India: Difference between revisions

 

{{Use Indian English|date=May 2020}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}

<div style="display:inline-block;margin-top:0.4em;">[[File: Vande Mataram on Mohan Veena.ogg]]</div>

| population_estimate    = {{increaseNeutral}} 1,428,627,663<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Population Prospects - Population Division - United Nations |url=https://population.un.org/wpp/ |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=population.un.org}}</ref>

| population_census      = 1,210,854,977<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/population_enumeration.html|title=Population Enumeration Data (Final Population)|work=2011 Census Data|publisher=[[Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India|Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India]]|access-date=17 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160522213913/https://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/population_enumeration.html|archive-date=22 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/A-2_Data_Tables/00%20A%202-India.pdf|title=A – 2 Decadal Variation in Population Since 1901|work=2011 Census Data|publisher=[[Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India|Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India]]|access-date=17 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160430213141/https://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/A-2_Data_Tables/00%20A%202-India.pdf|archive-date=30 April 2016}}</ref>

| Gini_year              = 2011

| Gini_change            =

| Gini_ref              = <ref>{{cite web|title=Gini Index coefficient|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/gini-index-coefficient-distribution-of-family-income/country-comparison|website=[[The World Factbook]]|publisher=[[Central Intelligence Agency]]|access-date=10 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210707032440/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/gini-index-coefficient-distribution-of-family-income/country-comparison|archive-date=7 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Gini index (World Bank estimate) – India |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SI.POV.GINI?locations=IN|publisher=[[World bank]]}}</ref>

| utc_offset_DST        =

| time_zone_DST          =

| today                  =

'''India'''<!--Do not add pronunciation as per [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section]].-->, officially the '''Republic of India''' ([[ISO 15919|ISO]]: {{transliteration|hi|ISO|'''Bhārat Gaṇarājya'''}}<!--Do not add pronunciation as per [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section]].-->),<ref>–{{citation|title=The Essential Desk Reference |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yjcOAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA76|year=2002|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-512873-4|page=76}} "Official name: Republic of India.";<br />–{{citation|author=John Da Graça|title=Heads of State and Government|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M0YfDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA421 |year=2017|publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan]] |location=London |isbn=978-1-349-65771-1|page=421}} "Official name: Republic of India; Bharat Ganarajya (Hindi)";<br />–{{citation|author=Graham Rhind |title=Global Sourcebook of Address Data Management: A Guide to Address Formats and Data in 194 Countries |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iGdQDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA302|year=2017|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] |isbn=978-1-351-93326-1|page=302}} "Official name: Republic of India; Bharat.";<br />–{{citation|last=Bradnock|first=Robert W.|title=The Routledge Atlas of South Asian Affairs |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zzjbCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA108|year=2015|publisher=[[Routledge]]|isbn=978-1-317-40511-5|page=108}} "Official name: English: Republic of India; Hindi:Bharat Ganarajya";<br />–{{citation|title=Penguin Compact Atlas of the World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pLw-ReHIgvQC&pg=PA140|year=2012|publisher=[[Penguin Group|Penguin]] |isbn=978-0-7566-9859-1|page=140}} "Official name: Republic of India";<br />–{{citation|title=Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Co_VIPIJerIC&pg=PA515|year=1997|isbn=978-0-87779-546-9 |edition=3rd |publisher=[[Merriam-Webster]]|pages=515–516}} "Officially, Republic of India";<br />–{{citation|title=Complete Atlas of the World: The Definitive View of the Earth |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O5moCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA54-IA10 |edition=3rd|year=2016|publisher=[[DK Publishing]] |isbn=978-1-4654-5528-4|page=54}} "Official name: Republic of India";<br />–{{citation|title=Worldwide Government Directory with Intergovernmental Organizations 2013|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CQWhAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA726|year= 2013|publisher=[[CQ Press]]|isbn=978-1-4522-9937-2|page=726}} "India (Republic of India; Bharat Ganarajya)"</ref> is a country in [[South Asia]]. <!--PLEASE DO NOT change the lead sentence: it is the result of a talk page consensus--> It is the [[List of countries and dependencies by area|seventh-largest country by area]]; the [[List of countries by population (United Nations)|most populous country]] as of June 1, 2023;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-65322706|title=Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic?|date=2023-05-01|accessdate=2023-05-03|website=[[BBC News]]|publisher=[[British Broadcasting Corporation]]|first=Soutik|last=Biswas}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/sites/www.un.org.development.desa.pd/files/wpp2022_summary_of_results.pdf |title=World Population Prospects 2022: Summary of Results |publisher=United Nations Department of Social and Economic Affairs |year=2022 |location=New York |pages=i}}</ref> and from the time of its independence in 1947, the world's most populous democracy.{{sfn|Metcalf|Metcalf|2012|p=327|ps=: "Even though much remains to be done, especially in regard to eradicating poverty and securing effective structures of governance, India's achievements since independence in sustaining freedom and democracy have been singular among the world's new nations."}}<ref name=stein-arnold>{{citation|last=Stein|first=Burton|author-link=Burton Stein|editor-last=Arnold|editor-first=David|editor-link=David Arnold (historian)|title=A History of India|edition=2|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|year = 2012|series=The Blackwell History of the World Series|quote=One of these is the idea of India as 'the world's largest democracy', but a democracy forged less by the creation of representative institutions and expanding electorate under British rule than by the endeavours of India's founding fathers – Gandhi, Nehru, Patel and Ambedkar – and the labours of the Constituent Assembly between 1946 and 1949, embodied in the Indian constitution of 1950. This democratic order, reinforced by the regular holding of nationwide elections and polling for the state assemblies, has, it can be argued, consistently underpinned a fundamentally democratic state structure – despite the anomaly of the Emergency and the apparent durability of the Gandhi-Nehru dynasty.}}</ref>{{sfn|Fisher|2018|pp=184–185|ps=: "Since 1947, India's internal disputes over its national identity, while periodically bitter and occasionally punctuated by violence, have been largely managed with remarkable and sustained commitment to national unity and democracy."}} 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 [[Pakistan]] to the west;{{efn|1 = The [[Government of India]] also regards [[Afghanistan]] as a bordering country, as it considers all of [[Kashmir]] to be part of India. However, this is [[Kashmir conflict|disputed]], and the region bordering Afghanistan is administered by Pakistan. Source: {{cite web |title=Ministry of Home Affairs (Department of Border Management) |url=https://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/BMIntro-1011.pdf|access-date=1 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317182910/https://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/BMIntro-1011.pdf|archive-date=17 March 2015|url-status=dead}} }} [[China]], [[Nepal]], and [[Bhutan]] to the north; and [[Bangladesh]] and [[Myanmar]] to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of [[Sri Lanka]] and the [[Maldives]]; its [[Andaman and Nicobar Islands]] share a maritime border with [[Thailand]], Myanmar, and [[Indonesia]].

During the same time, its nominal [[per capita income]] increased from US$64 annually to US$2,601, and its literacy rate from 16.6% to 74%. From being a comparatively destitute country in 1951,<ref name="Fisher2018-8">{{harvnb|Fisher|2018|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=kZVuDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA8 8]}}</ref> India has become a [[List of countries by real GDP growth rate|fast-growing]] [[G20|major economy]] and a hub for [[Information technology in India|information technology services]], with an expanding middle class.<ref name="MetcalfMetcalf2012-265">{{harvnb|Metcalf|Metcalf|2012|pp=[https://books.google.com/books?id=mjIfqyY7jlsC&pg=PA265 265–266]}}</ref> It has [[Indian Space Research Organisation|a space programme]]. Indian movies, music, and spiritual teachings play an increasing role in global culture.<ref name="MetcalfMetcalf2012-266">{{harvnb|Metcalf|Metcalf|2012|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=mjIfqyY7jlsC&pg=PA266 266]}}</ref> India has substantially reduced its rate of poverty, though at the cost of increasing economic inequality.<ref name="Dyson2018-216-a">{{harvnb|Dyson|2018|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=3TRtDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA216 216]}}</ref> India is a [[List of states with nuclear weapons|nuclear-weapon state]], which ranks high in [[List of countries by military expenditures|military expenditure]]. It has disputes over [[Kashmir]] with its neighbours, Pakistan and China, unresolved since the mid-20th century.<ref name="kashmir-disputes">(a) {{citation |title=Kashmir, region Indian subcontinent |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopaedia Britannica]] |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Kashmir-region-Indian-subcontinent |access-date=15 August 2019 |url-access=subscription |quote=Kashmir, region of the northwestern Indian subcontinent{{nbsp}}... has been the subject of dispute between India and Pakistan since the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190813203817/https://www.britannica.com/place/Kashmir-region-Indian-subcontinent |archive-date=13 August 2019 |url-status=live}};<br />(b) {{citation |last1=Pletcher |first1=Kenneth |title=Aksai Chin, Plateau Region, Asia |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopaedia Britannica]] |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Aksai-Chin |access-date=16 August 2019 |url-access=subscription |quote=Aksai Chin, Chinese (Pinyin) Aksayqin, portion of the Kashmir region, ... constitutes nearly all the territory of the Chinese-administered sector of Kashmir that is claimed by India |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402090308/https://www.britannica.com/place/Aksai-Chin |archive-date=2 April 2019}};<br />(c) {{cite encyclopedia|title=Kashmir|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia Americana]]: Jefferson to Latin |publisher=[[Scholastic Library Publishing]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l_cWAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA328 |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-7172-0139-6 |page=328 |first=C. E |last=Bosworth |quote=KASHMIR, kash'mer, the northernmost region of the Indian subcontinent, administered partly by India, partly by Pakistan, and partly by China. The region has been the subject of a bitter dispute between India and Pakistan since they became independent in 1947}}</ref> Among the socio-economic challenges India faces are [[Gender inequality in India|gender inequality]], [[Malnutrition in India|child malnutrition]],<ref name="NarayanJohn2018-lead">{{cite journal|last1=Narayan |first1=Jitendra |last2=John|first2=Denny|last3=Ramadas|first3=Nirupama|title=Malnutrition in India: status and government initiatives|journal=[[Journal of Public Health Policy]]|volume=40|issue=1|year=2018 |pages=126–141|issn=0197-5897 |doi=10.1057/s41271-018-0149-5|pmid=30353132|s2cid=53032234}}</ref> and rising levels of [[Air pollution in India|air pollution]].<ref name="BalakrishnanDey2019-lead">{{cite journal|last1=Balakrishnan|first1=Kalpana|last2=Dey|first2=Sagnik|title=The impact of air pollution on deaths, disease burden, and life expectancy across the states of India: the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017|journal=[[The Lancet Planetary Health]]|volume=3|issue=1|year=2019|pages=e26–e39|display-authors=etal |issn=2542-5196 |doi=10.1016/S2542-5196(18)30261-4|pmid=30528905|pmc=6358127}}</ref> India's land is [[megadiverse country|megadiverse]], with four [[biodiversity hotspots]].<ref name=IUCN-India>{{citation|title=India|publisher=[[International Union for Conservation of Nature]] (IUCN)|url=https://www.iucn.org/asia/countries/india|year=2019|access-date=21 May 2019|archive-date=1 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101033802/https://www.iucn.org/asia/countries/india|url-status=dead}}</ref> Its forest cover comprises 21.7% of its area.<ref name="ISFR" /> [[Wildlife of India|India's wildlife]], which has traditionally been viewed with tolerance in [[Culture of India|India's culture]],{{sfn|Karanth|Gopal|2005|p=374}} is supported among these forests, and elsewhere, in [[Protected areas of India|protected habitats]].

According to the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' (third edition 2009), the name "India" is derived from the [[Classical Latin]] ''India'', a reference to [[South Asia]] and an uncertain region to its east; and in turn derived successively from: [[Hellenistic Greek]] ''India'' ('' Ἰνδία''); [[ancient Greek]] ''Indos'' ('' Ἰνδός''); [[Old Persian]] ''[[Hindush]]'', an eastern province of the [[Achaemenid Empire]]; and ultimately its [[cognate]], the [[Sanskrit]] ''Sindhu'', or "river," specifically the [[Indus River]] and, by implication, its well-settled southern basin.<ref>{{citation|title=India (noun)|dictionary=[[Oxford English Dictionary]] |edition=3rd |year=2009 |url=https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/94384#eid677811}} (subscription required)</ref>{{sfn|Thieme|1970|pp=447–450}} The [[Ancient Greece|ancient Greeks]] referred to the Indians as ''Indoi'' (''{{ISO 639-2|GRC|Ἰνδοί}}''), which translates as "The people of the Indus".{{sfn|Kuiper|2010|p = 86}}

''[[Hindustan]]'' ({{IPA-hns|ɦɪndʊˈstaːn||Hindustan.ogg}}) is a [[Middle Persian]] name for India that became popular by the 13th century,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Paturi |first1=Joseph |last2=Patterson |first2=Roger |chapter=Hinduism (with Hare Krishna) |title=World Religions & Cults Volume 2: Moralistic, Mythical and Mysticism Religions |editor1-last=Hodge |editor1-first=Bodie |editor2-last= Patterson |editor2-first=Roger |pages=59–60|location=United States |publisher=New Leaf Publishing Group |date=2016 |isbn=9780890519226 |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/World_Religions_Cults_Volume_2.html?id=oCo5DAAAQBAJ |quote=The actual term Hindu first occurs as a Persian geographical term for the people who lived beyond the Indus River. The term Hindu originated as a geographical term and did not refer to a religion. Later, Hindu was taken by European languages from the Arabic term al-Hind, which referred to the people who lived across the Indus River. This Arabic term was itself taken from the Persian term Hindū, which refers to all Indians. By the 13th century, Hindustan emerged as a popular alternative name for India, meaning the "land of Hindus."}}</ref> and was used widely since the era of [[Mughal Empire]]. The meaning of ''Hindustan'' has varied, referring to a region encompassing present-day northern India and [[Pakistan]] or to India in its near entirety.{{sfn|Clémentin-Ojha|2014}}{{sfn|Barrow|2003}}<ref>{{citation|title=Hindustan|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/266465/Hindustan|access-date=17 July 2011}}</ref>

The rush of technology and the commercialisation of agriculture in the second half of the 19th century was marked by economic setbacks and many small farmers became dependent on the whims of far-away markets.{{sfn|Stein|1998|p = 260}} There was an increase in the number of large-scale [[Famine in India|famines]],{{sfn|Bose|Jalal|2011|p = 117}} and, despite the risks of infrastructure development borne by Indian taxpayers, little industrial employment was generated for Indians.{{sfn|Stein|1998|p = 258}} There were also salutary effects: commercial cropping, especially in the newly canalled Punjab, led to increased food production for internal consumption.{{sfn|Metcalf|Metcalf|2006|p = 126}} The railway network provided critical famine relief,{{sfn|Metcalf|Metcalf|2006|p = 97}} notably reduced the cost of moving goods,{{sfn|Metcalf|Metcalf|2006|p = 97}} and helped nascent Indian-owned industry.{{sfn|Metcalf|Metcalf|2006|p = 126}}

Vital to India's self-image as an independent nation was its constitution, completed in 1950, which put in place a secular and democratic republic.{{sfn|Metcalf|Metcalf|2006|p = 231}} Per the [[London Declaration]], India retained its membership of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]], becoming the first republic within it.<ref>{{Cite web |title=London Declaration, 1949 |url=https://thecommonwealth.org/london-declaration-1949 |access-date=11 October 2022 |website=Commonwealth |language=en}}</ref> Economic liberalisation, which began in the 1990s, has created a large urban middle class, transformed India into [[List of countries by GDP (real) growth rate|one of the world's fastest-growing economies]],<ref>{{citation|year=2009 |title=Briefing Rooms: India |work=[[Economic Research Service]] |publisher=[[United States Department of Agriculture]] |url=https://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/India/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520002800/https://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/India/ |archive-date=20 May 2011 }}</ref> and increased its geopolitical clout. Indian films, music, and spiritual teachings play an increasing role in global culture.{{sfn|Metcalf|Metcalf|2006|pp = 265–266}} Yet, India is also shaped by seemingly unyielding poverty, both rural and urban;{{sfn|Metcalf|Metcalf|2006 |pp=265–266}} by [[Religious violence in India|religious]] and [[Caste-related violence in India|caste-related violence]];{{sfn|Metcalf|Metcalf|2006|pp = 266–270}} by [[Naxalite|Maoist-inspired Naxalite insurgencies]];{{sfn|Metcalf|Metcalf|2006|p = 253}} and by [[Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir|separatism in Jammu and Kashmir]] and [[insurgency in Northeast India|in Northeast India]].{{sfn|Metcalf|Metcalf|2006|p = 274}} It has unresolved territorial disputes with [[China–India relations#1960s|China]]{{sfn|Metcalf|Metcalf|2006|pp = 247–248}} and with [[Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts|Pakistan]].{{sfn|Metcalf|Metcalf|2006|pp = 247–248}} India's sustained democratic freedoms are unique among the world's newer nations; however, in spite of its recent economic successes, freedom from want for its disadvantaged population remains a goal yet to be achieved.{{sfn|Metcalf|Metcalf|2006|p = 304}}

India accounts for the bulk of the Indian subcontinent, lying atop the [[Indian Plate|Indian tectonic plate]], a part of the [[Indo-Australian Plate]].{{sfn|Ali|Aitchison|2005}} India's defining geological processes began 75 million years ago when the Indian Plate, then part of the southern supercontinent [[Gondwana]], began a north-eastward [[Plate tectonics|drift]] caused by [[seafloor spreading]] to its south-west, and later, south and south-east.{{sfn|Ali|Aitchison|2005}} Simultaneously, the vast [[Tethys Ocean|Tethyan]] [[oceanic crust]], to its northeast, began to [[subduction|subduct]] under the [[Eurasian Plate]].{{sfn|Ali|Aitchison|2005}} These dual processes, driven by convection in the Earth's [[Mantle (geology)|mantle]], both created the Indian Ocean and caused the Indian [[continental crust]] eventually to under-thrust Eurasia and to uplift the [[Himalayas]].{{sfn|Ali|Aitchison|2005}} Immediately south of the emerging Himalayas, plate movement created a vast crescent-shaped [[trough (geology)|trough]] that rapidly filled with river-borne sediment{{sfn|Dikshit |Schwartzberg|2023|p=7}} and now constitutes the [[Indo-Gangetic Plain]].{{sfn|Prakash et al.|2000}} The original Indian plate makes its first appearance above the sediment in the ancient [[Aravalli range]], which extends from the [[Delhi Ridge]] in a southwesterly direction. To the west lies the [[Thar Desert]], the eastern spread of which is checked by the Aravallis.<ref name=aravalli>{{harvnb|Kaul|1970|p=160}}, "&nbsp;The Aravalli range boldy defines the eastern limit of the arid and semi-arid zone. Probably the more humid conditions that prevail near the Aravallis prevented the extension of aridity towards the east and the Ganges Valley. It is noteworthy that, wherever there are gaps in this range, sand has advanced to the east of it."</ref><ref name=prasad-aravalli>{{harvnb|Prasad|1974|p=372}}, "&nbsp;The topography of the Indian Desert is dominated by the Aravalli Ranges on its eastern border, which consist largely of tightly folded and highly metamorphosed Archaean rocks."</ref><ref name=fisher-aravalli>{{harvnb|Fisher|2018|p=83}}, "&nbsp;East of the lower Indus lay the inhospitable Rann of Kutch and Thar Desert. East of the upper Indus lay the more promising but narrow corridor between the Himalayan foothills on the north and the Thar Desert and Aravalli Mountains on the south. At the strategic choke point, just before reaching the fertile, well-watered Gangetic plain, sat Delhi. On this site, where life giving streams running off the most northern spur of the rocky Aravalli ridge flowed into the Jumna river, and where the war-horse and war-elephant trade intersected, a series of dynasties built fortified capitals."</ref>

Many Indian species have descended from those of [[Gondwana]], the southern [[supercontinent]] from which India separated more than 100 million years ago.{{sfn|Crame|Owen|2002|p = 142}} India's subsequent collision with Eurasia set off a mass exchange of species. However, [[Deccan Traps|volcanism]] and [[Climate variability and change|climatic changes]] later caused the extinction of many endemic Indian forms.{{sfn|Karanth|2006}} Still later, mammals entered India from Asia through two [[zoogeographical]] passes flanking the Himalayas.{{sfn|Tritsch|2001|p=14}} This had the effect of lowering endemism among India's mammals, which stands at 12.6%, contrasting with 45.8% among reptiles and 55.8% among amphibians.<ref name=Puri /> Among endemics are the vulnerable<ref>{{Cite journal |author=Singh, M. |author2=Kumar, A. |author3=Molur, S. |title=Trachypithecus johnii |journal=[[The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species]] |volume=2008 |at=e.T44694A10927987 |year=2008 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T44694A10927987.en |name-list-style=amp}}</ref> [[Nilgiri Langur|hooded leaf monkey]]<ref name=itis>{{cite web|first=Johann |last=Fischer |author-link=Johann Baptist Fischer|title=Semnopithecus johnii|publisher=[[ITIS]]|access-date=27 August 2018 |url=https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=944270#null |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829072131/https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=944270#null|archive-date=29 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and the threatened<ref name=IUCN>{{cite journal |author1=S.D. Biju |author2=Sushil Dutta |author3=M.S. Ravichandran Karthikeyan Vasudevan |author4=S.P. Vijayakumar |author5=Chelmala Srinivasulu |author6=Gajanan Dasaramji Bhuddhe |title=Duttaphrynus beddomii |journal=[[The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species]] |publisher=[[IUCN]] |volume=2004 |page=e.T54584A86543952 |year=2004 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T54584A11155448.en}}</ref> [[Duttaphrynus beddomii|Beddome's toad]]<ref name=IUCN /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/Amphibia/Anura/Bufonidae/Duttaphrynus/Duttaphrynus-beddomii |title=''Duttaphrynus beddomii'' (Günther, 1876) |author=Frost, Darrel R. |year=2015 |work=Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0 |publisher=[[American Museum of Natural History]] |access-date=13 September 2015 |url-status=live |archive-date=21 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721092639/https://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/Amphibia/Anura/Bufonidae/Duttaphrynus/Duttaphrynus-beddomii}}</ref> of the Western Ghats.

[[File:Maharajah Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo with cheetah kill 1948 BNHS.jpg|right|thumb|The last three Asiatic cheetahs (on record) in India were shot dead in 1948 in Surguja district, Madhya Pradesh, Central India by Maharajah Ramanuj Pratap Singh Deo. The young males, all from the same litter, were sitting together when they were shot at night.]]

India contains 172 [[World Conservation Union|IUCN]]-designated [[List of endangered animals in India|threatened animal species]], or 2.9% of endangered forms.{{sfn|Mace|1994|p = 4}} These include the endangered [[Bengal tiger]] and the [[South Asian river dolphin|Ganges river dolphin]]. [[Critically endangered]] species include: the [[gharial]], a [[crocodilian]]; the [[great Indian bustard]]; and the [[Indian white-rumped vulture]], which has become nearly extinct by having ingested the carrion of [[diclofenac]]-treated cattle.<ref name="LovetteFitzpatrick2016">{{citation|last1=Lovette|first1=Irby J.|last2=Fitzpatrick|first2=John W.|title=Handbook of Bird Biology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OGyQDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA599|year=2016|publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]]|isbn=978-1-118-29105-4|page=599}}</ref> Before they were extensively utilized for agriculture and cleared for human settlement, the thorn forests of Punjab were mingled at intervals with open grasslands that were grazed by large herds of blackbuck preyed on by the [[Asiatic cheetah]]; the blackbuck, no longer extant in Punjab, is now severely endangered in India, and the cheetah is extinct.{{sfn|Tritsch|2001|p=15|ps=Before it was so heavily settled and intensively exploited, the Punjab was dominated by thorn forest interspersed by rolling grasslands which were grazed on by millions of Blackbuck, accompanied by their dominant predator, the Cheetah. Always keen hunters, the Moghul princes kept tame cheetahs which were used to chase and bring down the Blackbuck. Today the Cheetah is extinct in India and the severely endangered Blackbuck no longer exists in the Punjab.}} The pervasive and ecologically devastating human encroachment of recent decades has critically endangered Indian wildlife. In response, the system of [[National parks of India|national parks]] and [[protected areas of India|protected areas]], first established in 1935, was expanded substantially. In 1972, India enacted the [[Wildlife Protection Act of 1972|Wildlife Protection Act]]{{sfn|Ministry of Environment and Forests 1972}} and [[Project Tiger]] to safeguard crucial wilderness; the Forest Conservation Act was enacted in 1980 and amendments added in 1988.{{sfn|Department of Environment and Forests|1988}} India hosts [[Wildlife sanctuaries of India|more than five hundred wildlife sanctuaries]] and [[Biosphere reserves of India|eighteen{{Nbsp}}biosphere reserves]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=biosphere.pdf |url=https://moef.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/biosphere.pdf |access-date=28 June 2023}}</ref> four of which are part of the [[World Network of Biosphere Reserves]]; [[List of Ramsar sites in India|seventy-five wetlands]] are registered under the [[Ramsar Convention]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=75 Ramsar Sites in 75th Year of Independence  |url=https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1851484 |access-date=28 June 2023 |website=pib.gov.in}}</ref>

A [[parliamentary republic]] with a [[multi-party system]],{{sfn|Burnell|Calvert|1999|p = 125}} it has six{{Nbsp}}recognised [[List of political parties in India#National parties|national parties]], including the [[Indian National Congress]] (INC) and the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP), and more than 50{{Nbsp}}[[List of political parties in India#State parties|regional parties]].{{sfn|Election Commission of India}} The Congress is considered [[centre-left politics|centre-left]] in Indian [[political culture]],<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sáez |first1=Lawrence |last2=Sinha |first2=Aseema |title=Political cycles, political institutions and public expenditure in India, 1980–2000 |journal=[[British Journal of Political Science]] |volume=40 |issue=1 |pages=91–113 |year=2010 |doi=10.1017/s0007123409990226 |s2cid=154767259}}</ref> and the BJP [[Right-wing politics|right-wing]].{{sfn|Malik|Singh|1992|pp=318–336}}{{sfn|Banerjee|2005|p=3118}}<ref>{{cite news |first=Samar |last=Halarnkar |title=Narendra Modi makes his move |work=[[BBC News]] |date=13 June 2012 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-18352532 |quote=The right-wing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), India's primary opposition party}}</ref> For most of the period between 1950—when India first became a republic—and the late 1980s, the Congress held a majority in the [[Parliament of India|Parliament]]. Since then, however, it has increasingly shared the political stage with the BJP,{{sfn|Sarkar|2007|p=84}} as well as with powerful regional parties which have often forced the creation of multi-party [[coalition government]]s at the centre.{{sfn|Chander|2004|p=117}}

India is a [[federation]] with a [[parliamentary system]] governed under the Constitution of India—the country's supreme legal document. It is a constitutional republic. Its democratic functioning has come into question in recent years, with some stating that it has become a [[Mixed government|mixed regime]] or [[electoral autocracy]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Shweta |date=11 March 2021 |title=India 'no longer a democracy', claims damning research report |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/india-democracy-report-modi-swedish-institute-b1815802.html |access-date=14 March 2023 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref>

====States====

====Union territories====

Aside from ongoing its [[India–Russia relations|special relationship with Russia]],<ref>{{cite book | last1=Gvosdev | first1=N.K. | last2=Marsh | first2=C. | title=Russian Foreign Policy: Interests, Vectors, and Sectors | publisher=SAGE Publications | year=2013 | isbn=978-1-4833-1130-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ipzAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA353 |quote=Putin's visit to India in December 2012 for the yearly India–Russia summit saw both sides reaffirming their special relationship. | page=353}}</ref> India has wide-ranging [[India–Israel relations|defence relations with Israel]] and [[France–India relations|France]]. In recent years, it has played key roles in the [[South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation]] and the [[World Trade Organization]]. The nation has provided 100,000 [[Indian Armed Forces|military]] and [[Law enforcement in India|police]] personnel to serve in 35 [[United Nations peacekeeping|UN peacekeeping operations]] across four continents. It participates in the [[East Asia Summit]], the [[G8+5]], and other multilateral forums.{{sfn|Alford|2008}} India has close economic ties with countries in [[South America]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.americasquarterly.org/india-latin-america|title=The Other BRIC in Latin America: India|author=Jorge Heine|author2=R. Viswanathan|date=Spring 2011|work=[[Americas Quarterly]]|access-date=19 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525115121/https://www.americasquarterly.org/india-latin-america|archive-date=25 May 2017}}</ref> Asia, and Africa; it pursues a [[Look East policy (India)|"Look East" policy]] that seeks to strengthen partnerships with the [[Association of Southeast Asian Nations|ASEAN]] nations, [[India–Japan relations|Japan]], and [[India–South Korea relations|South Korea]] that revolve around many issues, but especially those involving economic investment and regional security.{{sfn|Ghosh|2009|pp = 282–289}}{{sfn|Sisodia|Naidu|2005|pp = 1–8}}

The President of India is the supreme commander of the nation's armed forces; with 1.45&nbsp;million active troops, they compose the [[List of countries by number of troops|world's second-largest military]]. It comprises the [[Indian Army]], the [[Indian Navy]], the [[Indian Air Force]], and the [[Indian Coast Guard]].{{sfn|Central Intelligence Agency}} The official Indian [[List of countries by military expenditures|defence budget]] for 2011 was US$36.03&nbsp;billion, or 1.83% of GDP.{{sfn|Behera|2011}} Defence expenditure was pegged at US$70.12&nbsp;billion for fiscal year 2022–23 and, increased 9.8% than previous fiscal year.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/doc/eb/sumsbe.pdf|title=Ministry wise Summary of Budget Provisions, 2022–23|access-date=3 February 2022|website=Ministry of Finance, Government of India}}</ref>{{sfn|Pandit|2022}} India is the world's second largest arms importer; between 2016 and 2020, it accounted for 9.5% of the total global arms imports.{{sfn|Pandit|2021}} Much of the military expenditure was focused on defence against Pakistan and countering growing Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean.{{sfn|Miglani|2011}} In May 2017, the [[Indian Space Research Organisation]] launched the [[South Asia Satellite]], a gift from India to its neighbouring [[SAARC]] countries.<ref name="Deccan Herald">{{cite news |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/452938/isro-saarc-satellite-communication-vehicle.html |title=Isro-Saarc satellite to be a communication vehicle |work=[[Deccan Herald]] |agency=DH News Service |date=12 January 2015 |access-date=22 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150628084201/https://www.deccanherald.com/content/452938/isro-saarc-satellite-communication-vehicle.html |archive-date=28 June 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> In October 2018, India signed a US$5.43&nbsp;billion (over {{INR|link=yes}}400&nbsp;billion) agreement with [[Russia]] to procure four [[S-400 Triumf]] surface-to-air missile defence systems, Russia's most advanced long-range [[missile defence]] system.<ref>{{cite news |title=India Russia S-400 missile deal: All you need to know |url=https://m.timesofindia.com/india/india-russia-s-400-missile-deal-all-you-need-to-know/articleshow/66066460.cms |date=4 October 2018 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=9 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181005130114/https://m.timesofindia.com/india/india-russia-s-400-missile-deal-all-you-need-to-know/articleshow/66066460.cms |archive-date=5 October 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to the [[International Monetary Fund]] (IMF), the Indian economy in 2022 was nominally worth $3.46&nbsp;trillion; it was the [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|fifth-largest economy]] by market exchange rates, and is around $11.6&nbsp;trillion, the [[List of countries by GDP (PPP)|third-largest]] by [[purchasing power parity]] (PPP).<ref name="GDP IMF">{{cite web |url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2022/October/weo-report?c=512,914,612,171,614,311,213,911,314,193,122,912,313,419,513,316,913,124,339,638,514,218,963,616,223,516,918,748,618,624,522,622,156,626,628,228,924,233,632,636,634,238,662,960,423,935,128,611,321,243,248,469,253,642,643,939,734,644,819,172,132,646,648,915,134,652,174,328,258,656,654,336,263,268,532,944,176,534,536,429,433,178,436,136,343,158,439,916,664,826,542,967,443,917,544,941,446,666,668,672,946,137,546,674,676,548,556,678,181,867,682,684,273,868,921,948,943,686,688,518,728,836,558,138,196,278,692,694,962,142,449,564,565,283,853,288,293,566,964,182,359,453,968,922,714,862,135,716,456,722,942,718,724,576,936,961,813,726,199,733,184,524,361,362,364,732,366,144,146,463,528,923,738,578,537,742,866,369,744,186,925,869,746,926,466,112,111,298,927,846,299,582,487,474,754,698,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,&sy=2018&ey=2023&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1|title=World Economic Outlook Database |date=October 2022 |website=IMF.org |publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]]|access-date=21 November 2022}}</ref> With its average annual GDP growth rate of 5.8% over the past two decades, and reaching 6.1% during 2011–2012,{{sfn|International Monetary Fund 2011a|p = 2}} India is one of the [[List of countries by real GDP growth rate|world's fastest-growing economies]].{{sfn|Nayak|Goldar|Agrawal|2010|p = xxv}} However, the country ranks 139th in the world in [[List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita|nominal GDP per capita]] and 118th in [[List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita|GDP per capita at PPP]].{{sfn|International Monetary Fund}} Until 1991, all Indian governments followed [[protectionism|protectionist]] policies that were influenced by socialist economics. Widespread [[Licence Raj|state intervention and regulation]] largely walled the economy off from the outside world. An acute [[1991 India economic crisis|balance of payments crisis in 1991]] forced the nation to [[Economic liberalisation in India|liberalise its economy]];{{sfn|Wolpert|2003|p = xiv}} since then, it has moved increasingly towards a free-market system{{sfn|Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 2007}}{{sfn|Gargan|1992}} by emphasising both foreign trade and direct investment inflows.{{sfn|Alamgir|2008|pp = 23, 97}} India has been a member of [[World Trade Organization]] since 1 January 1995.{{sfn|World Trade Organization 1995}}

The 522-million-worker [[Labour in India|Indian labour force]] is the [[List of countries by labour force|world's second-largest]], {{As of|2017|lc=y}}.{{sfn|Central Intelligence Agency}} The service sector makes up 55.6% of GDP, the industrial sector 26.3% and the agricultural sector 18.1%. India's [[Remittance|foreign exchange remittances]] of US$100&nbsp;billion in 2022,<ref>{{cite news|title=Remittances to India set to hit record $100bn this year, 25% higher than FDI flows|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/remittances-to-india-set-to-hit-record-100bn-this-year-25-higher-than-fdi-flows/articleshow/95894938.cms|date=1 December 2022|access-date=5 December 2022|newspaper=The times of India}}</ref> highest in the world, were contributed to its economy by 32 million Indians working in foreign countries.<ref>{{cite news|title=India received $87 billion in remittances in 2021: World Bank|url=https://wap.business-standard.com/article-amp/economy-policy/india-received-87-billion-in-remittances-in-2021-world-bank-121111800329_1.html|date=19 November 2021|access-date=3 February 2022|newspaper=[[Business Standard]]}}</ref> Major agricultural products include: rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, and potatoes.{{sfn|Library of Congress|2004}} Major industries include: textiles, telecommunications, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, food processing, steel, transport equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, and software.{{sfn|Library of Congress|2004}} In 2006, the share of external trade in India's GDP stood at 24%, up from 6% in 1985.{{sfn|Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 2007}} In 2008, India's share of world trade was 1.68%;<ref>{{citation|date=28 August 2009|title=Exporters Get Wider Market Reach |newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Exporters-get-wider-market-reach/articleshow/4942892.cms?referral=PM|access-date=23 July 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912002353/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Exporters-get-wider-market-reach/articleshow/4942892.cms?referral=PM|archive-date=12 September 2014}}</ref> In 2021, India was the world's [[List of countries by imports|ninth-largest importer]] and the [[List of countries by exports|sixteenth-largest exporter]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Trade Map: Trade statistics for international business development |url=https://www.trademap.org/Country_SelProduct_TS.aspx?nvpm=1%7c%7c%7c%7c%7cTOTAL%7c%7c%7c2%7c1%7c1%7c1%7c2%7c1%7c2%7c1%7c%7c1 |date=1999–2019 |website=[[International Trade Centre]] |access-date=30 September 2022}} </ref> Major exports include: petroleum products, textile goods, jewellery, software, engineering goods, chemicals, and manufactured leather goods.{{sfn|Library of Congress|2004}} Major imports include: crude oil, machinery, gems, fertiliser, and chemicals.{{sfn|Library of Congress|2004}} Between 2001 and 2011, the contribution of petrochemical and engineering goods to total exports grew from 14% to 42%.{{sfn|Economist 2011}} India was the world's second largest textile exporter after [[China]] in the 2013 calendar year.{{sfn|Economic Times 2014}}

Averaging an economic growth rate of 7.5% for several years prior to 2007,{{sfn|Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 2007}} India has more than doubled its hourly wage rates during the first decade of the 21st century.{{sfn|Bonner|2010}} Some 431 million Indians have left poverty since 1985; India's middle classes are projected to number around 580&nbsp;million by 2030.{{sfn|Farrell|Beinhocker|2007}} Though ranking 68th in [[Global Competitiveness Report|global competitiveness]],<ref name="rank 2019">{{Cite web |title=The Global Competitiveness Report 2019 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TheGlobalCompetitivenessReport2019.pdf |accessdate=18 February 2022}}</ref> {{As of|2010|lc=y}}, India ranks 17th in financial market sophistication, 24th in the banking sector, 44th in business sophistication, and 39th in innovation, ahead of several advanced economies.{{sfn|Schwab|2010}} With seven of the world's top 15 information technology outsourcing companies based in India, {{As of|2009|lc=y}}, the country is viewed as the second-most favourable outsourcing destination after the United States.{{sfn|Sheth|2009}} India is ranked 40th in the [[Global Innovation Index]] in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=GII 2022 results The GII reveals the most innovative economies in the world, ranking the innovation performance of 132 economies. |url=https://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/wipo-pub-2000-2022-section3-en-gii-2022-results-global-innovation-index-2022-15th-edition.pdf|work=[[World Intellectual Property Organization]]|publisher=[[United Nations]]|access-date=29 September 2022 |language=en|page=10}}</ref> India's consumer market, the world's [[List of largest consumer markets|eleventh-largest]], is expected to become fifth-largest by 2030.{{sfn|Farrell|Beinhocker|2007}}

{{multiple image|perrow=1|total_width=220|image_style = border:none;| align = right |image1=Cherry Resort inside Temi Tea Garden, Namchi, Sikkim.jpg|caption1=A tea garden in Sikkim. India, the world's second largest-producer of tea, is a nation of one billion tea drinkers, who consume 70% of India's tea output.}}

India's [[Telecommunications in India|telecommunication industry]] is the [[List of mobile network operators|second-largest in the world]] with over 1.2 billion subscribers. It contributes 6.5% to India's GDP.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Indian Telecom Industry – Telecom Sector, FDI, Opportunities|url=https://www.investindia.gov.in/sector/telecom|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518111147/https://www.investindia.gov.in/sector/telecom|archive-date=18 May 2021|website=investindia.gov.in}}</ref> After the third quarter of 2017, India surpassed the US to become the second largest smartphone market in the world after China.<ref>{{citation|last=Khan|first=Danish|date=28 October 2017|title=Indian smartphone market grows 23% to overtake US in Q3; Samsung, Xiaomi drive shipments|work=[[The Economic Times]] |url=https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/indian-smartphone-market-grows-23-to-overtake-us-in-q3-samsung-xiaomi-drive-shipments/61255184|access-date=5 November 2017|archive-date=31 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171031155522/https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/indian-smartphone-market-grows-23-to-overtake-us-in-q3-samsung-xiaomi-drive-shipments/61255184}}</ref>

Epidemic and pandemic diseases have long been a major factor, including COVID-19 recently.<ref>David Arnold, ''Pandemic India: From Cholera to Covid-19'' (Oxford University Press, 2022) [http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=58263 online review] </ref>

== Demographics, languages, and religion ==

Indian cultural history spans more than {{nowrap|4,500 years}}.{{sfn|Kuiper|2010|p = 15}} During the [[Vedic period]] ({{Circa|{{BCE|1700}}|{{BCE|500}}}}), the foundations of [[Hindu philosophy]], [[Hindu mythology|mythology]], [[Hindu theology|theology]] and [[Hindu texts|literature]] were laid, and many beliefs and practices which still exist today, such as ''[[Dharma|dhárma]]'', ''[[Karma|kárma]]'', ''[[yoga|yóga]]'', and ''[[moksha|mokṣa]]'', were established.{{sfn|Kuiper|2010|p = 86}} India is notable for its [[Indian religions|religious diversity]], with [[Hinduism]], [[Buddhism]], [[Sikhism]], [[Islam]], [[Christianity]], and [[Jainism]] among the nation's major religions.{{sfn|Heehs|2002|pp = 2–5}} The predominant religion, Hinduism, has been shaped by various historical schools of thought, including those of the ''[[Upanishads]]'',{{sfn|Deutsch|1969|pp = 3, 78}} the ''[[Yoga Sutras of Patanjali|Yoga Sutras]]'', the [[Bhakti|''Bhakti'' movement]],{{sfn|Heehs|2002|pp = 2–5}} and by [[Buddhist philosophy]].{{sfn|Nakamura|1999}}

India has a very ancient tradition of art, which has exchanged many influences with the rest of [[Eurasia]], especially in the first millennium, when [[Buddhist art]] spread with Indian religions to [[Central Asia|Central]], [[East Asia|East]] and [[South-East Asia]], the last also greatly influenced by Hindu art.<ref>Rowland, 185–198, 252, 385–466</ref> Thousands of [[Indus Valley civilisation#Seals|seals from the Indus Valley Civilization]] of the third millennium BCE have been found, usually carved with animals, but a few with human figures. The [["Pashupati" seal]], excavated in [[Mohenjo-daro]], Pakistan, in 1928–29, is the best known.{{Sfn|Craven|1997|pp=14–16}}{{Sfn|Harle|1994|pp=17–18}} After this there is a long period with virtually nothing surviving.{{Sfn|Harle|1994|pp=17–18}}{{Sfn|Rowland|1970|pp=46–47}} Almost all surviving ancient Indian art thereafter is in various forms of religious [[Indian sculpture|sculpture]] in durable materials, or coins. There was probably originally far more in wood, which is lost. In north India [[Mauryan art]] is the first imperial movement.{{Sfn|Craven|1997|pp=35–46}}{{Sfn|Rowland|1970|pp=67–70}}{{Sfn|Harle|1994|pp=22–24}} In the first millennium CE, [[Buddhist art]] spread with Indian religions to [[Central Asia|Central]], [[East Asia|East]] and [[South-East Asia]], the last also greatly influenced by [[Hindu art]].{{Sfn|Rowland|1970|pp=185–198, 252, 385–466}} Over the following centuries a distinctly Indian style of sculpting the human figure developed, with less interest in articulating precise anatomy than [[ancient Greek sculpture]] but showing smoothly-flowing forms expressing ''prana'' ("breath" or life-force).{{Sfn|Craven|1997|pp=22, 88}}{{Sfn|Rowland|1970|pp=35, 99–100}} This is often complicated by the need to give figures multiple arms or heads, or represent different genders on the left and right of figures, as with the [[Ardhanarishvara]] form of Shiva and [[Parvati]].{{Sfn|Craven|1997|pp=18–19}}{{Sfn|Blurton|1993|p=151}}

Much of [[Architecture of India|Indian architecture]], including the [[Taj Mahal]], other works of [[Mughal architecture|Indo-Islamic Mughal architecture]], and [[Dravidian architecture|South Indian architecture]], blends ancient local traditions with imported styles.{{sfn|Kuiper|2010|pp = 296–329}} [[Indian vernacular architecture|Vernacular architecture]] is also regional in its flavours. ''[[Vastu shastra]]'', literally "science of construction" or "architecture" and ascribed to [[Mamuni Mayan]],{{sfn|Silverman|2007|p = 20}} explores how the laws of nature affect human dwellings;{{sfn|Kumar|2000|p=5}} it employs precise geometry and directional alignments to reflect perceived cosmic constructs.{{sfn|Roberts|2004|p=73}} As applied in [[Hindu temple architecture]], it is influenced by the ''[[Shilpa Shastras]]'', a series of foundational texts whose basic mythological form is the ''Vastu-Purusha mandala'', a square that embodied the "[[Absolute (philosophy)|absolute]]".{{sfn|Lang|Moleski|2010|pp = 151–152}} The Taj Mahal, built in [[Agra]] between 1631 and 1648 by orders of [[Mughal emperors|Mughal emperor]] [[Shah Jahan]] in memory of his wife, has been described in the [[UNESCO World Heritage List]] as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage".{{sfn|United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation}} [[Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture]], developed by the British in the late 19th century, drew on [[Indo-Islamic architecture]].{{sfn|Chopra|2011|p = 46}}

[[Music of India|Indian music]] ranges over various traditions and regional styles. [[Indian classical music|Classical music]] encompasses two genres and their various folk offshoots: the northern [[Hindustani classical music|Hindustani]] and the southern [[Carnatic music|Carnatic]] schools.{{sfn|Massey|Massey|1998}} Regionalised popular forms include [[filmi]] and [[Indian folk music|folk music]]; the [[Syncretism|syncretic]] tradition of the ''[[baul]]s'' is a well-known form of the latter. [[Dance in India|Indian dance]] also features diverse folk and classical forms. Among the better-known [[List of Indian folk dances|folk dances]] are: ''[[Bhangra (dance)|bhangra]]'' of Punjab, ''[[bihu dance|bihu]]'' of Assam, ''[[Jhumair]]'' and ''[[Chhau dance|chhau]]'' of Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal, ''[[Garba (dance)|garba]]'' and ''[[Dandiya Raas|dandiya]]'' of Gujarat, ''[[ghoomar]]'' of Rajasthan, and ''[[lavani]]'' of Maharashtra. Eight dance forms, many with narrative forms and mythological elements, have been accorded [[Classical Indian dance|classical dance status]] by India's [[Sangeet Natak Akademi|National Academy of Music, Dance, and Drama]]. These are: ''[[Bharata Natyam|bharatanatyam]]'' of the state of Tamil Nadu, ''[[kathak]]'' of Uttar Pradesh, ''[[kathakali]]'' and ''[[mohiniyattam]]'' of Kerala, ''[[kuchipudi]]'' of Andhra Pradesh, ''[[Manipuri dance|manipuri]]'' of Manipur, ''[[odissi]]'' of Odisha<!--Do not change this per [[WP:COMMONNAME]].-->, and the ''[[sattriya]]'' of Assam.<ref>{{citation|title=South Asian Arts: Indian Dance|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/556016/South-Asian-arts/65246/Indian-dance |access-date=17 July 2011}}</ref>

[[Theatre in India]] melds music, dance, and improvised or written dialogue.{{sfn|Lal|2004|pp = 23, 30, 235}} Often based on Hindu mythology, but also borrowing from medieval romances or social and political events, Indian theatre includes: the ''[[bhavai]]'' of Gujarat, the ''[[Jatra (Bengal)|jatra]]'' of West Bengal, the ''[[nautanki]]'' and ''[[ramlila]]'' of North India, ''[[tamasha]]'' of Maharashtra, ''[[burrakatha]]'' of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, ''[[terukkuttu]]'' of Tamil Nadu, and the ''[[yakshagana]]'' of Karnataka.{{sfn|Karanth|2002|p = 26}} India has a theatre training institute the [[National School of Drama]] (NSD) that is situated at [[New Delhi]] It is an autonomous organisation under the [[Ministry of Culture (India)|Ministry of culture]], [[Government of India]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090315/spectrum/main1.htm|title=In step with the times: Chaman Ahuja on how the National School of Drama has evolved over the past 50 years|website=[[The Tribune]]|date=15 March 2009|access-date=4 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010083957/https://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090315/spectrum/main1.htm|archive-date=10 October 2017}}</ref>

Many [[Public holidays in India|Indian festivals]] are religious in origin. The best known include: [[Diwali]], [[Ganesh Chaturthi]], [[Thai Pongal]], [[Holi]], [[Durga Puja]], [[Eid ul-Fitr]], [[Bakr-Id]], [[Christmas worldwide#India|Christmas]], and [[Vaisakhi]].<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/Culture/Festivals/Festiv.html|title=Indian Festivals|website=sscnet.ucla.edu|publisher=[[University of California, Los Angeles]] |access-date=14 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701222430/https://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/Culture/Festivals/Festiv.html|archive-date=1 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{citation |title=Popular India Festivals |url=https://festivals.indobase.com/index.html |website=festivals.indobase.com |access-date=23 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728120656/https://festivals.indobase.com/index.html |archive-date=28 July 2011}}</ref>

The use of stitched clothes became widespread after Muslim rule was established at first by the [[Delhi sultanate]] (c. 1300 CE) and then continued by the [[Mughal Empire]] (c. 1525 CE).<ref name="Rahman-Alkazi2002">{{citation |last=Alkazi |first=Roshen |editor=Rahman, Abdur |title=India's Interaction with China, Central and West Asia |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NZvpAAAAMAAJ |year=2002 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-565789-0 |pages=464–484 |chapter=Evolution of Indian Costume as a result of the links between Central Asia and India in ancient and medieval times}}</ref> Among the garments introduced during this time and still commonly worn are: the [[shalwar]]s and [[pyjama]]s, both styles of trousers, and the tunics [[kurta]] and [[kameez]].<ref name="Rahman-Alkazi2002" /> In southern India, the traditional draped garments were to see much longer continuous use.<ref name="Rahman-Alkazi2002" />

|pages=9–19|issn=0262-7280|doi=10.1177/0262728004042760|citeseerx=10.1.1.830.7136|s2cid=143223986}}</ref> In the food served in Indian restaurants worldwide the diversity of Indian food has been partially concealed by the dominance of [[Punjabi cuisine]]. The popularity of [[tandoori chicken]]—cooked in the [[tandoor]] oven, which had traditionally been used for baking bread in the rural Punjab and the Delhi region, especially among Muslims, but which is originally from [[Central Asia]]—dates to the 1950s, and was caused in large part by an entrepreneurial response among people from the Punjab who had been displaced by the 1947 [[partition of India]].<ref name="Davidson2014-p410"/>

Several [[Traditional games of India|traditional indigenous sports]] such as ''[[kabaddi]]'', ''[[kho kho]]'', ''[[pehlwani]]'' and ''[[gilli-danda]]'', and also [[Indian martial arts|martial arts]] such as ''[[Kalarippayattu]]'' and ''[[marma adi]]'', remain popular. [[Chess]] is commonly held to have [[History of chess#India|originated in India]] as ''[[chaturanga|chaturaṅga]]'';{{sfn|Wolpert|2003|p = 2}} in recent years, there has been a rise in the number of Indian [[Grandmaster (chess)|grandmasters]].{{sfn|Rediff 2008 b}} [[Viswanathan Anand]] became the [[World Chess Championship 2007|Chess World Champion]] in 2007 and held the status until 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.chessvibes.com/candidates%E2%80%99-r13-anand-draws-clinches-rematch-with-carlsen |title=Candidates' R13: Anand Draws, Clinches Rematch with Carlsen |access-date=14 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111220728/https://www.chessvibes.com/candidates%E2%80%99-r13-anand-draws-clinches-rematch-with-carlsen |archive-date=11 January 2015 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> [[Parcheesi]] is derived from ''[[Pachisi]]'', another traditional Indian pastime, which in early modern times was played on a giant marble court by [[Mughal Empire|Mughal emperor]] [[Akbar the Great]].{{sfn|Binmore|2007|p = 98}}

[[Cricket]] is the most popular sport in India.<ref>{{citation|last=Shores|first=Lori|title=Teens in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CPQmbyiS-iEC|access-date=24 July 2011|date=15 February 2007|publisher=[[Compass Point Books]]|isbn=978-0-7565-2063-2|page=78|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120617050252/https://books.google.com/books?id=CPQmbyiS-iEC|archive-date=17 June 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Major domestic competitions include the [[Indian Premier League]], which is the most-watched cricket league in the world and ranks sixth among all sports leagues.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/slideshow/top-10-most-watched-sports-leagues-world|title=Top 10 most watched sports leagues in the world|date=11 January 2016|website=sportskeeda.com|access-date=14 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407092643/https://www.sportskeeda.com/slideshow/top-10-most-watched-sports-leagues-world|archive-date=7 April 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Other professional leagues include the [[Indian Super League]] (football) and the [[Pro Kabaddi League|Pro Kabaddi]] league.<ref>{{cite web|date=26 September 2021|title=From IPL to ISL, sports leagues in India to watch out for|url=https://www.financialexpress.com/sports/from-ipl-to-isl-sports-leagues-in-india-to-watch-out-for/2337628/|access-date=3 December 2021|website=The Financial Express|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Indian Super League: Odisha president says sacking Stuart Baxter was 'the only course of action'|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11995/12207157/indian-super-league-odisha-president-says-sacking-stuart-baxter-was-the-only-course-of-action|access-date=3 December 2021|publisher=Sky Sports}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=6 August 2014|title=Kabaddi gets the IPL treatment|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-28660432|access-date=3 December 2021}}</ref>

India has won two [[One Day International|ODI]] [[Cricket World Cup|Cricket world cups]], the [[1983 Cricket World Cup|1983 edition]] and the [[2011 Cricket World Cup|2011 edition]], as well as becoming the inaugural [[Twenty20 International]] Cricket Champions in [[2007 ICC World Twenty20|2007]]. India also has eight field hockey gold medals in the [[Field hockey at the Summer Olympics|summer olympics]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/sports/other-sports/story/independence-day-india-at-70-cricket-football-hockey-kabaddi-1029624-2017-08-14|title=What India was crazy about: Hockey first, Cricket later, Football, Kabaddi now?|website=India Today}}</ref>

 

{{Sister project links|collapsible=collapsed|voy=India|India}}<!--    {{No more links}}

Wikipedia is not a collection of links and should not be used for advertising.

See [[Wikipedia:External links]] and [[Wikipedia:Spam]] for details.

[[Category:Federal republics]]

[[Category:Hindi-speaking countries and territories]]