of light, Vishnu. Brahmanism also promotes the concept of reincarnation of good and evil, and advocates the idea that the Brahman and I agree. Brahmanism has a far-reaching influence on Buddhism and Hinduism and other religions. Some studies believe that there is also a certain relationship with Taoism in ancient China.

Brahma, the Brahmin, and Hindu God

4. The period of the nations (around 600 before-around 300 before)

During this period, the Indian nations disputed. Among the more powerful, there were sixteen male powers, that is, 16 powerful kingdoms or republics, which covered the fertile Indus-Ganges Plain. Commonly referred to as the sixteen male kingdoms: Gaza, Hansa Luo, Yuanjia, Mojie Tuo, Fuliyan (Baqi), Sera, Zhiti, Baji, Gulu, Banjaluo, Mocha Yeah, Shura Sana, Ashibo, Apandi, Gandhara, and Gan Pu Zhe (Jian Xunsha). In addition, there are many other smaller countries, distributed everywhere, either independent or subordinate to the above-mentioned big countries.

This historical period is called the period of the nations because Buddhism was born in this period, and it is often called the Buddha period (the Garoph State of Buddha is a small projectile country, and the other country is the sovereign. It is also in the era of the tribal alliance, Has not yet fully entered the threshold of the country.), India’s spiritual life in the era of the nations was very active, and there have been many philosophical or religious schools, of which the most influential are Buddhism and Jainism.

Among the many states of India, the state of Mogutuo (match) in Bihar is gradually gaining a dominant position. The credible political history of India began during the reign of the Mosuodu nation Pishura (King Pingsha), and the scriptures of the various denominations that have survived prove the existence of the monarch, and his active political activities have led to the strength of Mosuotu. Greatly enhanced. The son of Pingala, Ajan (the king who did not complain), implemented an expansion policy, presumably establishing some kind of dominance in Northern India; he supported the development of Buddhism and held the first gathering of Buddhism in Wangshe. From about the 4th century before, the Nanda dynasty ruled Motuo, and the founder of this dynasty, Mahabodmo Nanda, was a much stronger ruler than Ajan, even some of the Degan Plateau. The region also obeyed his kingship.

Due to the fragmentation of India’s homeland, it lacks the resources of upper-level organizations and lacks resilience in the face of foreign aggression. In the late 6th century BC, King Darius I of Persia conquered northwestern India. This is the first recorded and comprehensive political contact between the Indian Aryan society and other developed civilizations. Darius I built his Indian territories as a province, and may be the most populous and wealthiest province in the Persian Empire.
After the fall of the Persian Empire, King Alexander of Macedonia also invaded India.

5. Peacock Dynasty (322 years ago-185 years ago)

Alexander the Great ’s conquest of India is recorded in Greek history, but there is no record in the local history of India because the Indian tradition does not attach importance to history. Nevertheless, Alexander ’s invasion has caused a very significant change in the political landscape of India The influence helped boost the rise of the Peacock Dynasty. Alexander's invasion of India broke the original political structure of India and at the same time stimulated the development of India's local political forces. Shortly after Alexandria withdrew from India, Mindoro, known as the Moon Protector, overthrew the Nanda royal family of Motuo and established the first imperial dynasty, the Peacock Dynasty, in Indian history.

Gandhara Kato drove away the remaining power of the Greeks in Punjab and gradually conquered most parts of North India. In the later period of the reign of the Moon Guardian, he also repulsed the invasion of Alexander the Great's general Seleucus I, and gained control of Afghanistan.

The Peacock dynasty reached its peak during the period of Ashoka, the grandson of Moon Guardian, and King Ashoka completed the conquest of the southern great power of Lingjia so that except for some countries in the extreme south, the entire India was formally unified under the imperial power. Ashoka strongly supports Buddhism and conducts missionary activities extensively. However, the prosperity of the Peacock Dynasty was maintained shortly after the death of Ashoka. The power of Mahjong retreated to the area where it originally lived, and India resumed the split state of the times of the nations.

6. The period of foreign invasion (200 BC-around 300 AD)

From the beginning of the 2nd century onwards, the Peacock Empire gradually weakened and the country was divided. Northwest invaders such as the Greeks, Cypriots, and Sabbaths invaded India successively. Successful invaders, they established a powerful Guishuang empire in North India.

The Da Yue people originally lived in the area from Zhangye to Dunhuang in the west of the Hexi Corridor in China. After the Xiongnu broke the west and fled to Central Asia, they conquered Bactria (a country established by the ancient Greeks in Central Asia) around 125 BC. ), To rule the entire Amu Darya and Syr Darya river basins, in order to facilitate the rule, it is divided into five, and five princes rule, Guishuang is one of them. In the middle of the 1st century AD, the Kushan Tribe Houqiu unified the five tribes and established the Guishuang Empire. They went south and captured the northwestern part of India.

The heyday of the Guishuang dynasty was about 127-230 years. The territory stretched from today's Tajikistan to the Caspian Sea, Afghanistan and the Indus River Basin. It reached its heyday under the rule of Jiazhi Sejia I and its successors. More than one hundred thousand is considered to be one of the four major powers in Europe and Asia at that time. It was tied with the Han Dynasty, Rome, and rest at that time. The capital of the capital, Burusapura (Furusha, or Fushasha, now Peshawar, Pakistan). The Guishuang dynasty advocated Buddhism, attached importance to the development of foreign trade, and communicated with China (Han) and the Roman Empire. The Gandhara carving art in the territory is the most famous.

Around the 3rd century AD, the Guishuang empire was divided, and in the 5th century, it was met by 嚈 达 yàn dā, a nomadic people living in ancient Eurasia. According to the Chinese history books, they originally lived north of the Great Wall and were called the sliding state. The descendants of the Central Asian Cypriot nomadic people and the Da Yue clan of the Han dynasty called it “Bai Xiongnu” by western historians.) The invasion and the Guishuang Empire perished. It is generally believed that the Jat people of modern India are descendants of Dayue.

7. The Kadodo Dynasty (320-540 AD)

After the decline of the Guishuang empire, it was the Kato dynasty that replaced their dominant position in North India. The Kaddu dynasty is the first powerful dynasty in India after the Peacock dynasty and the last imperial power established by the Indians. It is often regarded as the golden age of Indian classical culture. The King of the Gautama dynasty, Gandhara Jade II, achieved a glorious victory over the Cypriot people and is often considered the great hero of the Indian legend, Super Sun King. Like the Peacock dynasty, the birthplace and base of the Kaddu dynasty is also in Motuotu. The Kaduo dynasty largely unified northern India, but its development in the south was limited.

The Chinese monk Fa Xian visited India during the reign of Gandhara Kazuto II. He described the wise rule of the king to make the Indian people live and work in peace. The culture of the Kadodo Dynasty is very prosperous. Brahmanism has risen again and began to transform into modern Hinduism; Buddhism and Jainism continue to have a wide range of believers. The religious policy of Sovereign Lord Hakata generally allows all denominations to spread.

In the 5th and 6th centuries, the Kudah (Bai Xiongnu) who invaded India from Central Asia damaged the Gaduo dynasty, and the empire quickly disintegrated. The power of the Houjiaduo dynasty returned to Mojie Tuo again.

8. The sacred dynasty (about the 7th century AD)

The Jai dynasty, also known as the Kaoru Ju Capricorn Kingdom or the Lisha Empire, was built by the Jai prince (reigned 606-647), hence its name. Its territory includes North India, the capital, except Kashmir, Sindh, and West Punjab. Qu Nucheng (now Kanao season).

The period of the King of the Sun was at the time of China's Sui and Tang dynasties, and Tang Seng Xuan Zang's visit to India promoted understanding between the people of China and India. From 641 to 647, the dynasty sent many diplomatic envoys to hire the Tang dynasty, and Tang Taizong also sent Wang Xuance to visit India four times, leading to political contacts between the two countries. The expansion of cultural exchange laid the foundation. In 647, the King of the Japanese Sun passed away, and the country was in chaos. The prime minister, Alona, ​​usurped the throne, and was later destroyed by Wang Xuance. The seemingly brief reunification of North India ended.

9. Rajput (7th-12th century)

The Rajputs, also translated as "Rajputs," played a prominent role in Indian history after the 7th-8th centuries. The word is derived from Sanskrit Raja Putra, which means "descendant of the royal family". From the 2nd century BC to the 5th and 6th centuries AD, ethnic groups such as the Cypriots, Guishuangs, Huns, Kudas, and Gujarat in the north, as well as the rest and Greeks, invaded and settled in India in large numbers. Fusion to form Rajputs. Its distribution areas are: the Cypriot Rajputs in the lower Indus; the Kudu (or White Huns) Rajputs in the middle of the Indus; and the Guishuang Rajputs in the Five Rivers. From the middle of the 7th century until the end of the 12th century, it is often referred to as the Rajput period. During this time, almost all the North Indian regimes were established by the Rajputs; the southern Qurqis were also part of the Rajputs. There is endless fighting between the Rajput kingdoms, while fierce resistance to Islam ’s invasion of India, so that the Rajputs are often regarded as the defenders of Hinduism.

The ancient palace of Rajput

From the 9th to the 11th centuries, several powerful kingdoms also appeared in South India, such as Zhu Luoguo and Pandia. Although the Indian civilization has weak military capabilities, it is very belligerent, and its expansion is relatively strong. After extensive penetration, the Jura Kingdom once invaded the Indonesian islands.

Zhu Luoguo mural

The Arabs conquered Sindh in northwestern India in the early 8th century and kicked off the Muslim invasion of India.

10. Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526)

The Sultanate of Delhi has been in existence for 320 years. It is a collective name for the Islamic regional feudal countries that ruled North India established by the Turkic and Afghan military aristocrats in the 13-16th century. It is named after its capital, Delhi.

The Islamic conquest of India began in the 11th century and was carried out by the Turks of Central Asia. The Sultan Mahmud of the Ghaznavid dynasty expedite India more than 12 times, causing severe damage in Northern India. Indian Buddhism also perished due to the aggression of the Ghaznavid Dynasty. The territory of the Ghaznavid dynasty in Central Asia was annexed by its former vassal Ghor dynasty in Afghanistan in 1173.

The ruler of the Gur Dynasty, Muizddin Muhammad (Muhammad of Gur) decisively defeated the Zhaohan people in the second Battle of Dray in 1192, and he remained in India's governor (born slave) Qutb Ding Albuquerque used the title of Sudan in 1206 to rule the North Indian region conquered by Muslims and set the capital in Delhi. Thereafter, until the establishment of the Mughal Empire, the history of North India is the history of the Sultanate of Delhi.

In the following 320 years, the Sultanate of Delhi experienced the rule of 5 dynasties and 32 Sudan's that had no family relations or even ethnic relations with each other. The five dynasties are: Slave Dynasty (1206-1290), Karji Dynasty (1290-1320), Tugluuk Dynasty (1320-1414), Said Dynasty (1414-1451), Lodi Dynasty (1451- 1526).

In 1526, the Sultanate of Delhi was replaced by the Mughal dynasty.

11. Mughal Empire (1526-1857)

The Mughal Empire is a feudal and authoritarian dynasty established in India by Babur, a descendant of the Turkic Mongolian Timur. The Mughal Empire is actually the "Mongolian Empire". During the heyday of the empire, the territory covered almost the entire South Asian subcontinent and Afghanistan. The superstructure of the Mughal Empire is Muslim, and the foundation is Hinduism. Persian is the language of courts, public affairs, diplomacy, literature, and high society.

Timur is a Turkic Mongolian who believes in Islam and tends to Persian culture in cultural awareness to establish the Timur Empire (1370-1507).

After the collapse of the Timur Empire, his descendants Babur led the army to invade the South Asian subcontinent to establish the Mughal Empire. In the heyday of the third-generation emperor Akbar, the Mughal Empire implemented a policy of cultural integration and religious tolerance. The territory of the Mughal Empire during the sixth generation of the Emperor Aurangzeb reached the largest, almost realizing the reunification of India. But Aurangzeb was poor, and the consumption was huge, and the Mughal Empire began to decline.

The Mughal Empire fell behind. Colonial empires such as the British Empire, the French Colonial Empire, the Dutch Colonial Empire, and the Portuguese Colonial Empire competed for colonies in India. Eventually, the British victory and the Mughal emperor became a puppet. In 1858, Queen Victoria of England was awarded the title of Queen of India, establishing British India, and the Mughal dynasty perished.

12. Colonial period (1757-1947)

Europeans have coveted India in history. From the perspective of Europeans, India is a place of wealth. The first European country to establish a stronghold in India was Portugal. In 1488, the Portuguese Dias discovered the Cape of Good Hope and opened the door to India. Since then, the Dutch have actively intervened and defeated the Portuguese. In the 18th century, the major European powers pursuing interests in India were mainly Britain and France. In 1619, the British East India Company established its first stronghold in northwestern India. From 1757, India gradually became a British colony. After some struggle, the British gained an advantage. After the Seven Years War between Britain and France, Britain occupied an advantageous position in India, weakening France to only a few small colonies in India. After the Indian National Uprising in 1858, Britain took the opportunity to achieve full rule over India.

In the late Mughal Empire, the power of the Marata people was very strong, almost controlling the entire Mughal Empire, but internal struggles damaged them. In 1739, the Persian King Nadir Shah invaded India, looted Delhi, and cut off all Indian territory west of the Indus River. Since then, the ruler of Afghanistan, Ahmed Shah, has repeatedly invaded India. In the third Panipat battle in 1761, the Marata people were devastated. After the Marata forces finally disappeared in 1818, most Indian princes recognized the sovereignty of the British East India Company.

The ruins of the Malata castle

Due to the dissatisfaction of the Indian people due to various policies of the colonists, the famous Indian national uprising broke out in 1857. The "Improvement of Indian Management Law" passed in 1858 canceled the East India Company, and the Minister of Indian Affairs took over all its functions and The establishment of the Indian government headed by the Governor of India, the British also officially ended the Mughal dynasty that had no meaning and exiled the last Mughal dynasty Bahadur Shah II to Myanmar.

Since then, India has entered the era of direct rule by the British government. India under British direct rule (called British India) is divided into 13 provinces, including Burma, and about 700 Tubon states ruled by the Indian Prince There exist, this kind of state is 40% of the whole area of ​​India (some states also have state).

After 1885, India had nationalist gatherings almost every year. In 1909, the United Kingdom passed the Mora-Minto Reform Act, which stipulated that Muslims and Hindus should be elected separately in the legislative elections. After that, sectarian politics became a system, and the Indian national movement split.

The First World War had a major impact on the development of Indian nationalism. On April 13, 1919, the British army slaughtered the Indian people. In the Second World War, the Indian national movement continued to develop. After the end of World War II, British power declined sharply, and its colonial rule in India could no longer be maintained. In 1947, the British proposed the Mountbatten Plan. According to this plan, Pakistan and India were established on August 14 and August 15, 1947, respectively, and British rule in India was declared over.

Lord Mountbatten

(2) Indian religious and cultural customs

1. Religion in India

India is a multi-religious country. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism all originated in India. In addition, major world religions such as Islam, Christianity, Judaism, etc. have a large number of believers in India.

India is a country with a separation of church and state and adheres to secularism. However, religion has a huge influence on its politics. In India, most people believe in religion. According to the census data of 1991, about 82% of the entire population believes in Hinduism and about 12% believe in Islam. In addition, there are Christians, accounting for 2.32% of the population; Sikhs account for 1.99%; Buddhists account for 0.77%; Jains account for 0.41%, and other religions such as Zoroastrianism and Judaism believers account for about 0.43%. For Indians, religion is of paramount importance. There is no life without religion. This kind of thinking is reflected in all aspects of people's lives. Therefore, people believe in religion and act according to religious teachings. The vast majority of people move from morning to night, from life to death, and are not bound by religion.

Hinduism arose in the mid-2000 BC when the Aryans entered India. Most Hindus are polytheists, and these gods symbolize various forces in the universe. There are three major gods in Hinduism: Brahma the "creator", Vishnu the "protector" and Shiva "the god of destruction". The main scriptures of Hinduism include "Mahabharata", "Ramayana" and the four Vajrayas. Hinduism believes that the human soul is eternal and promotes karma and reincarnation of life, the so-called reincarnation of the soul. The general desire of devout Hindus is to be liberated, that is, to be free from the cycle of life and death, and to rest in an eternal state called Brahma-I unity. Among the many religions in India, Hindu has the largest number, the widest distribution, and the most influence. There are more than 800 million Hindu believers in India.

Islam is one of the major religions in India. Islam came after the Muslims invaded India after the 11th century AD. From the early 13th century to the middle of the 19th century, Islamic forces successively established the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire in North India. Islam became the dominant position One of the religious and ideological systems. Islam is a strict theological teaching, only believes in Allah (Allah), and advocates that the believers of the religion are as brother-in-law, equal, and establish a caste-free society. At present, the number of Muslims in India is second only to the number of Hindus, about 130 million.

Buddhism originated in ancient India from the 6th to the 5th century BC and was founded by Gautama Siddhartha. He is respected by Buddhists as Sakyamuni, meaning "saint" of the Sakyamuni. Due to the prosperity of Hinduism, disputes within Buddhism, and frequent foreign invasions, Buddhism began to decline in India after the 8th and 9th centuries AD, and died in the 13th century. Buddhism in India is now reintroduced from overseas, and there are very few followers, accounting for only 0.8% of the total population of India. Most of them are concentrated in Maharashtra and Bihar.

Jainism is one of the ancient religions in India. Its founder is Rafting Mana, also known as Nobita, and its total number of believers is about 4 million. The belief of this religion is that rationality is higher than religion. It is believed that correct belief, correct knowledge, correct conduct, and chastity will cultivate the road of liberation and reach the ideal state of the soul. Jainism is an ascetic religion. Contemporary Jains are mainly concentrated in West India, especially Gujarat and Karnataka.

                                         Jains

Sikhism is a derivative of Hinduism and was founded by the Nanak Patriarch in the fifteenth century. Sikhism promotes equality and friendship, emphasizes hard work, and opposes religious idol worship and discrimination against women. It is stipulated that the believers must wear beards, add hair combs, dress to knees, wear iron bracelets on their right wrists, and wear swords. The majority of Sikhs are concentrated in Punjab, followed by Delhi and Haryana.

2. Cultural customs

Indians often meet with their hands together in their daily encounters and express greetings. The position of the hand differs according to the length and level of the opponent. Facing the elderly, the fingertips should be flush with the forehead. See each other, hands between the jaw and the chest. For juniors, hands can be lower. Influenced by Western culture, the handshake ceremony is also very popular on general occasions. When shaking hands with Indians, you should avoid using your left hand because it is unclean.

Indian women's clothing is generally composed of tight tops and "sari" in matching tones. "Sari" is a traditional Indian women's dress made of five or six meters long fabric, yarn or silk tow wrap or shawl. Shari Li wore the same long petticoat, mostly white. Modern women prefer to wear Punjabi-style suits, consisting of slender pants and half-length or robe, with a scarf-like shawl 2.5 meters long.

Indian Sari Clothing

Men who believe in Hinduism wear trousers, called "Tuodi" (this is a white material used to wrap the lower thighs, legs, and knees), "Gulda" (long shirt), "Gemiz" (Shirt), sometimes wearing a Gandhi boat cap. Muslim men generally wear "Bajama" (trousers), "Gilda" and wear a cap. Indian Sikhs usually have various headscarves wrapped around their heads. Modern men generally like to wear convenient shirts and pants. For formal occasions, wear a suit and tie.

According to Hindu customs, after a person dies, the family members bathe the body and put on new clothes. Then, put the body on the woodpile, cover the dry wood, and pour ghee. Under the command of the priest, the immediate male relatives of the deceased held up the torch, turned around the woodpile many times, and then burned the body. On the fourth day after the cremation, the family of the deceased went to the crematorium to collect the ashes of the deceased and put them in a metal pot before throwing them into the Holy River. Muslims and Christians are not cremated, according to canonical practice, burial is carried out, the funeral is presided over by the imam or pastor.

Indians worship cows. Hindus regard cows as "sacred cows" and "holy cows", which are particularly respected. India is the largest "cow country" in the world, with a total of more than 200 million cattle, accounting for about 1/4 of the total cattle in the world. Cattle provided milk for the Indians and was responsible for farming and transportation. On city streets, cattle can walk freely, and vehicles have to make way for them; on the market, cattle can eat food on the market. When the cow ages, it is sent to the "Holy Cow Nursing Home" to support it. The traditional Chinese agricultural society also attaches great importance to the role of cattle, and there is special protection for cattle, but it is far from the point of worship in India.

Indian God Cow

Indian diets vary greatly from north to south. Influenced by Islamic culture in the north, cooking is usually Mughal style, with meat, grains, and bread. There are many vegetarian dishes in the south, mainly rice and spicy curry. Indians' dinners often start with soups, usually thin curries, and the rest of the dishes are usually delivered at the same time. Eating sweets is also a hobby of Indians.

Different religious beliefs and different diets. Many Hindus are vegetarian. The most common foods for vegetarians are rice, pasta, vegetables, beans, milk, yogurt, and cheese. Meat eaters generally eat mutton and chicken. Because Hindus worship cows as gods, they avoid beef. Muslims eat beef and pork. Indian food is juicy and thick. Indians generally eat rice, pasta, and vegetables together with their hands. In addition, Hindus are most taboo on using dishes in the same dish. In general, the higher the level, the fewer meat-eaters; the lower the level, eat meat (lamb).

Indians usually do not use tools such as chopsticks and spoons to help their meals. In the north, it is impolite for people to eat with the fingertips of their right hands and take food above the second knuckle. In the south, people use the entire right hand to stir rice and curry, knead them into a lump, and eat them. There is often a common water container for water supply during meals. When drinking water, do not touch the water container with your lips. After the meal, Indians usually give guests a bowl of hot water on the table for guests to wash their hands.