India (Springtime of Nations)

People's Republic of India
*पीपुल्स रिपब्लिक ऑफ इंडिया*
*عوامی جمہوریہ ہند*
Timeline: Springtime of Nations
OTL equivalent: India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh
People's Republic of India; पीपुल्स रिपब्लिक ऑफ इंडिया; عوامی جمہوریہ ہندTimeline: Springtime of Nations ; OTL equivalent: India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh
Flag	Coat of arms
	Motto: ; Ekata, Samaanata, ek saath milakar; "Unity, Equality, Together as one"
	Anthem: ; "Ab Din Woh Pyara; ("Indian National Anthem")"https://althistory.fandom.com/wiki/File:Ab_Din_Woh_Pyara_(Hindi)_Communist_Songs_of_India_(%E0%A6%97%E0%A6%A3-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%82%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%80%E0%A6%A4_Peoples_Song).mp3;
	Map of India, highlighted in green
Capital	New Delhi
Official languages	Hindi, English, and Urdu
Native languages	447 languages
Religion	Secular state (de jure) ; State atheism (de facto)
Demonym(s)	Indian
Government	Unitary Marxist–Leninist one-party socialist republic
Legislature	Congress of People
Independence	from the Imperial Federation
Area
Population
GDP (PPP)	2023 estimate
GDP (nominal)	2023 estimate
Gini (2011)	32.6
HDI (2021)	0.589
Currency	Indian rupee (₹) (INR)
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
	DST is not observed.
Date formats	abbr/yyyy/year
Drives on the	left
Internet TLD	.in
Calling code	+91

India, officially the People's Republic of India (Hindi: पीपुल्स रिपब्लिक ऑफ इंडिया ; Peepuls Pipablik oph Indiya; Urdu: عوامی جمہوریہ ہند), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the most populous country in the world, and one of the most multiethnic, and multilinguistic nations. India is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast. It shares land borders with Balochistan, and Afghanistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north; and Burma to the east. On its southern peninsula it shares borders with Portugal, the U.K., and France, due to Goa, Gwadar, Mahé, Karikal, Pondichéry, and Yanon, respectively.

Modern humans arrived on the Indian subcontinent around 55,000 years ago, resulting in a highly diverse region. The Indus Valley Civilisation emerged in the third millennium BCE, with the introduction of Sanskrit in 1200 BCE. Hinduism emerged in India, with the Dravidian languages being supplanted in northern and western regions. By 400 BCE, caste stratification and exclusion emerged within Hinduism, with Buddhism and Jainism emerging. The loose-knit Maurya and Gupta Empires emerged, with diverse religious cultures and cultural influences.

The early medieval era saw the establishment of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism on India's southern and western coasts. The Vijayanagara Empire created a composite Hindu culture in south India, while Sikhism emerged in Punjab. The Mughal Empire in 1526 ushered in two centuries of relative peace, leaving a legacy of luminous architecture. The British East India Company gradually expanded India's rule, turning it into a colonial economy and consolidating its sovereignty. British Crown rule began in 1858, rights were gradually granted to Indians, but were stopped in 1940, after it was annexed by the Imperial Federation. A pioneering nationalist movement emerged, leading to the War of Independence, from 1964 to 1970. Ending as an Indian victory. Leading to the establishment of the Union of India. Which would be replaced by the current government in 1971.

India, a Unitary one party socialist republic since 1977, has experienced significant growth in its population, per capita income, and literacy rate. The country has become a hub for information technology services and an expanding middle class, with a space program and numerous planned or completed extraterrestrial missions. India's movies, music, and spiritual teachings have become increasingly influential in global culture. However, India has also faced economic inequality, gender inequality, child malnutrition, rising air pollution and poverty. The country's land is megadiverse, with four biodiversity hotspots and 21.7% forest cover. India's wildlife, traditionally viewed with tolerance in its culture, is supported in protected habitats and protected areas.

History[]

Ancient India[]

The earliest known modern humans arrived on the Indian subcontinent around 55,000 years ago. The Indus Valley Civilisation, the first urban culture in South Asia, flourished between 2500-1900 BCE in much of western India. This period transitioned from Chalcolithic to Iron Age cultures, with the Vedas being composed during this period. The caste system emerged during this period, with a hierarchy of priests, warriors, and free peasants. In South India, a progression to sedentary life was indicated by megalithic monuments and traces of agriculture, irrigation tanks, and craft traditions.

Weird Indian drawing — An illustration from an early-modern manuscript of the Sanskrit epic Ramayana, composed in story-telling fashion c. 400 BCE – c. 300 CE

The late Vedic period saw the consolidation of small states and chiefdoms into 16 major oligarchies and monarchies known as mahajanapadas. This urbanization led to non-Vedic religious movements, such as Jainism and Buddhism. The Mauryan Empire emerged in the 3rd century BCE, ruled by the Cheras, Cholas, and Pandyas, who traded extensively with the Roman Empire and West and Southeast Asia.

Hinduism in North India asserted patriarchal control, leading to increased subordination of women. The Gupta Empire created a complex system of administration and taxation in the Ganges Plain, which became a model for later Indian kingdoms.

Medieval India[]

The Indian early medieval age, from 600 to 1200 CE, was marked by regional kingdoms and cultural diversity. During this period, no ruler could establish an empire and control lands beyond their core region. The caste system began to show regional differences, and devotional hymns were created in the Tamil language. This led to the resurgence of Hinduism and the development of modern languages. Indian royalty and temples attracted citizens to capital cities, which became economic hubs.

Brihadeshwara temple, Thanjavur, completed in 1010 CE

By the 8th and 9th centuries, South-East Asia experienced the export of South Indian culture and political systems to lands like Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Brunei, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The establishment of the Islamic Delhi Sultanate in 1206 influenced South India, establishing a syncretic Indo-Islamic culture in the north. The Vijayanagara Empire emerged, embracing a strong Shaivite tradition and military technology.

Early modern India[]

In the early 16th century, northern India was conquered by a new generation of Central Asian warriors, leading to the Mughal Empire. This empire balanced and pacified local societies through administrative practices and diverse ruling elites, resulting in more systematic, centralized, and uniform rule. The Mughal state's economic policies, based on agriculture and silver currency, led to peasants and artisans entering larger markets. The relative peace during the 17th century also influenced India's economic expansion, with new social groups like the Marathas, Rajputs, and Sikhs gaining military and governing ambitions. As the empire disintegrated, many elites sought and controlled their own affairs.

Indian coiiins — A two mohur Company gold coin, issued in 1835, the obverse inscribed "William IV, King"

By the 18th century, European trading companies, including the English East India Company, established coastal outposts, asserting their military strength and becoming attractive to the Indian elite. By the 1820s, India was no longer exporting manufactured goods but supplying the British Empire with raw materials, marking the beginning of India's colonial period.

Modern India[]

India's modern age began between 1848 and 1885, with Lord Dalhousie's appointment as Governor General of the East India Company in 1848 paving the way for changes essential to a modern state. These included consolidating sovereignty, monitoring population, and educating citizens. Technological changes, such as railways, canals, and the telegraph, were introduced soon after their introduction in Europe. However, disaffection with the company led to the Indian Rebellion of 1857, which shook the foundations of Company rule. The rebellion was suppressed by 1858, but it led to the dissolution of the East India Company and the direct administration of India by the British government.

Indian Flag SoN 2 — One of the many proposals of the Indian Flag

Public life gradually emerged throughout India, eventually leading to the founding of the Indian National Congress in 1885. The rapid commercialization of agriculture in the 19th century led to economic setbacks, increased famines, and limited industrial employment. However, commercial cropping and the railway network provided relief and helped nascent Indian-owned industries.

Jawaharlal Nehru sharing a light moment with Mahatma Gandhi, Mumbai, 6 July 1946

After World War I, a new period began marked by British reforms, repressive legislation, Indian calls for self-rule, and a nonviolent movement of non-co-operation. The Indian National Congress won victories in the 1930s, but the next decade was marked by crises like World War II, Congress's final push for non-co-operation, and Muslim nationalism. India's independence movement was further suppressed after it was annexed by the Imperial Federation. During the 1950s, Indian nationalism continued to grow, with riots happening almost every day. By 1964, a full blown revolution began, which would last until 1970. India's independence was tempered by a partition into two states, India and Pakistan. India's constitution, completed in 1971, established a secular and socialist republic, following the short Indian Crisis Economic liberalization in the 2010s transformed the country into one of the world's fastest-growing economies. However, India faces challenges such as poverty, religious and caste-related violence, Maoist-inspired Naxalite insurgencies, separatism in Jammu and Kashmir. India's sustained democratic freedoms are unique among the world's newer nations, but freedom from want for its disadvantaged population remains a goal yet to be achieved.

Politics and government[]

Politics[]

The People's Republic of India is a one-party Marxist–Leninist state governed solely by the Indian Communist Party (ICP), making it one of the world's last countries governed by a communist party. The Indian constitution states that the PRC "is a socialist state governed by a people's democratic dictatorship that is led by the working class and based on an alliance of workers and peasants," and that the state institutions "shall practice the principle of democratic centralism." The main body of the constitution also declares that "the defining feature of socialism with Indian characteristics is the leadership of the Indian Communist Party (ICP)."

The PRI officially terms itself as a democracy, using terms such as "socialist consultative democracy", and "whole-process people's democracy". However, the country is commonly described as an authoritarian one-party state and a dictatorship, with many restrictions in many areas, most notably against freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, reproductive rights, free formation of social organizations, freedom of religion and free access to the Internet. China has consistently been ranked amongst the lowest as an "authoritarian regime" by the Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index, ranking at 141th out of 189 countries in 2022.

Government[]

ImageRashtrapati Bhavan — Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the Chairperson of India, was designed by British architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker for the Viceroy of India, and constructed between 1911 and 1931 during the British Raj.

The National People's Congress (NPC) is China's highest state organ of power, with 3,000 members. It meets annually, while the NPC Standing Committee, a 150-member body, meets every couple of months. The NPC is dominated by the ICP. The chairperson is the ceremonial head of state, elected by the NPC, is elected after the death or removal of the former chairperson. The chairperson presides over the State Council, India's cabinet, and heads of ministries and commissions.

Administrative divisions[]

India is a unitary state comprising 36 provinces. All provinces have elected legislatures and governments who make up the Congress of People. In 1978, under the States Reorganisation Act, states were reorganised. There are over a one third of a million local government bodies at city, town, block, district and village levels.

IndiaProvincesMapSoN — Administrative divisions of India

Assam (Shillong)
Baluchistan (India) (Quetta)
Banganapalle (Banaganapalli)
Bardwan (Purulia Sadar)
Bastar (Jagdalpur)
Chamba (Purulia Sadar)
Chota (Ambikapur)
Deccan (Hyderabad)
East Bengal (Dhaka)
Gujarat (Gandhinagar)
Himalaya (New Delhi)
Hindustan (Rewa)
Hindu Kush (Peshawar)
Jammu and Kashmir (Srinagar)
Janira and Paltan (Pune)
Karnataka (Bangalore)
Kerala (Cochin)
Kutch (Bhuj)
Madras (Madras)
Manipur (Imphal)
Mithila (Patna)
Orissa (Balangir)
Punjab (Lahore)
Raipur (Raipur)
Rajputana (Jaipur)
Sahyadri (Bombay)
Sandur (Sanduru)
Saurashtra (Rajkot)
Sikkim (Gangtok)
Sindh (Karachi)
Tilohanmensiri (Itanagar)
Tripura (Agartala)
Vindahya (Indore)
West Bengal (Puri)
Yavatmal (Yavatmal)