When And How Did Bharat Became India?

Firstly, let’s see the history of Bharat. It is a word that is derived from Dushyanta’s son Bharata of Mahabharata. Long years ago, Bharat was known for only the western part of Gangetic Valley.

Now, let us tell you about the history of the word India. It is derived from the name river Sindhu (which is locally known as the Indus River). The name India has its roots in the ancient Indus Valley civilization, period around 2500 BCE. The term Bharat comes from Hindu mythology. The term Bharat refers to the legendary emperor Bharata, whose scion ruled the region. After that time, Bharat became the widely known or accepted name for the Indian subcontinent.

The Vedas or ancient books of Mahabharata gives more description on Bharat name of India. In these books, very ancient names are mentioned for India for example Hindustan, Bharatvarsh, Himvarsh, and Aryavarta but in these books, Bharat is the most mentioned name. The name Bharat was used for centuries in many Indian texts and mythological texts.

During the British colonial period, India was used as an official name everywhere for official and administrative purposes.
The rise of independence from British rule in the late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the usage of India as the nation’s name. Many leaders took part in this movement like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and others. They mention India in their speeches and writings. India gained widespread acceptance at that time.

After India gained Independence from the British on 15th August 1947, the main point was to finalize the name of the nation. As we all understand name plays a vital role and it is the symbol and identity of our nation.

The acceptance of India as Bharat's official name happened after the adoption of the Constitution of India on January 26, 1950. Before the making of the Indian Constitution India is also known as Bharat in many Indian languages. The constitution of India faces a lot of confusion on which name should be adopted for the nation. India has a diverse culture and history. By referencing all the facts, it was decided that the constitution would use both Bharat and India. Article 1 of the Indian constitution states that India which is Bharat shall be a Union of States. This decision was aimed at all Indians with different cultures and languages. The constitution mutually decided the name taking care of the people of India.

Bharat became a matter of discussion in the G20 2023 Summit when PM Narendra Modi took the proposal for the official naming of the country as Bharat. He also used Bharat in the places of India at the G20 2023 summit which shows his concern on this matter.

The conclusion is the transition of Bharat after India became an official name and was used internationally. Also, Bharat is used as a Hindi name, or you can say that Bharat is widely used in today's time which reflects our varied culture, history, and heritage of Bharat. India has always been known for its great history and fusion of culture, languages, tradition, and festivals which makes different our country from other countries. We Indians use both names which reflects the responsibility and respect for Our Country.

So, we were proud of India.
We are proud of India.
We will be proud of India.

Jai Hind. Jai Bharat.

By: Kaustubh Pareek
Class - 9
Somila International School, Rajasthan
Edited by: Swati Priya