Introduction:-

Did you know that India hasn’t always looked like the way it does today? The names, boundaries, and regions of our country have changed a lot over thousands of years! In this chapter, you will learn: How the regions of India were described long ago. How India got its different names. What ancient texts and stories tell us about our history. So, let’s start.

Our India: Then and Now:-

India Today:-

• India is a modern country with clear borders and states.
• It has a known population and defined regions.

India in the Past:-

• 500, 2,000, or even 5,000 years ago, India was very different!
• The Indian Subcontinent had changing boundaries and many names.

How do we know about the Past?

We learn about India’s history from:

• Ancient texts.
• Stories written by travelers.
• Inscriptions on stones and metals.

➔ How Indians Named India

India has been known by different names over time. Let’s look at how these names came to be:

1. Sapta Sindhava – Land of Seven Rivers

• This name is from the Ṛig Veda, India’s oldest text.
• It referred to the area around the Sindhu (Indus) River, which is now in Pakistan.

2. Bhāratavarṣha – Land of the Bharatas

• Found in the Mahābhārata, an important Indian story.
• It means “the country of the Bharatas,” a group of people from the past.
• This name began to refer to the whole Indian Subcontinent.

3. Jambudvīpa – Island of the Jamun Tree

• Used by Emperor Ashoka around 250 BCE.
• It was a poetic name for the Indian Subcontinent.
• It meant “the land shaped like a jamun (fruit) tree’‘.

Note:- India’s name changed in different ways. Early rulers named it by looking at the land. Later, people used names from old books. Gradually, Foreigners called it “India” after the Indus River.

Regional Names in Ancient Texts

• In old writings, many regions were mentioned:
  • Kāshmīra (Kashmir)
  • Kerala (Kerala)
  • Kurukṣhetra (Haryana)
  • Vanga (Bengal)

India’s Boundaries in Ancient Poems

• Ancient Tamil poems described the land as:
  • The Himalayas in the north.
  • Cape / Kumari (Kanyakumari) in the south.
  • Oceans on the east and west sides.

1. The First Foreigners: The Persians

• Long ago, the Persians came to India in 600 BCE.
• They took control of the region near the Indus River, which was called Sindhu.
• The Persians named the land ‘Hind’ or ‘Hindu’.
  • This was just a name for the place, not the religion.

2. The Greeks Change the Name

• The Greeks also came to India and heard the Persian name.
• They called it ‘Indoi’ or ‘Indike’, but they dropped the ‘H’ sound because their language didn’t have it.

3. The Chinese:

• The Chinese also interacted with India and gave it names like ‘Yintu’ and ‘Yindu’.
  • For Example:- Xuanzang, a famous Chinese scholar, visited India in the 7th century.
    • He referred to India as “Yindu” in his writings.
    • His journey helped spread knowledge about India’s culture, religion, and geography to China and beyond.
• These names (yintu & yindu) also came from the word ‘Sindhu’.
• The Chinese also called India ‘Tianzhu’, which means ‘heavenly master’, showing their respect for India.

‘Hindustan’ Becomes Popular

• Around 1,800 years ago, the Persians used the name ‘Hindustān’.
• Later, this name was used by many invaders to call the whole region.