Introduction
Incredible India? This question must arrive in the minds of the people who are unaware of the greatness of the country India. 🙂 Being an Indian I cherish that I have come to know a few of the greatness of my country. So, I can make you feel the soul of Incredible India.
It is the only land over this earth on which God did not send his messengers rather he himself took birth here and made this land as his Janambhoomi (Birth-Place) and Karmabhoomi (workplace). It is the land that gave birth to many of the divine powers.
This land gave birth to the many important religions, out of which the three important religions are Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. So, it is the spiritual leader of the world in every sense. It assimilated many of the religions of the world in itself and gave nourishment to all the religions.
In a broader sense, one can say that India is the only country in the world that incredibly gave shelter to every religion of the world. So, it is the one and the only country provided the Giant Asylum to the asylum seekers.
I remember few of the lines of a poet,
Yunan-o-Misr-o-Roma Sab Mit Gaye Jahan Se, Ab Tak Magar Hai Baki Naam-o-Nishan Hamara, Kuchh Baat Hai Ke Hasti Mit’ti Nahin Hamari, Sadiyon Raha Hai Dushman Daur-e-Zaman Hamara.
Mohammad Iqbal
Geographical Extension of Indian Subcontinent
The main reason why the Indian Subcontinent was in the limelight from the very ancient to the contemporary period is that of its geographical boundaries.
Uttaram yat samudrasya, himaadraishchaiva dakshinam. Varsham Tad Bhaaratam Naama, Bhaaratee yatra santatihi.
The land that lies to the north of the great ocean and to the south of the mighty Himalayas shall be called Bharata and it’s people Bhaarateeyas.
The geographical location of the Indian subcontinent provides it with many natural resources. The Indian subcontinent has all type of climatic conditions which is itself unique on this earth. The geographically India is divided into following divisions,
- Mighty Himalayan Ranges
- Indo-Gangetic Plains
- Deccan Plateau
- Coastal Plains
- Western and Eastern Ghats
Incredible India has tropical to tundra type of climate and most extensive vegetation in the world. But when we talk about the Indian Subcontinent, its extension is from the Caspian Sea in the west to the Golden Islands in South-East Asia. This region is full of natural resources and human resources. So obviously, the region is always being in the limelight in the world.
The mighty Himalayas prevents Indian Subcontinent from the cold winds of Siberia. And the Deccan Plateau provides it with all the mineral resources. The Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra are three mighty rivers of Incredible India. These rivers are all-weather rivers.
In the South rivers like the Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery, Mahanadi, etc., though are seasonal rivers. But they also provide water for irrigation in South India. The Western Ghats are the natural harbor for the country and played an important role in world trade from the very ancient time.
MONSOON: The Guiding Factor
The most important reason for the uniqueness of the Indian Subcontinent is the MONSOON. As one know Monsoon is the seasonal reversal of the winds. This phenomenon prevails in the Indian Ocean. The specialty of these monsoon winds is that the natural moves from the Indian Ocean to the Indian Land.
Because of the monsoonal rains, Western Ghats of India have plantation agriculture, which contributes to the economy of the country. Many rivers of South India have their origin at the Western Ghats. Most of the rivers of southern India flows from the Western Ghats to the Eastern Ghats and finally drains into the Bay of Bengal.
Historical Background of the Indian Subcontinent
The world’s most ancient advanced civilization is the Indus-Valley Civilization. As its name indicates it is the civilization grown in the cradles of the river Indus. It is the most advanced civilization of human history and its all contemporary civilizations like Sumerian civilization, Mesopotamia civilization, Egyptian civilization, etc.
India is the land where the compilation of the world’s ancient scriptures Vedas, took place. These are the most ancient scriptures that contain the description of the Vedic Society.
After this, the Indian Subcontinent saw many powerful and extraordinary kingdoms, like mighty Magadha, Kaushal, Vatsa, Avanti. Matsya, Gupta, etc. in North India and Satvahanas, Cholas, Cheras, Pandyas, Chalukyas and Rashtrakutas, etc. in South India.
All these extraordinary kingdoms contributed to making India as an Incredible India. But after the 1000 AD, the subcontinent saw the invasion from its north-western frontiers. But as it is the holy land which assimilated all the invaders in itself like there is no difference between the natives and foreigners. For the next 700 years, the country saw the rule of Delhi Sultanate under various Dynasties like Slave, Khaliji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, Lodhi, etc. and mighty Mughal Empire.
After the decline of the Mughal Empire, At the time of the Industrial Revolution in Europe country became the victim of European Imperialism. Portuguese, Dutch, British, and French companies came as the pseudo-traders and ruled the country for approximately 250 years.
Though it was a huge time period for a country to be a slave. But this country finally became a nation under the enlightened and intellectual native people. So, they gave a strong spiritual and cultural foundation to the country.
Conclusion
Finally, in August 1947 the nation became independent. The freedom fighters gave their lives so that one can see the bird of the independence flying high in the sky. So, we are indebted to our ancestors for this ever desiring freedom.
Though, in the contemporary scenario, we are facing many challenges like poverty, unemployment, security concerns, technological advancement, etc. But at the same time, we are the most steadily growing economy in the world. And very soon we will be able to reduce the gap between the rich and poor in the country.
From the very ancient time, we are following the policy of Live and Let Live. And, this is the only region why we survived all the dark ages. So, India as a nation is a perfect combination of Spirituality and Modernity. And this is the only way the world can have sustainable development. So, the day is not far when once again India will become the Jagat Guru.
In the coming posts, there will be glimpses of Ancient India. So, we will dwell into the ocean of Incredible India in different phases like Ancient India, Medieval India, Modern India, and Contemporary India.
Thank you so much. 🙂 Stay Connected. 🙂
