Bharatavarsha (Bharat or Bharatvarsha) is the name in Sanskrit, Hindi and the languages of India for the World, but properly the Indian subcontinent. It is also an official name of the Republic of India, and possibly the earliest name given to the nation. Sanskrit ( संस्कृतम्) is a classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ... Hindi (हिन्दी) is an Indo-European language spoken mainly in North and Central India. ... India is rich in languages, boasting not only the indigenous sprouting of Dravidian and Indo-Aryan tongues, but of the absorption of Middle-Eastern and European influences as well. ... Composite satellite image of the Indian subcontinent Map of South Asia. ...

Etymology

Bharatavarsha means The Land of Bharata, and The Cherished Land. The name Bharata means The Cherished One in Sanskrit. Sanskrit ( संस्कृतम्) is a classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ...

The name derives from the times of Vedic civilization after King Bharata, who first conquered all of the known world, which was duly named after him in his honor. In all the classical and religous works of Hinduism, such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana, the Puranas and Upanishads, Bharat is the name used for what is today known as India. The Vedic civilisation is the Indo-Aryan culture associated with the Vedas, the earliest known records of Indian history. ... Bharata is the name of three different persons in Hindu mythology. ... This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ... The Mahabharata (Devanagari: महाभारत, phonetically Mahābhārata - see note), sometimes just called Bharata, is one of the two major ancient Sanskrit epics of India, the other being the Ramayana. ... The Ramayana (Sanskrit: march or journey (ayana) of Rama) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ... The Puranas (Sanskrit पुराण, purāṇá ancient, since they focus on ancient history of the universe) are part of Hindu Smriti; these religious scriptures discuss varied topics like devotion to God in his various aspects, traditional sciences like Ayurveda, Jyotish, cosmology, concepts like dharma, karma, reincarnation and many others. ... The Upanishads (उपनिषद्, Upanişad) are part of the Hindu Shruti scriptures which primarily discuss meditation and philosophy and are seen as religious instructions by most schools of Hinduism. ...

Official Status

Bharat is the official name recognized by the Constitution of India along with India, and in use by governments when using an Indian language for work. In English, the official name in use is India. The Constitution of India is the constitution of the Republic of India. ... Look up English in Wiktionary, the free dictionary As an adjective, English refers to anything from or pertaining to England. ...

Names of India

Speakers of Indian languages and Indians commonly refer to their country as Bharat, and many a times as Hindustan (Land of the Hindus). The term was used by peoples from West Asia to refer to India. The term Hindu itself is derived from the name of the river Sindhu or Indus. It is however used only popularly, and not for official purposes. A Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, the predominant religious, philosophical and cultural systems of Bharat (India) and Nepal. ... A map showing Southwest Asia - The term Middle East is more often used to refer to both Southwest Asia and some North African countries Southwest Asia, or West Asia, is the southwestern part of Asia. ... The Indus is a river; the Indus River. ...

The name India was derived from the name of the river Sindhu, Indus. It is speculated that the ancient Greeks were the first to employ the name, but it was proliferated by Europeans only in the age of exploration and colonialism. India, or The Indies is used to refer to the geographical target zones of European colonialists. The Indus is a river; the Indus River. ...

Aryavarta was the most ancient reference to the heart of Vedic civilization in India, but did not extend beyond the Gangetic plains in northeastern India. The vedic name for India, meaning Categories: Indo-European language stubs ... The Vedic civilisation is the Indo-Aryan culture associated with the Vedas, the earliest known records of Indian history. ...

In History

Historical Bharat extended to what are today Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh and even by some accounts, portions of eastern Afghanistan. The Mauryan Empire under Emperors Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka are the only other times the similar extent of land and peoples have been united under a single political entity, but the social, cultural and economic links are complex and originated five thousand years ago. The Mauryan empire (321 to 185 BC), at its largest extent around 230 BC. The Mauryan Empire was Indias first great unified empire. ... It has been suggested that Chandragupta Maurya be merged into this article or section. ... Please see Ashoka (disambiguation) for other uses of the word Ashoka Ashoka the Great (IAST , Devanagari अशोक ) was the emperor of the Mauryan empire from 273 BC to 232 BC. After a number of military conquests, Ashoka reigned over most of South Asia and beyond, from present day Afghanistan to Bengal...

See Also

• Hinduism, Vedic civilization
• Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bharata

This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ... The Vedic civilisation is the Indo-Aryan culture associated with the Vedas, the earliest known records of Indian history. ... The Ramayana (Sanskrit: march or journey (ayana) of Rama) is part of the Hindu smriti, written by Valmiki. ... The Mahabharata (Devanagari: महाभारत, phonetically Mahābhārata - see note), sometimes just called Bharata, is one of the two major ancient Sanskrit epics of India, the other being the Ramayana. ... Bharata is the name of three different persons in Hindu mythology. ...

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National Capital Territory: Delhi