The ancient city of Lothal, which arose 2400 y.p. BC.

Hampi - Lost Capital of the Vijayanagar Empire

In the South Indian state of Karnataka, on the banks of the river with the difficult to pronounce name Tungabhadra, among the mighty granite boulders are the ruins of the capital of the once mighty Vijayanagar Empire. The remains of Vijayanagara belong to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, where they are listed as "Monuments of Hampi". It seems that nature itself has given people a scoop and a sandbox to realize their desires and ambitions. Outcrops of gray coarse-grained granite in the heart of the Deccan plateau, the presence of waterways and fertile soil have attracted people here since the 1st century AD.

It was once home to nearly half a million people and was one of the largest cities in India.

Various crafts, literature, music and architecture have reached the greatest development here. Countless travelers from all over the world have tried in vain to describe the wonders of Vijayanagara.

A reasonable question arises: "How did the craftsmen cut and process solid and dense granite?" Many pseudoscientists claim that these huge boulders were cut by the ancient peoples with a laser or incredible space technologies.

There are "a thousand columns" along the road. Their purpose is not known for certain. It remains to be believed that earlier there were covered shopping arcades for the city market.

This is a real masterpiece of stone carvers - the granite chariot. Now you can see that there are elephants in the harness. However, horses used to be in their place.

Humpy

Harappa and Mohenjo Daro culture

Mohenjo-daro

Hercules on the seals of the city

Tableware from Mohenjo-Daro

Harappa culture

Priest

On the streets of Mohenjo-Daro

decoration from Mohenjo-daro

Tools

Desk lamp

In all likelihood, the Harappas traded with the Sumerians. In the Sumerian writings, cities were mentioned with which they traded. Among them was a city called Meluke, scientists identify it with the proto-Indian city of Mohenjo - Daro. Remnants of cotton fabrics, a variety of faience beads, shells were found in large quantities in the Harappan territory - all of this was of foreign origin.

Mohenjo-daro excavation site

Mohenjo-Daro Seals

Pottery and textile tools were found among the ruins. Pottery workshops were located throughout the city. Almost everything from pipes and bricks to thin-walled vessels, graceful figurines and ornaments was made there. Residents also used objects made of copper, tin, bronze - these are tools, jewelry and weapons. True, the weapons were made very crudely, probably there were no military operations on this territory. The Harappan people were never able to master the smelting of iron.

Harappan ceramics

Harappan game

Doharappan culture

Harappan figurines

Harappan ceramics

Terracotta figurines from Harappa

Terracotta

Harappan letter

One or two rooms for ablutions (in a modern way, two bathrooms), ventilation ducts. Air conditioners have not yet been found.

Incredibly advanced system separate sewers with septic tanks and even ... public toilets. Water supply. Rainwater poured from the roofs through specially shaped pottery pipes so that the spray would not fall on passers-by. The walls were plastered, but all this, decoration, paint and upper floors, disappeared.

The quality of the masonry is unusually high, includes many techniques (no arched vault), and stone slabs are for chic. Here is a room on the second floor

Harappa

The houses had 2-3 floors, at least 8x9 m, at least one courtyard and wells were obligatory. This is not a tower, this is a well (cistern?) From the second floor.

Harappa

Harappa

Harappa hieroglyphs

The extinction of civilization occurred, most likely, due to natural causes. Climate change or earthquakes could change the course of rivers or dry them out, and the soils were depleted. The farmers were no longer able to feed the cities, and the inhabitants left them. The huge socio-economic complex disintegrated into small groups. Written language and other cultural achievements were lost. There is nothing to suggest that the decline occurred overnight. Instead of the deserted cities in the north and south, new settlements appeared at this time, people moved east, to the Ganges valley.

The floors of the rich houses are also brick, the pools are plastered with bitumen. Some floors are covered with an unknown vitreous composition, and under some there are ducts for air heating.

City plan

Ceramics. Mohenjo-Daro. 4500 sun.

Clay seal from Harappa but not yet deciphered.

The Indus Valley civilization was mainly an urban culture, traded with the Sumerians from southern Mesopotamia.
By far the most exquisite and rare artifact found to date is a small, square-shaped seal engraved with an animal. Despite the efforts of philologists from all parts of the world, nevertheless and in spite of the use of computers, the content of the text remains undeciphered.
While historians agree that civilization has plummeted, there is disagreement over possible reasons its completion. The conquerors from Central and West Asia, according to some historians, were the cause of the disappearance Indus Valley civilization but this opinion is open to discussion and controversy. More plausible explanations are repeated floods caused by tectonic movements of the earth, soil salinization, desertification.

Bulls harnessed to a cart. Children's toy found in the excavations of the Harappan civilization

Coiled copper wire necklace. Traces of silk have been preserved inside. These are the earliest traces of the use of wild silkworm fibers in South Asia. Harappa 3B: circa 2450 - 220 BC

Harappan figurines

A female burial, disturbed by ancient robbers. A baby is buried under the mother's feet. Harappa is one of two ancient civilization capitals in the Indus River Basin.

At the beginning of the XX century. in archaeological science there is a strong opinion that the homeland of the manufacturing economy, urban culture, writing, in general civilization, is the Middle East. This area, according to the apt definition of the English archaeologist James Breasted, was called the "Fertile Crescent". From here, cultural achievements spread throughout the Old World, west and east. However, new research has made major adjustments to this theory.

The first finds of this kind were made already in the 1920s. XX century. Indian archaeologists Sakhni and Banerjee discovered on the shores of the Indus civilization, which existed simultaneously from the era of the first pharaohs and the era of the Sumerians in the III-II millennia BC. e. (the three most ancient civilizations in the world). A bright culture with magnificent cities, developed crafts and trade, a kind of art appeared before the eyes of scientists. First, archaeologists excavated the largest urban centers of this civilization - Harappu and Mohenjo-Daro. By the name of the first she received name - Harappan civilization... Later, many other settlements were found. Now about a thousand of them are known. They covered the entire valley of the Indus and its tributaries in a continuous network, like a necklace covering the northeastern coast of the Arabian Sea in what is now India and Pakistan.

The culture of ancient cities, large and small, turned out to be so bright and peculiar that researchers had no doubts: this country was not the outskirts of the Fertile Crescent of the World, but an independent one. hotbed of civilization, today a forgotten world of cities. There is no mention of them in written sources, and only the earth has preserved traces their former greatness.

Map. Ancient India - Harappan civilization

History of Ancient India - Protoindisky Indus Valley Culture

Other mystery of ancient Indian civilization- its origin. Scholars continue to debate whether it had local roots or was brought in from the outside, with which there was intensive trade.

Most archaeologists believe that the proto-Indian civilization grew out of local early agricultural cultures that existed in the Indus basin and the neighboring region of Northern Baluchistan. Archaeological discoveries support their point of view. In the foothills closest to the Indus Valley, hundreds of settlements of ancient farmers of the 6th-4th millennia BC were discovered. e.

This transitional zone between the mountains of Baluchistan and the Indo-Gangetic Plain provided the first farmers with everything they needed. The climate was favorable for growing plants during the long warm summer. Mountain streams provided water for irrigation of crops and, if necessary, could be blocked by dams to retain fertile river silt and regulate irrigation of fields. The wild ancestors of wheat and barley grew here, herds of wild buffaloes and goats roamed. The flint deposits provided the raw material for tool making. The convenient location opened up opportunities for trade contacts with Central Asia and Iran in the west and the Indus Valley in the east. This area, like no other, was suitable for the emergence of an agricultural economy.

One of the first agricultural settlements known in the foothills of Baluchistan was called Mergar. Archaeologists have excavated a significant area here and identified seven horizons of the cultural layer in it. These horizons, from the lower, the most ancient, to the upper, dating back to the 4th millennium BC. e., show a complex and gradual path of the origin of agriculture.

In the earliest strata, hunting was the basis of the economy, while agriculture and cattle breeding played a secondary role. Barley was grown. Of the domestic animals, only the sheep was tamed. Then the inhabitants of the settlement did not yet know how to make pottery. Over time, the size of the settlement increased - it stretched along the river, the economy became more complex. Local residents built houses and granaries out of adobe bricks, grew barley and wheat, raised sheep and goats, made pottery and painted it excellently, at first only black, and later with different colors: white, red and black. The pots are decorated with whole processions of animals following each other: bulls, antelopes with branchy horns, birds. Similar images have survived in Indian culture on stone seals. In the farming of farmers, hunting still played an important role, they did not know how to process metal and made their tools out of stone. But a stable economy was gradually formed, developing on the same foundations (primarily on agriculture) as the civilization in the Indus Valley.

During the same period, stable trade relations with neighboring lands were established. This is indicated by the widespread among farmers jewelry made of imported stones: lapis lazuli, carnelian, turquoise from the territory of Iran and Afghanistan.

Mergar's society was becoming highly organized. Public granaries appeared among the houses - rows of small rooms separated by partitions. These warehouses acted as central distribution points for products. The development of society was also expressed in the increase in the wealth of the settlement. Archaeologists have discovered many burials. All residents were buried in rich outfits with jewelry from beads, bracelets, pendants.

Over time, agricultural tribes settled from mountainous regions to river valleys. They mastered the plain irrigated by the Indus and its tributaries. The fertile soil of the valley contributed to the rapid population growth, the development of crafts, trade and agriculture. Settlement grew into cities... The number of cultivated plants increased. The date palm appeared, in addition to barley and wheat, they began to sow rye, grow rice and cotton. Small canals were built to irrigate the fields. We have tamed the local species of cattle - the zebu-shaped bull. So it gradually grew the most ancient civilization of the northwest of Hindustan. At an early stage, scientists distinguish several zones within the range: eastern, northern, central, southern, western and southeastern. Each of them is characterized by its features... But by the middle of the III millennium BC. e. the differences are almost erased, and in the heyday The Harappan civilization entered as a culturally unified organism.

True, there are other facts as well. They bring doubts to the slim the theory of the origin of the Harappan, Indian civilization... Biological studies have shown that the ancestor of the Indus Valley domestic sheep was a wild species that lived in the Middle East. Much in the culture of the early farmers of the Indus Valley brings it closer to the culture of Iran and southern Turkmenistan. By language, scientists establish a connection between the population of Indian cities and the inhabitants of Elam - an area lying east of Mesopotamia, on the Persian Gulf coast. Judging by outward appearance ancient Indians, they are part of one large community that settled throughout the Middle East - from the Mediterranean Sea to Iran and India.

Putting all these facts together, some researchers have concluded that the Indian (Harappan) civilization is a fusion of various local elements that arose under the influence of Western (Iranian) cultural traditions.

The decline of Indian civilization

The decline of the proto-Indian civilization also remains a mystery awaiting a final decision in the future. The crisis did not start at the same time, but gradually spread throughout the country. Most of all, as evidenced by archaeological data, suffered large centers of civilization located on the Indus. In the capitals of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, it took place in the 18th-16th centuries. BC e. Most likely, decline Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro date from the same period. Harappa lasted only slightly longer than Mohenjo-Daro. The crisis hit the northern regions faster; in the south, far from the centers of civilization, the Harappan traditions lasted longer.

Then many buildings were abandoned, hastily made counters were piled along the roads, new small houses grew on the ruins of public buildings, deprived of many benefits of a dying civilization. Other premises were rebuilt. Used old bricks, selected from destroyed houses. New bricks were not produced. In the cities, there was no longer a clear division into residential and craft quarters. On the main streets there were pottery kilns, which was not allowed in the old days of exemplary order. The number of imported things decreased, which means that external relations weakened and trade fell into decline. Handicraft production decreased, ceramics became coarser, without skillful painting, the number of seals decreased, and metal was used less often.

What appeared the reason for this decline? The most probable reasons seem to be ecological: a change in the level of the seabed, the Indus channel as a result of a tectonic shock, which caused a flood; change in direction of monsoons; epidemics of incurable and possibly previously unknown diseases; droughts due to over-deforestation; soil salinization and the onset of desert as a consequence of large-scale irrigation ...

The enemy invasion played a role in the decline and destruction of the cities of the Indus Valley. It was during this period that the Aryans appeared in Northeast India - tribes of nomads from the Central Asian steppes. Perhaps their invasion became the last straw on the scales of the fate of the Harappan civilization. Due to internal turmoil, the cities were unable to withstand the onslaught of the enemy. Their inhabitants went to look for new, less depleted lands and safe places: to the south, to the sea, and to the east, to the Ganges valley. The remaining population returned to a simple rural lifestyle, as it was a thousand years before these events. It adopted the Indo-European language and many elements of the culture of the nomadic newcomers.

What people looked like in ancient India

What kind of people settled in the Indus Valley? What did the builders of magnificent cities, the inhabitants of ancient India, look like? Two types of direct evidence answer these questions: paleoanthropological materials from Harappan burial grounds and images of ancient Indians - clay and stone sculptures that archaeologists find in cities and small villages. So far, these are few burials of residents of proto-Indian cities. Therefore, it is not surprising that the conclusions regarding the appearance of the ancient Indians often changed. At first, the racial diversity of the population was assumed. The organizers of the cities revealed the features of the proto-Australoid, Mongoloid, Caucasian races. Later, the opinion was established about the predominance of Caucasoid traits in the racial types of the local population. The inhabitants of the proto-Indian cities belonged to the Mediterranean branch of the great Caucasoid race, i.e. were mostly human dark-haired, dark-eyed, swarthy, with straight or wavy hair, long-headed. They are also depicted in sculptures. Particularly famous is the stone carved figurine of a man in clothes richly decorated with a pattern of trefoils. The face of the sculptural portrait is made with great care. Hair tied with a strap, a thick beard, regular features, half-closed eyes give a realistic portrait of a city dweller,

On a modern map, it is worth first determining what exactly is considered as such. The overwhelming majority of modern scientists are inclined to recognize the Harappan culture as the first Indian civilization, which arose in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent in the Indus River valley. The oldest traces date back to 3300 BC.

Geography of India

When answering the question of where India is located, it is worth starting with its place on the continent of Eurasia. The country is located in the southern part of Asia, and most of its territory is located on the Indian subcontinent, which is washed by the Bay of Bengal in the southwest and the Arabian Sea in the southeast.

The geological history of India, which began more than seventy-five million years ago, contributed to the formation of a rather distinctive geological, geographical and biological region, which is today called the Indian subcontinent.

The separation of the subcontinent is facilitated not only by the waters washing it on both sides, but also by the mountain ranges of the Himalayas, which are the highest mountains of the planet. It is in the Himalayas that the "peak of the planet" is located - Mount Chomolungma, also known as Everest. The hill plays the role of a natural border between India and China.

Ancient history of India

The region where India is located has become one of the centers of origin of the most ancient civilizations of the East. In age, he is second only to the Sumerians and Egyptians. The culture arose in the northwest of the subcontinent, but by the 6th century, many independent principalities emerged in the entire north of India, which went down in history as the Mahajanapada.

By the 3rd century BC, the Mauryan Empire appeared on the territory of India, which rather quickly subjugated almost all of South Asia: from Afghanistan to modern Banladesh. The empire did not last long, but it was replaced by other, successive governments. So there were: the Greco-Indian, Indo-Scythian, Parthian-Indian and Kushan kingdoms.

Each of these states not only brought elements of their culture to the Indian, but also contributed to the spread of elements of Indian culture to neighboring regions. Traces of the cultural influence of this ancient civilization can be found in Iranian culture, in Roman and, of course, in Greek.

Foreign conquest

In the 10th century AD, passionate Islamic conquerors invaded the peninsula where India is located, who quickly conquered most of the peninsula and established the hegemony of Islam over a vast territory.

The first Islamic dynasty in the region was the Delhi Sultanate, which existed from 1206 to 1526. The Sultanate was replaced by the Mughal Empire, which managed to maintain the dominant position of Islam for another two centuries, but it also fell into decay, and was replaced by the Hindu Maratha Empire, created in 1624.

However, already in the 16th century, European merchants began to penetrate into the region where India is located, extremely interested in trade with a huge rich country. Portugal, France and the Netherlands made their own attempts. However, the greatest success was achieved by Great Britain, which by the middle of the 19th century subjugated most of the country, starting its conquest from small fragmented principalities.

However, the Portuguese colonists also managed to achieve certain successes. They conquered the territory in India where Goa is located. Portuguese administration existed on the site of the modern state until December 18, 1961, when Indian troops suppressed the resistance of the Portuguese and occupied the territory of the former Portuguese colony. However, Portugal recognized the annexation of Goa to India only in 1974.

Another Portuguese possession in South Asia was the coast of Kerala in India. Today it is the state with one of the highest population densities in the entire country. And it is located on the Malabar coast.

East India Company

To conquer India, Britain chose an already proven technology - it attracted private capital and technology that could effectively capture new markets and bribe local rulers.

For this purpose, the British East India Company was established. The name of this large corporation indicates that the monopoly was engaged in trade in eastern India, that is, on the Indian subcontinent.

In this case, it is necessary to clarify where the West Indies are located in order to avoid traditional confusion.

Historically, the West Indies are the islands located off the coast. South America in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. First of all, we are usually talking about Cuba and Antigua.

Towards decolonization

Despite the fact that the liberation of India from foreign oppression and the beginning of decolonization was a positive event, it turned out that it could have extremely negative consequences.

In 1946, a series of military uprisings demonstrated to the British authorities their inability to control any longer the vast overseas territories in India, and the parliamentary elections that followed once again demonstrated the need to start moving towards the independence of a huge country.

The first active participants in the forceful resistance to the British military were Muslims, who proclaimed the day of direct action in 1946. As a result of this action, a series of bloody clashes between Hindus and Muslims swept across the country. The need to divide India along religious and ethnic lines became apparent not only to the local population, but also to Her Majesty's government.

Partition of India

On August 15, 1947, Great Britain announced the creation of the dominion of Pakistan, and the very next day it became known that the Indian Union had proclaimed independence. This decision led to extremely bloody events and clashes, the victims of which were about a million people, and another eighteen million were forced to leave their homes and move to other regions.

The decision to divide the British possessions before India's declaration of sovereignty was made so that the creation of Pakistan did not look like its separation from sovereign India. Thus, both countries had equal rights and should not have claims to each other. However, such a solution to the issue did not help to avoid territorial disputes in the future.

As a result of such large migration flows, a huge number of problems have emerged. The city of Delhi has experienced the greatest burden, in which from one to two million people have settled. A large number of people could not find a permanent home and were forced to settle in refugee camps.

However, the government of the new country soon began an active program to build permanent houses in place of tents.

India Economy

The part of the world, where India and China are located, is of great importance for the modern international economy. Both countries are among the three largest economic powers in terms of GDP, second only to the United States. However, the size of the economy should not be misleading, as over the past decades India has accumulated numerous problems that have not yet been resolved.

India is one of the largest countries in South Asia. Most of its territory falls on the Indian subcontinent. The southern part of the republic is washed by the Indian Ocean. The northern and northeastern parts are surrounded by the highest mountain system of the planet - the Himalayas. The northwestern region falls on the Thar desert.

Physical map

The physical map of India (schematically shown) shows the settlements, the main rivers of India and the routes of communication.

The satellite, on the other hand, clearly demonstrates the features of the country's relief.

Contour map

To organize the information received, below is a contour map, with borders and major cities indicated on it. Here, you can see where India is located on the world map and how its borders pass.

The economic map of India is another good assistant in getting to know the country. The economic map of India shows which regions and how much are employed different kinds industry and Agriculture... But the main income of the country comes from the service sector.

Today the Republic ranks second in the world in terms of population. But according to forecasts, the number of the population of India, by 2028, has every chance of catching up with the number of its neighbors from the Middle Kingdom.

A detailed map of India will show the location of the largest cities:

• Mumbai;
• Delhi;
• Bangalore;
• Calcutta;
• Chennai.

The history of the settlement of some of them begins after the end of the 16th century (in the 16th century, European countries began to fight for the colonization of the territory). And some of them began their development even before our era.

One cannot ignore the places of the most ancient cities of India:

• Madurai;
• Varanasi;
• Patna;
• Pushkar;
• Ujjain.

Each ancient Indian city has its own customs and traditions, legends and beliefs.

Goa on the map of India is located in the southwestern part.

Another popular tourist destination is Kerala. On the map of India, Kerala is located in the very south. The largest national park, Tiger Sanctuary, Vishnu Temple and Butterfly Garden make this a highly attractive tourist destination.

For those interested in a variety of beaches, unique resorts are indicated below - on the map of India.

Airports of India on the map are indicated below.

Rivers and Ocean

The Indian Ocean is one of the largest and deepest on the planet - it ranks third. All the seas, straits and bays of its constituent, amount to 11.68 million square kilometers. The shores of the country are washed by the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.

Large rivers flow into the latter:

• Ganges;
• Godavari;
• Brahmaputra;
• Kaveri;
• Krishna;
• Mahanadi.

The main rivers are the Indus and the Ganges.

India map

Among the most popular hotels are:

1. The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai;
2. Courtyard Agra, Agra;
3. The Lalit New Delhi, New Delhi;
4. ITC Rajputana, Jaipur;
5. Abhimaani Vasathi, Bangalore.

It neighbors Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, China and Pakistan on the eastern, northeastern and western borders, respectively. The state of Jammu and Kashmir in the northern part has an autonomous status, partially under the control of Pakistan and China.

Climate and weather

Most of the territory is characterized by three periods with their own climatic features:

1. From June to October - the rainy season and rather high air temperatures;
2. November to February - cool, windy weather;
3. March to May is a very hot period.

Road map

The national roads map shows:

• The Golden Quadrangle (yellow-orange line) is a highway connecting the main cultural, industrial and agricultural centers of the country;
• North-South Transport Corridor (orange line);
• West-East Transport Corridor (green line);
• Gray lines are national backbone networks.

Areas and regions

Administratively, the Republic is divided into states (today there are 29 of them), union territories (there are six of them) and the capital district of Delhi (the capital of India is New Delhi). On the map of India, the states are indicated in different colors.

The next type of administrative division is districts, or counties. Now there are 642 districts, but new ones are constantly appearing.

In turn, the districts are subdivided into smaller territories called taluks.

Regionally, the following territories can be distinguished:

• North;
• Western;
• Eastern;
• Northeast;
• South.

The most exotic beaches in India include South India. The northeastern part of the country is for adventure lovers. The western region is a place with beautiful landscapes, milder climate and unique historical monuments. The population density is the highest here.

Having absorbed many different cultures and traditions, with unique and diverse natural sites, India is the ideal place for an unforgettable vacation.

Interesting Facts:

1. Chess, the number pi and the decimal system appeared here;
2. At a time when most of the world's population was nomadic, the Harappan civilization was already flourishing here;
3. The button to notify the driver about a stop in public transport (buses) is replaced by a rope with a bell tied to it;
4. The number of official languages ​​is 21. Plus, "auxiliary" English;
5. In addition to the main four seasons, there are two more: pre-spring and monsoon;
6. More than a quarter of the country's population does not have writing and reading skills. Half of the total population lives in houses without sewage and running water;
7. Traffic on the roads is not regulated in any way;
8. The world's first school of medicine, as well as a university, appeared here;
9. Thousands of years ago they already used cane sugar and possessed knowledge of anesthesia, genetics, the immune system;
10. The largest amount of whiskey is produced and consumed here too.

It is one of the most colorful and original in the world. The variety of spiritual and philosophical teachings, ancient architecture, the beauty of nature attract to themselves. There is a desire to visit the territory where India is located - the country of the ancient Vedas. This is a country in which the beauty and grandeur of temples amaze, and music and a magical atmosphere immerse you in the world of mystery and sensuality.

India on world map

Where is India located on the world map? Geographically, the country is adjacent to South Asia and occupies a significant part of the Indian subcontinent. India has a lot of neighbors - states. In the northwest, the country is bordered by Pakistan and Afghanistan. In the northeast - with China, Nepal and Bhutan. The India-China border is the longest and runs along the main Himalayan ridge. In the east, it borders with the states of Bangladesh and Myanmar. India has sea borders in the southwest with the Maldives, in the south with Sri Lanka and in the southeast with Indonesia.

The area of ​​the country is quite large and amounts to 3.3 million square meters. km. In the east, south and west, the peninsula is washed by the Bay of Bengal, the Laccadive and the Arabian seas. The major rivers of India are the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Godavari, Indus, Krishna, Sabarmati.

Since the territory of the country is distinguished by its large size and different topography, the climate in different regions is different.

Where is India covered with snow? In the northern part of the country are the Himalayas - one of the highest mountain systems. Here the mountain tops and valleys are covered with snow. In the east of the country is the Ganges Valley. The Indo-Gangetic Plain is located in the eastern and central part of the country;

State name

Where is India, whose name has changed several times? In ancient times it was called "the land of the Aryans", "the country of the brahmanas", "the land of the sages." Modern name the state of India comes from the name of the Indus River, the word "sindu" translated from ancient Persian means "river". The country has a second name, translated from Sanskrit it sounds like Bharat. This name is associated with the history of the ancient Indian king, which is described in the Mahabharata. Hindustan is the third name of the country; it has been used since the era of the Mughal Empire, but it has not been given official status. The Republic of India is the official name of the country, it appeared in the 19th century.

Ancient india

On the territory where ancient India was located, one of the oldest civilizations in the world was born. Its history includes two periods. The first is the period of the Harappan civilization, which began its development in the valley of the Indus River. The second period is the Aryan civilization associated with the emergence of Aryan tribes in the valleys of the Ganges and Indus rivers.

In the Harappan civilization, the main centers were the cities of Harappa (modern Pakistan) and Mohenjo-Daro ("Hill of the Dead"). The level of civilization was very high, as evidenced by the construction of cities with a harmonious layout and drainage system. Writing was developed, small plastic arts developed in artistic culture: small figurines, seals with reliefs. But the Harap culture has declined due to climate change, flooding and epidemics.

After the Harappan civilization ended its existence, the Aryan tribes came to the valleys of the Ganges and Indus rivers. Their appearance breathed new life into the Indian ethnos. From this period the Indo-Aryan period begins.

The main asset created by the Aryans of that period was a collection of texts - the Vedas. They are written in the Vedic language - the oldest form of Sanskrit.

Culture of Ancient India

The territory where India is located is the birthplace and development of religious and philosophical teachings. The culture of the ancient country is closely related to the secrets of the universe. Since ancient times, people have been asking questions of the Universe, trying to figure out the meaning of life. A separate place is occupied by the teaching of yoga, where self-immersion into the world of the human soul takes place. The uniqueness of culture also lies in the fact that music and dance are a companion to any event or event. The originality and diversity of culture is largely due to the fact that both local peoples and aliens participated in its formation.

The culture Ancient India refers to the period from the middle of the 3rd millennium BC. and up to the VI century. AD

The architecture of this period has its own characteristics. No monument ancient Indian culture has not survived. This is due to the fact that building material From that period, a tree appeared that has not survived to our time. And starting from the III century. BC. stone is being used in construction. Architectural buildings from this period have survived to this day. The main religion of this period was Buddhism, and therefore characteristic structures were erected: stupas, stambhi, cave temples.

The culture of Ancient India occupies an important place in world history. She has had a greater impact on all world development.

Agra

The ancient city of Agra was founded in the 15th century. It is located on the banks of the Yamuna River. The city of Agra is very large, and in order not to get lost, you need a map. Where is India during the reign of the Mughals, the walls of the ancient city will tell. In the capital of the Mughal Empire, there were many palaces, parks, beautiful gardens.

Agra - ancient city saturated with national flavor. Here you can see and get to know the people, plunge into the world national cuisine, buy souvenirs made using the Florentine mosaic technique - Pietra Dura, which has been a national craft since the Mughal times.

The center of Agra, like many Indian cities, is a huge market. The city is home to one of the largest spa centers in Asia, Kaya Kalp.

Taj Mahal

India has one of them. The Taj Mahal, home to the mausoleum of one of the most beloved wives of Shah Jahan, Mumtaz Mahal, is one of the landmarks of Agra, which has not been seen in the past 400 years.

Taj Mahal is a monument of love and translated from Hindi means "Crown of Palaces". He became the last gift for his beloved. The palace was built for 22 years, marble for it was mined for 300 km. The walls of the tomb are decorated with mosaics of precious and semi-precious stones, although when viewed from afar, the color of the mausoleum appears to be white. The proportions of the structure are perfect. Even the fact that his minarets were rejected is not accidental. This was done so that in the event of an earthquake, minarets would not fall on the mausoleum.

The Taj Mahal is a pearl of Indian culture that embodies the love and wealth of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.