India


 * Harsh Singh**

uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu The Republic uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu of u India uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu If you are brave enough, you may hit the button (india icon) which will take to a magnificent place that is India.

__//**The Facts **//__ __**The British -**__ They (British East India Company) first gained the trust of Mogul rulers of India by fighting the enemies of the moguls, while also fighting off the rest of the European powers. Day, day by the moguls began to lose power as the English/British began to take over. They began to tax the Moguls. They saw this as an oppurtunity to become a dominant power in Asia.They continued military action the companies who refused to do business with them. Back in England people supported this action. they believed their moral was superior to all the others. In India- the vast land of non-Christians tribes, peasants, village dwellers and many other were thought to be "uncivilized" and that they needed the British to improve their lives.They did not even want to rule India,perhaps it would require too much labor and time, but their excess greed drove them in to controlling India. By 1857 the people of India began rebelling against the British rule. **Mohandas Gandhi and The Quit India Movement ** In 1889 Mohandas Gandhi started a rebellion in South Africa against the British since they did control South Africa. In 1915 Mohandas Gandhi returned to India and led a nonviolent resistance movement to free India. He did many great things such as fast for days as a way of protest. When he did fasts he received political attention but doing so also got him thrown into jail. Then the public or general people started to follow in his path to because they knew that the only reason he was thrown into was because the British were afraid that eventually more people would start follow in his footsteps causing a huge rebellion which could cause them lose control of India, which is precisely what happened. In 1942 Gandhi led the Quit India movement, but this was also the time of WWII in which the British fought in too. Most of the attention of the British was on the war not India. That was the mistake of the British. The rebellion of the Quit India Movement could not crushed forcing the British to give up. August 15, 1947 then became the independence day of India. That is how India was founded. Although people of India didn’t like the British, they left behind roads, railroads, and seaports, which are now being used more often than they are used in the U.S.A.  __**The Pakistani-**__   Pakistan has been the caused and still does cause many problems for India. It began in the 1900's when the Muslims feel like they were inferior to the Hindus of India. This resulted in the breaking of India forming 2 countries called West & East Pakistan (West Pakistan is the real problem) where they could practice their religion and make choices based on what they believedwhich India had tried to do). Currently, there have been many riots in Kashmir, a holy land between Pakistan and India, which is wanted by both countries, both for its beautiful scenery and its many natural resources. The most recent major attack by Pakistan towards India was the 11/26/08 Mumbai attacks. The first of many attacks on Mumbai, India are fired. These ten coordinated attacks by Pakistan-based terrorists kill 164 and injure more than 300 people in Mumbai.
 * History Summary located below || __//**Historical Conflicts**//__

||

**//__History Timeline__//** India has one of the longest histories in the world including Alexander The Great and﻿ Mohandas Gandhi. India truly has come a long way from its beginning in about 3000 B.C.E to modern day. India's spectacular history is sure to wow the beholder. For detailed info use the following links.

[|History Timeline 1] [|History Timeline 2] Google's History Timeline ||
 * __**//Historical Enemie////s//**__


 * **//__Britain__//**- They treated Indians like slaves


 * **//__Pakistan__//**- They believe that they were being treated like they were minor to the Hindus. || __//**Flag and its significance**//__

The flag of India was last adopted on 22 July 1947. It consists of three horizontal stripes of saffron, white, and green. Saffron stands for courage and sacrifice; white, for purity and truth; and green, for faith and fertility. The 24-spoke wheel in the center represents the Dharma Chakra, the wheel of law. || __//**Map of India**//__ || India has an extemely diverse culture due to rich history which led to each part of India becoming unique in its own way. To learn about India's extremely diverse culture click on the given link.
 * __//**Culture/Traditions**//__

[|India's Diverse Culture] || __//**Traditional Clothing**//__

Women generally wear a saree (a long length of fabric draped in variations that can represent socio-economic status and religious affiliation) or a colorful pantsuit with a knee-length shirt. Women also wear considerable jewelry. Hindu women may have a bindi, or red dot, on their foreheads. Traditionally a sign of femininity, gracefulness, and marital status, the bindi has become for many an optional beauty aid, and its color frequently matches the wearer's outfit. After marriage, the bindi, accompanied by white powder on her upper forehead (or vermilion powder in the part of her hair), signifies the woman's husband is alive; widows do not wear a bindi. Men wear Western-style suits or more traditional clothing, such as the dhoti (large piece of cloth wrapped around the waist). As with women, this varies with region and religion. Sikhs wear turbans and specific items with religious significance, while Hindus and Muslims may wear a long shirt with pants, sometimes accompanied by a jacket or a vest. || __//**Traditional Foods**//__

Eating habits vary sharply between traditional and modern settings. Modern (most often urban) families eat together and follow many Western customs. Traditional families may eat their food with the right hand instead of utensils. Also, women may eat after other members of the family and any guests. When people drink from a communal cup, their lips must never touch it. A gesture of Namaste can indicate one has had enough to eat. Some Hindus object to having their food handled by members of different castes. ||
 * __//History Summary of India//__**
 * __//[|History Summary From The Beginning of Time] //__**

**The Beginning Of India**
 * 300,000 B.C India started as the Indus River Valley civilization.
 * The Vedic Aryan migrated bringing the legends of gods and a new language.
 * Later the stories of victory of good over evil is epitomized in the epic Ramayana and the Mahabharta.
 * Gupta and Harsha**
 * Was around A.D. 320-550
 * Golden Age
 * Numeral system developed
 * Tried to unite most of Northern India
 * By the mid-seventh century, Buddhism and Jainism began to decline and Hinduism rose to power
 * The Islamic Power**
 * The very first Islamic scouting began in India in 997-1024 (Arabs)
 * They began settling in about 1211
 * Famous Empires rise and fall
 * Mamluk or Slave (1206-90)
 * Khalji (1290-1320)
 * Tughluq (1320-1413)
 * Sayyid (1414-51)
 * Lodi (1451-1526)
 * Khalji Dynasty under Ala-ud-Din (r. 1296-1315)
 * Both the Quran and sharia (Islamic law) provided the basis for enforcing Islamic administration
 * They began losing control
 * The Mughals**
 * In the early sixteenth century
 * Descendants of the Mongol, Turkish, Iranian, and Afghan invaders of South Asia-->the Mughals
 * Invaded India under the leadership of Zahir-ud-Din Babur
 * He built up not only his army but a strong and successful empire
 * He unfortunately died before he could see the completion of his glorious empire, but his son Humayun came to power
 * In 1545 he gained a foothold in Kabul defeated Sher Khan Sur, the most powerful Afghan ruler, and took control of Delhi in 1555
 * Humayun's untimely death in 1556 left the task of further imperial conquest and consolidation to his thirteen-year-old son, Jalal-ud-Din Akbar (r. 1556-1605).
 * Now this guy Akbar did many conquered many other civilizations
 * Married a Hindu despite being a Muslim
 * His son Jahangir followed in Akbar's path of greatness as well
 * His Grandson Shah Jahan Built The Taj Mahal (For his wife) []
 * The world-famous Taj Mahal was built in Agra during Shah Jahan's rule as a tomb for wife, Mumtaz Mahal
 * Symbolizes both Mughal artistic achievement and excessive financial expenditures when resources were shrinking
 * He also built Jama Masjid []
 * Last of the great Mughals was Aurangzeb ( 1658-1707)
 * Seized the throne by killing all his brothers and imprisoning his own father
 * Went to war with Marathas (See below)
 * Brought back taxes on non-Muslims
 * Was a bad guy
 * stole from other civilizations
 * The British Began their well thoughtout invasion

> **They (British East India Company) first gained the trust of Mogul rulers of India by fighting the enemies of the moguls, while also fighting off the rest of the European powers. Day, day by the moguls began to lose power as the English/British began to take over. They began to tax the Moguls. They saw this as an oppurtunity to become a dominant power in Asia.They continued military action the companies who refused to do business with them. ** > ** Back in England people supported this action. they believed their moral was superior to all the others. In India- the vast land of non-Christians tribes, peasants, village dwellers and many other were thought to be "uncivilized" and that they needed the British to improve their lives.They did not even want to rule India,perhaps it would require too much labor and time, but their excess greed drove them in to controlling India. By 1857 the people of India began rebelling against the British rule. Mohandas Gandhi and The Quit India Movement ** > In 1889 Mohandas Gandhi started a rebellion in South Africa against the British since they did control South Africa. In 1915 Mohandas Gandhi returned to India and led a nonviolent resistance movement to free India. He did many great things such as fast for days as a way of protest. When he did fasts he received political attention but doing so also got him thrown into jail. Then the public or general people started to follow in his path to because they knew that the only reason he was thrown into was because the British were afraid that eventually more people would start follow in his footsteps causing a huge rebellion which could cause them lose control of India, which is precisely what happened. In 1942 Gandhi led the Quit India movement, but this was also the time of WWII in which the British fought in too. Most of the attention of the British was on the war not India. That was the mistake of the British. The rebellion of the Quit India Movement could not crushed forcing the British to give up. August 15, 1947 then became the independence day of India. That is how India was founded. Although people of India didn’t like the British, they left behind roads, railroads, and seaports, which are now being used more often than they are used in the U.S.A.
 * The Marathas**
 * Shivaji Bhonsle (1627-80), a tenacious and fierce fighter recognized as the "father of the Maratha nation,"
 * He fought against the Mogul Strongholds, as he was Hindu
 * Even though his successors signed a treaty with the moguls for peace they still fought
 * The Moguls sought the help of them to help drive the Afghan invaders out of Punjab
 * The Marathas lost to the Afghans so badly that the shock tore apart the Maratha
 * The British Empire**
 * **Company Rule, 1757-1857**
 * **The British Raj, 1858-1947 included the Sepoy Rebellion in 1857-1859**
 * Pakistan vs India**
 * Muslim vs Hindu**
 * The Muslims felt as if they were being treated minor to Hindus
 * They broke off and formed Pakistan
 * later began attacking India, because the believed that their religion required bloodshed of the other religions.
 * They also fight for Kashmir
 * It is not perfect but it is a developing country and maybe one day it will no longer experience any conflict with Pakistan.

Bibliography: 

Iloveindia.com. (n.d.). // India Timeline //. Retrieved November 14, 2010, from iloveindia.com: []

Iloveindia.com. (n.d.). // India Traditions //. Retrieved November 15, 2010, from iloveindia.com: http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-traditions/index.html

Suni Systems. (n.d.). //History Timeline//. Retrieved November 17, 2010, from History Of India, from []

utubekhiladi. (n.d.). //The story of India - amazing BBC documentary series//. Retrieved November 24, 2010, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APn07PS-5qc

Culture Grams. (n.d.). //India//. Retrieved November 18, 2010, from Flag: http://online.culturegrams.com/world/world_country.php?contid=3&wmn=Asia&cid=75&cn=India

Culture Grams. (n.d.). //India//. Retrieved November 18, 2010, from Personal Appearances: []

Culture Grams. (n.d.). //India//. Retrieved November 18, 2010, from Food and Eating: []

Worden, J. H. (n.d.). //India//. Retrieved December 1, 2010, from Country Studies: http://countrystudies.us/india/

James Heitzman and Robert L. Worden, editors. //India: A Country Study//. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1995.

Solar Navigator. (n.d.). //India//. Retrieved November 14, 2010, from http://www.solarnavigator.net/geography/india.htm

Pictures (on the wiki) taken from Google Images