India History

The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world, dates back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes from the northwest infiltrated onto Indian lands about 1500 BC; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkish in the 12th were followed by those of European traders, beginning in the late 15th century.

By the mid- to late 18th century, Britain's Honourable East India Company (HEIC or EIC) had assumed political control of virtually all Indian lands. (See the "British Presence in India" article in this outline). The HEIC controlled virtually all trade with India and performed all the functions of government until the Government of India Act of 1858, when full control was assumed by Queen Victoria as Empress of India.

Indian armed forces in the British army played a vital role in both World Wars. Nonviolent resistance to British colonialism led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU brought independence in 1947. The subcontinent was divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan.

A third war between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. Despite impressive gains in economic investment and output, India faces pressing problems such as the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir, massive overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious strife.

You may be interested in listening to "Hidden Women: Uncovering the Veil of Silence During the Partition of Punjab, India 1947"at the FamilySearch Learning Center.