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Questions and Answers
What is the name of the island nation located off the southern tip of the Indian peninsula?
What is the name of the island nation located off the southern tip of the Indian peninsula?
Sri Lanka
Which of these is NOT one of the major language groups represented in India?
Which of these is NOT one of the major language groups represented in India?
India's constitution guarantees religious tolerance to all groups.
India's constitution guarantees religious tolerance to all groups.
True
What is the name of the Indian legislature?
What is the name of the Indian legislature?
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Who was the first prime minister of India?
Who was the first prime minister of India?
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What is the name of the mountain range containing the highest peak in India?
What is the name of the mountain range containing the highest peak in India?
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The Indian National Congress has been in control of the central government for all but three years since independence.
The Indian National Congress has been in control of the central government for all but three years since independence.
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What is the primary reason for the partition of British India in 1947?
What is the primary reason for the partition of British India in 1947?
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What is the name of the philosophy developed by Mahatma Gandhi that advocated for nonviolent confrontation?
What is the name of the philosophy developed by Mahatma Gandhi that advocated for nonviolent confrontation?
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Study Notes
Hindu Literature
- India's civilization, ancient and extensive, originated in the Indus Valley (4000-2500 BCE).
- Aryan invaders arrived around 1500 BCE and interacted with Dravidian people.
- Hinduism and the caste system formed from these groups.
- Buddhism and Jainism also emerged in India.
- Islamic influences strengthened from the 11th century onward, continuing under the Mughal Empire (established 1526).
- The British Empire took over the subcontinent gradually from 1750 onwards.
- India is geographically diverse, including the Himalayas, the Northern Plains (Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra river systems), and Peninsular India.
- The Himalayas are a complex mountain system bordering several countries.
- The Himalayas' highest peaks, like Nanda Devi (7,817m/25,645 ft), are in the Karakoram and Great Himalayas ranges.
- The Northern Plains are vast lowlands from Pakistan to Bangladesh.
- India has a huge population and is multi-cultural with large tribal and migrant communities.
- More than 200 languages are spoken in India.
- Major language groups include Indo-Aryan (Hindi is one significant language) and Dravidian.
- Hinduism is the dominant religion with about 83% of the population.
- About 11% of the population are Muslim and the rest are Jain and Buddhist (plus other minority faiths).
- The Indian caste system, though not a strict class system, plays a significant role within Hinduism and affects social structure.
Government and History
- India adopted a federal system with a parliamentary government in 1950.
- The national government holds significant power over states.
- India became an independent country in 1947, undergoing partition with Pakistan.
- Tensions, including the conflict over Kashmir, developed after partition.
- The Indian National Congress has held power in the national government for most of the decades since independence.
Literature
- Sanskrit literature is ancient and extensive, including the Vedas (hymns and prayers), Upanishads (philosophical texts), and epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana.
- Hindu epics, like the Mahabharata, are large and often complex stories.
- The Ramayana tells the story of Rama and Sita.
- Sanskrit Drama evolved and includes plays like the Sakuntala.
- Modern Indian literature emerged in the 19th century, influenced by the British-colonial period.
- The emergence of numerous important novelists, poets, and playwrights also followed.
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Description
Explore the rich tapestry of Hindu literature and the diverse historical influences that shaped ancient India. Delve into the origins of Hinduism, the development of the caste system, and the emergence of Buddhism and Jainism. Discover the geographical and cultural diversity that characterized this fascinating civilization.
