Around 2000 B.C. people called Aryan started invading India. This process continued to
approximately 1000 B.C. Aryan tribes were led by kings. The Aryans conquered the native
population, intermarried with it and settled in peasant villages.
The Aryans brought their religion to India. The various sacrifices of the Aryan cults
were accompanied by chanted hymns. These hymns comprised the first great religion work of
the Aryans - the Rig Veda. The Veda and the Brahmins, the priests, came to hold a most
prominent place in Vedic society.
By about the forth century B.C. Hinduism had supplanted the older Vedic faith and became
supreme. During this period two new religions Buddhism and Jainism developed out of
Hinduism. The basic institution of the society was the extended family. The family
consisted of eldest male and his wife, their sons, grandsons and heir wives and children
and unmarried daughters. The majority of Hindu families lived in villages and
agriculture was their basic occupation.
When Aryans settled in India, their society was organized around four varnas or orders.
Brahmans (priests) were the highest varna. The second varna consisted of the Kshatriyas
or warriors, rulers and administrators. The third varna consisted of the Vaishya or
merchants. The Shudras belonged to the lowest varna. During classic period, hundreds of
sub-varnas, jatis, developed. Membership in a caste was determined by birth and Hindus
were not allowed to marry members of other castes.
The village was governed by its headman and a council. Both were members of highest
caste in the village. Villages compose kingdoms and empires which were ruled by
monarchs.
In 1018 A.D. Mahmud of Chazhi invaded India from Afghanistan. This was the date when
Muslims started to rule India. Islam, the religion of new invaders had a great influence
on Indian culture. Muslim invaders intermarried with Hindus, and this process produced a
Muslim minority with Hindu heritage. During this time a new language called Hindustani
emerged replacing Sanskrit.
Then came European merchants looking for spices. In 1707 the British found it possible
to intervene India. Alliances with native kings and usage of armies were the leading
feature of this intervention. The Battle of Plessey in 1757 in Bengal, the British and
their allies and established themselves as a supreme power in India. Gradually the
British extended their control over all the territory of modern India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh.
In 1813 India was opened to the humanitarian and civilizing "mission" of the missionary
and the commercial travelers. After 1813 the British were concerned with governing and
improving India as they thought best. At this time the evangelists and missionaries
began to build their own schools for the education of Indians.
In 1857 there was a huge rebellion in India-Mutiny. The rebels were defeated. However,
the rebellion did change the way the British started to rule India.
With the suppression of the Mutiny, the company that had ruled before, was
abolished and India was placed under the Crown. Shortly after this the Suez Canal was
opened. This meant that India economy could be better connected tho economy of Europe;
communications became much more rapid. More and more Europeans started visiting India
and more Indians started visiting Europe. Direct telegraphic communications were opened
as well. At the same time, many new railroads and roads were built. New colleges,
primarily for the British, were opened.
Being under a lot of pressure, in 1909 the British Government allowed Indians to vote.
However, it was required that Hindus could vote only for Hindus, Muslims for Muslims
etc.
Around 1885, Indian nationalism was loyal to the British. By the end of the century,
however, more and more nationalist supporters of direct actions appeared. In 1920
Mahatma Gandhi became the leader of the Congress. Under his leadership, the Congress
Party became a most national party. By the end of World War ll it became clear that
India would be partition into the new nations. In 1947 India was declared an independent
secular republic.
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