Indian History

Who the hell doesn't know Mahatma Gandhi? This man changed a portion of the world, and by doing so, he changed something out of everything everywhere, too. No, this good man isn't the founder of Yoga - he's more connected to starvation than being conscious of a healthy lifestyle, you know.

Non-conformity and non-cooperation, now those were the means used by Mahatma Gandhi to attain independence for his motherland India. He didn't go around buying independence from coins out of his pockets, arming his neighbors along with his children to do his bidding, nor lead his country to become a prime producer of anything that is economically viable. No, he did this by non-conformity and non-cooperation with the rules set forth by his then colonizers which he saw were imprisoning his country and its people.

Gandhi provided the spark, and the whole Indian nation lit it and continued fanning the flames up until now. If faster communication technologies were available then, he could've changed the world, too. Thus, India was freed by its colonizers, and now continues to be proud of its heritage and history.

During the seventeenth century, India is ruled by a noble man named Khurram. At age thirty-five, he ascended to the throne and called himself Shah Jahan which meant King of the World. He was supported by the elders and they willingly offered him their advices.

Back then, Agra was the capital city of India since Khurram decided to have his abode there. This is the reason why most Indian attractions are located in Agra, one of which is the famous Taj Mahal that he built for his beloved wife. He adored palaces and built several mosques. But, after a short period of time, he declared Shahjahanabad, a town in Delhi as the central city. There he also built magnificent marble palaces.

Like his predecessors, Khurram is a noble, faithful man. He has an exemplary inclination for aesthetics, thus flower gardens are all over Agra and Delhi. His courage as king can be shown by the due respect his subordinates give to him. He considered his servants as friends and has a wide understanding of the dealings of men. For thirty years, he reigned with incomparable dignity and authority.

One of the most renowned figures in India is a man named Jawaharlal Nehru. A native of Allahabad, he came from a family who firmly advocated the sovereignty of India. As a youngster, he was already sure of the path to take. When he graduated from the University of Cambridge, he came to India to continue the advocacy. During his battle against the British colonialism, Nehru has been jailed many times. But, destiny was kind to him, and he was always supported by friends who believe in him.

For thirty years, his struggle made him a strong political leader. He used his intelligence and innate ability in speaking to persuade the peoples of India. A religious man, Nehru believed in achieving peace and freedom without using force or advocating violence. People are attracted by his exceptional capabilities, determination, and faith. Not long after, he ruled as Prime Minister for almost seventeen years.

For a long time, he was able to establish goodwill with his fellow politicians as well as neutral and peaceful dealings with his enemies. Together with his friends and allies, he visits and consults Mahatma Gandhi, asking his advice. Upon the death of Gandhi, he and his enemies finally reconciled and made a plan for peacekeeping. They were able to push through the Parliament that gave women their rights and emphasized the equality between male and female. Nehru died of stroke at the age of seventy-five.

The Caste System of India originated during the ancient times wherein the society is divided into separate social classes known as caste or jatis. Indians are born, marry and die to the caste where they belong. Today, the caste still has a major impact in the Indian society although the Indian government does not allow any form of caste in the country.

The caste system is from religious origins although its greatest impact was social in nature. People who don't belong to any caste were considered outcasts. There are five levels of the Caste System: the Brahmans or priests; Kshatriya which are composed of rulers, warriors, and landowners; the Vaishya or merchants; the Shudras or artisans and agriculturalists, and the Harijan who were formerly called "the untouchables."

The difference between each caste lies on the rights that are vested upon them and the duties that they are to play in the society. Each of them must work in their own sphere of profession. Each caste also has its own type of diet. The Harijans were formerly called "the untouchables" because they are engaged in degrading jobs. People believe that they were so dirty that they cannot be touched. Their name was later changed to Harijans or God's children.

India is a country that has a rich and interesting history dating back to the establishment of the Indus Valley Civilization. This civilization was the first great civilization in the Indian subcontinent. It succumbed to Aryan invaders in 1500 B.C. These invaders provided India with two important legacies: the Sanskrit language and Hinduism.

India's history was a history of conflicts and divisions. In the 10th Century although the Maurya Empire which marked a new aeon in Indian history, and the Gupta dynasties represented high points of Buddhist and Hindu rule. There was chaos and conflict. Muslims also invaded the country which added to the turmoil.

It was in the 1500s that the Europeans begin to exert their influence in the subcontinent. The Portuguese, Dutch, British, and French all vied for Indian trade. In the 1800s, the British East India Company took over the area of commerce. The British Government soon followed establishing imperialism in the country.India became independent only in 1948 after tragic riots leading to the deaths of thousands following the partition between India and Pakistan in 1947. Much have changed since then. India today has one of the booming economies in Asia and prides of a stable democratic government.

I love collecting coins from different parts of the globe. It may seem weird, but coins really fascinate me. Therefore, it is no news that I collect coins from the rich land of India.

I still have to hope and pray that I find a sample of India's very earliest coins. I sure hope that my great ancestors or relatives have some hidden in their treasure chests. The said coins are called punch-marked coinage.

Punch-marked coins were called as such because silver pieces were punched with several varying symbols. According to the research that I have looked at, these coins actually do not have any specific shape! I have seen a sample of such a coin. If I hadn't known better, it seemed that the punch-marked coin was a brooch. There were actually many different symbols punched in it. Symbols or images that were punched in the coins consisted of hills, humans, trees, and animals. The coins had a pattern regarding the symbols that were punched in them. Plus, the valuable coins were then given out by the royal authorities. Now, you must probably understand why I am so adamant to have my hands on at least one punch-marked coin. It's quite interesting, wouldn't you agree?

I have always been fascinated with the country of India. It is among the countries with the richest and advanced cultures in the world. However, one thing that really pulls me to learn more about this country is its belief about the numerous gods. In Indian mythology, Shiva belongs to the list of the very famous and powerful Hindu gods.

For those who are not aware of Indian history, Shiva is considered as their most powerful deity. He was called by different names such as Mahayogi, Bhole Nath, Bhairava, Mahadeva, Bhava, Nataraja, Pashupati, and Vishwanath. However, he was more known to the people as Lord Shiva. The people described him as someone who had numerous arms and a piled up hair on his head. He liked to wear or use accessories such as the coiled serpent on his neck, 'Rudraksha' bead, and a trident. One thing that made him stand out among other Gods was the fact that his body was covered with ash.

Lord Shiva was also known to be a destroyer of life so that Brahma, the god of creation, could recreate it. Through death, he believed that a brand new life would be born. Due to his strong powers, he was usually fed with the drug called opium. This is done to be able to lessen his not so good potentials.

According to historians, the history of India can be traced as far back as 5000 BC. During this time, a civilization flourished in what is now modern Pakistan and Western India. Like most ancient civilizations, it is situated along a river - the Indus River.

The Indus Valley Civilization is the largest among the world's ancient urban civilizations. It's contemporaries were Egypt, Mesopotamia and China. Harrapa was the central city of this civilization. The economy of Harappa seems to rely heavily on trade which caused major advances in the technology of transportation. Harappa reached it's peak around 2500 BC but around 1900 BC people started to leave the cities and by 1800 BC most of the cities were abandoned.

Britain is the only superpower that was able to colonize the Indian subcontinent. The French and the British fought for years for control over the vast wealth that India possessed. In the end, the mighty British Empire flexed its rule on the country for three centuries, with the last years of the nineteenth century being the Golden Age of British Colonialism (that saw Queen Victoria crowned with the title Empress of India).

During this long colonial period, trade, the arts and the sciences were exchanged between the two, only to culminate in 1947 at the birth of the "Home Rule Movement" started by Mahatma Ghandi.

According to historians, the whole history of India can be traced as far back as 700,000 years ago - predating the Indus Valley civilization which is considered to be one of the oldest civilizations.

There is one theory, the Indo-Aryan Migration, that states that the Aryans migrated from Central Asia or northern Iran and settled in the north-west part of the Indian subcontinent. Apparenlty the classical Indian culture is the result of the intermingling of the Arayan with the early Dravidian cultures.