119-908: Little India (also known as Indian Street , India Bazaar , or India Town ) is an Indian or South Asian sociocultural environment outside India or the Indian subcontinent . It especially refers to an area with a significant concentration of South Asian residents and a diverse collection of Indian businesses. Frequently, Little Indias have Hindu temples , mosques , and gurdwaras . They may also host celebrations of national and religious festivals and serve as gathering places for South Asians . As such, they are microcosms of India. Little Indias are often tourist attractions and are frequented by fans of Indian cuisine , Indian culture , Indian clothing , Indian music , and Indian cinema . New Jersey, and Middlesex County in Central New Jersey ), are home to by far
238-670: A British subject and British protected person simultaneously. British nationality law during this time was uncodified and did not have a standard set of regulations, relying instead on past precedent and common law . Until the mid-19th century, it was unclear whether naturalisation rules in the United Kingdom were applicable in other parts of the Empire. Each colony had wide discretion in developing their own procedures and requirements for admitting foreigners as subjects. Naturalisation in Britain
357-496: A Sikkimese subject before 26 April 1975 became an Indian citizen. This process of acquisition left certain groups of people living in Sikkim stateless including long-term residents without property, Sikkimese women who married non-Sikkimese, and individuals who had otherwise qualified for subject status but failed to complete registration before 1975. Indian nationality regulations were broadly permissive when they were first created at
476-546: A choice between acquiring Indian citizenship and retaining their previous nationalities, those from Dadra and Nagar Haveli were not. In Goa, Daman and Diu , residents automatically became Indian citizens on 20 December 1961 unless they had made a written declaration before this date stating their intention to retain their existing nationality. Portugal did not recognise the annexation of its former Indian territories; persons born in applicable areas before 3 June 1975 were recognized as Portuguese citizens. The Kingdom of Sikkim
595-483: A clear boundary existed between the two countries. While the British Indian government had encouraged Nepalese to settle in northeastern India to facilitate the growth of tea plantations in that area, high levels of migration between the two countries continued to occur due to cultural and religious similarities. Following Indian independence, the government negotiated a free movement agreement with Nepal that resulted in
714-447: A common pool, from which resources are drawn to meet the needs of all members, which are regulated by the heads of the family. However, with modernisation and economic development, India has witnessed a break up of traditional joint family into more nuclear families and the traditional joint family in India accounted for a small percent of Indian households. Arranged marriages have been
833-502: A conservative 12 million to 20 million-person diaspora. The British Indian community had grown to number over one million. According to the 2001 UK Census , 1,053,411 Britons had full Indian ancestry (representing 1.8% of the UK's population). An overwhelming majority of 99.3% resided in England (in 2008 the figure is thought to be around 97.0%). In the seven-year period between 2001 and 2009,
952-632: A contingent of Sikh soldiers visited the western coast of Canada, primarily British Columbia which at the time was very sparsely populated and the Canadian government wanted to settle to prevent a takeover of the territory by the United States. More than a million people of South Asian descent live in South Africa, with their ancestors having left colonial India mostly as indentured labourers, and with smaller numbers emigrating later as "Passenger Indians", in
1071-474: A figure higher than both the United States and Britain. South Asian Canadians account for 7.1% of Canada's population. According to Statistics Canada, Indo-Canadians are one of the fastest-growing visible minority groups in Canada, making up the second-largest group of non-European descent in the country after Chinese Canadians. The Indo-Canadian community can trace its history in Canada back 120 years to 1897 when
1190-407: A foreign nationality. Indian citizens by descent can be dual citizens till 18 upon which they have to choose a citizenship. Dual citizenship was allowed with specific countries till 2005. Citizenship amendment bill of 2003 allowed citizens by descent to continue Indian citizenship after 18 if they registered as overseas citizens. Residents of Goa have claimed to have dual citizenship since there
1309-775: A long history alongside its music and dance. One of the earliest known theatre play is Mṛcchakatika composed by Śudraka . Followed by Aśvaghoṣa 's Śāriputraprakaraṇa and Bhāsa 's Swapnavāsavadatta and Pancharātra . Most notable works are Kālidāsa's Abhijñānaśākuntala , Vikramorvaśīya and Mālavikāgnimitra . Harsha 's Ratnavali , Priyadarsika , and Naganandam , other notable ancient dramatists include Bhatta Narayana , Bhavabhuti , Vishakhadatta , Thirayattam and Viswanatha Kaviraja . Notable fable story-plays Panchatantra , Baital Pachisi , Kathasaritsagara , Brihatkatha and Jataka tales were performed in folk theatres since ancient period. Jataka tales has become part of Southeast and East Asian folklore with
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#17328456550391428-707: A mixture of two major ancestral components, one component restricted to South Asia and the other component shared with Central Asia , West Asia , and Europe . Indian nationality law Indian nationality law details the conditions by which a person holds Indian nationality. The two primary pieces of legislation governing these requirements are the Constitution of India and the Citizenship Act, 1955. All persons born in India between 26 January 1950 and 1 July 1987 automatically received citizenship by birth regardless of
1547-801: A parent or grandparent) were born in any part of pre-partition India as defined by the Government of India Act 1935 and had either become domiciled in Indian territory before 19 July 1948, or had been registered as a citizen of India by Dominion officials after that date, but before commencement of the Constitution. Migrants from Pakistan were required to have been domiciled in India for at least six months prior to applying for registration. Conversely, persons who migrated from India to Pakistan and settled there at any time are not considered Indian citizens. Migration between Nepal and India has been unrestricted since before
1666-455: A reduced six-year residence requirement for naturalisation. The enactment of these changes sparked widespread protests for countering the secular nature of earlier citizenship law. The National Register of Citizens for Assam was comprehensively updated in 2019, with every citizen in the state required to show proof of their citizenship and pre-1971 settlement. 1.9 million people failed to provide sufficient documentation and were not listed on
1785-650: A relationship with Indian spirituality, such as the Baháʼí Faith which recognises Buddha and Krishna as manifestations of the God Almighty. Despite the strong role of religion in Indian life, atheism and agnostics also have visible influence along with a self-ascribed tolerance to other people. According to the 2012 WIN-Gallup Global Index of Religion and Atheism report, 81% of Indians were religious, 13% were not religious, 3% were convinced atheists , and 3% were unsure or did not respond. Traditionally, Indian society
1904-568: A relevant official. The oath of allegiance administered to successful applicants required them to swear loyal service to the company, as well as allegiance to the British monarch . India was brought under direct rule of the British Empire in 1858. Territories were broadly divided between two political groupings: the provinces of British India , which were administered by the British government, and
2023-1529: A symbol for zero , interpolation formula , Fibonacci's identity , theorem , the first complete arithmetic solution (including zero and negative solutions) to quadratic equations . Chakravala method , sign convention , madhava series , and the sine and cosine in trigonometric functions can be traced to the jyā and koti-jyā . Notable military inventions include war elephants , crucible steel weapons popularly known as Damascus steel and Mysorean rockets . Other notable inventions during ancient period include chess , cotton , sugar , fired bricks , carbon pigment ink , ruler , lac , lacquer , stepwell , indigo dye , snake and ladder , muslin , ludo , calico , Wootz steel , incense clock , shampoo , palampore , chintz , and prefabricated homes . Indian cultural aspects, religions , philosophy , arts and architecture have developed over several millennia and have spread through much of Asia in peaceful manner. Many architectural structures of India such as Sanchi Stupa , Taj Mahal and Mahabodhi Temple are UNESCO World Heritage Sites today. In modern times, Indian people have continued to contribute to mathematics , sciences and astrophysics . Among them are Satyendra Nath Bose , Srinivasa Ramanujan , Jagadish Chandra Bose , Meghnad Saha , Homi J. Bhabha , Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis , and notable Nobel Prize recipients C. V. Raman , Har Gobind Khorana , Venkatraman Ramakrishnan , and Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar who
2142-782: A variety of lentils (dal), whole-wheat flour (aṭṭa), rice and millet (kutki, kodra, bājra), which has been cultivated in Indian subcontinent since 6200 BCE. Over time, segments of the population embraced vegetarianism during Śramaṇa movement while an equitable climate permitted a variety of fruits, vegetables, and grains to be grown throughout the year. A food classification system that categorised any item as saatvic , raajsic or taamsic developed in Ayurveda tradition. The Bhagavad Gita prescribed certain dietary practices. During this period, consumption of various types of meat became taboo , due to being considered sacred or impure. Indian cuisines use numerous ingredients, deploy
2261-677: A vedic tribe mentioned in the Rigveda , notably participating in the Battle of the Ten Kings . India is named after legendary Emperor Bharata who was a descendant of the Bhāratas tribe , scion of Kuru Dynasty who unified the Indian Subcontinent under one realm. In early Vedic literature, the term Āryāvarta ( Sanskrit : आर्यावर्त) was in popular use before Bhārata . The Manusmṛti (2.22) gives
2380-476: A wide range of food preparation styles, cooking techniques and culinary presentation depending on geographical location. The oldest preserved examples of Indian music are the melodies of the Samaveda (1000 BC) that are still sung in certain Śrauta sacrifices; this is the earliest account of Indian musical hymns. The Samaveda, and other Hindu texts, heavily influenced India's classical music tradition, which
2499-517: Is a rapidly growing Indian American ethnic enclave within the New York metropolitan area . The neighborhood is centered on Newark Avenue , between Tonnele Avenue and JFK Boulevard , and is considered to be part of the larger Journal Square District. This area has been home to the largest outdoor Navratri festivities in New Jersey as well as several Hindu temples . This portion of Newark Avenue
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#17328456550392618-554: Is an extended family arrangement prevalent throughout the Indian subcontinent , particularly in India . The family is headed by a patriarch, the oldest male, who makes decisions on economic and social matters on behalf of the entire family. The patriarch's wife generally exerts control over the household, minor religious practices and often wields considerable influence in domestic matters. A patrilineal joint family consists of an older man and his wife, his sons and unmarried daughters, his sons' wives and children. Family income flows into
2737-577: Is derived ultimately from Sindhu , the Sanskrit name of the river Indus, but also meaning "river" generically. The history of India includes the prehistoric settlements and societies in the Indian subcontinent ; the blending of the Indus Valley civilization and Indo-Aryan culture into the Vedic Civilization ; the development of Hinduism as a synthesis of various Indian cultures and traditions;
2856-555: Is granted only if both parents are Indian citizens, or if one parent is a citizen and the other is not considered an illegal migrant. Children born overseas are eligible to become Indian citizens by descent if at least one parent is a citizen. The birth of eligible persons must be registered at an Indian diplomatic mission within a certain time frame for citizenship to be granted. Individuals born before 3 September 2004 were not required to have had their birth registered and received citizenship by descent automatically, unless either parent
2975-596: Is grouped according to their caste . It is a system in which social stratification within various social sections defined by thousands of endogamous hereditary groups are often termed jāti or castes . Within a jāti , there exists exogamous groups known as gotras , the lineage or clan of an individuals. Caste barriers have mostly broken down in cities but still exists in some form in rural areas. Most Indian states are majority Hindu . However, Kashmir and Lakshadweep are majority Muslim ; Nagaland , Mizoram , and Meghalaya are majority Christian and Punjab
3094-493: Is known today in two distinct styles: Hindustani music and Carnatic music . Both the Hindustani and Carnatic music systems are based on the melodic base known as Rāga , sung to a rhythmic cycle known as Tāla . These principles were refined in the nātyaśāstra (200 BC) and the dattilam (300 AD). The nātyaśāstrais an ancient Indian treatise on the performing arts , encompassing theatre , dance and music . It
3213-549: Is lined with groceries including Patel Brothers and Subzi Mandi Cash & Carry, electronics vendors , video stores , clothing stores, and restaurants and is one of the busier pedestrian areas of this part of the city, often stopping traffic for hours. Oak Tree Road is a rapidly growing South Asian-focused commercial strip in Middlesex County, New Jersey . The Oak Tree Road strip runs for about one-and-a-half miles through Edison and neighboring Iselin, New Jersey , near
3332-438: Is majority Sikh . Although participants in the Indian census may choose to not declare their religion, there is no mechanism for a person to indicate that he/she does not adhere to any religion. Due to this limitation in the Indian census process, the data for persons not affiliated with any religion may not be accurate. India contains the majority of the world's Hindus , Jains , Sikhs , Zoroastrians and Baháʼí . Christianity
3451-468: Is notable for currently accepted theory on the later evolutionary stages of massive stars, including black holes. Bharat Mata ( Hindi , from Sanskrit भारत माता , Bhārata Mātā ), Mother India , or Bhāratāmbā (from अंबा ambā 'mother') is the national personification of India as a mother goddess . The image of Bharat Mata formed with the Indian independence movement of the late 19th century. A play by Kiran Chandra Bandyopadhyay, Bhārat Mātā ,
3570-404: Is one of the earliest form of materialistic and atheistic movement in ancient India. Sramana , Buddhism , Jainism , Ājīvika and some schools of Hinduism like Samkhya consider atheism to be valid and reject the concept of creator deity , ritualism and supernaturalism . India has produced some notable atheist politicians and social reformers . Although approximately 80% of
3689-530: Is the third-largest Asian American community in the United States after Chinese Americans and Filipino Americans . After slavery was abolished in the European colonies, Indians were hired under the Indian indenture system to become indentured laborers to fill the need for cheap labor and for their skills in agriculture. In the English-speaking Caribbean and Suriname , Indians primarily came from
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3808-557: Is trending away from traditional arranged marriages, they find that the marriage trends in India are similar to trends observed over last 40 years where arranged marriages were previously common, particularly in China and Japan. India's clothing styles have continuously evolved over the course of history. Cotton was first cultivated in Indian subcontinent around the 5th millennium BC. Dyes used during this period are still in use, particularly indigo , red madder , lac and turmeric . Silk
3927-443: Is typically barred from obtaining citizenship through both naturalisation and registration. However, migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, or Pakistan who belong to selected religious communities (Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, or Christians) and arrived in India prior to 2015 are not considered illegal migrants. They are eligible for naturalisation with a reduced residence requirement; at least five years of residence during
4046-515: Is widespread in Northeast India , parts of southern India, particularly in Kerala and among various populations of Central India. Muslims are the largest religious minority. India is also home to the third-largest Muslim population in the world after Indonesia and Pakistan . Historically, India had a prevailing tradition of the joint family system or undivided family . Joint family system
4165-623: The Amoghavarsha of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty was described by the Arab traveller Sulaiman as one of the four great kings of the world. The medieval south Indian mathematician Mahāvīra lived in the Rashtrakuta dynasty and was the first Indian mathematician who separated astrology from mathematics and who wrote the earliest Indian text entirely devoted to mathematics. The greatest maritime empire of
4284-727: The Arab states of the Persian Gulf , former British colonies, and the Western world . While the demonym "Indian" applies to people originating from the present-day Republic of India , it was also used as the identifying term for people originating from what is now Pakistan and Bangladesh prior to the Partition of India in 1947. Particularly in North America , the terms "Asian Indian" and "East Indian" are sometimes used to differentiate Indians from
4403-468: The Constitution of India came into force on 26 November 1949, in advance of the document's full effective date and the country's conversion into a republic on 26 January 1950. The partition resulted in large-scale population movements across the new borders separating India and Pakistan . In this context, the Constituent Assembly limited the scope of the Constitution's citizenship provisions for
4522-675: The Hindi Belt , especially the Awadh region in central and eastern Uttar Pradesh and the Bhojpur region of eastern Uttar Pradesh, western Bihar , and northwestern Jharkhand , along with a significant minority who came from South India , and a smaller minority who came from other parts of India. They arrived from the late 1830s to the early 1920s as indentured laborers to work primarily on sugarcane estates , as well as on cocoa , rice , banana , coconut , and coffee estates after indentureship. After
4641-451: The Indian subcontinent and has been influenced and shaped by a history that is several thousand years old. Throughout the history of India, Indian culture has been heavily influenced by Dharmic religions. They have been credited with shaping much of Indian philosophy , literature , architecture , art and music . Greater India was the historical extent of Indian culture beyond the Indian subcontinent . This particularly concerns
4760-763: The Marathas , the Rajputs , the Pathans , the Jats and the Sikhs , gained military and governing ambitions during Mughal rule, which, through collaboration or adversity, gave them both recognition and military experience. Following the death of Aurangzeb in the early 18th century, the empire saw the emergence of autonomous regional powers such as Marathas , the Rajputs and various de facto independent Mughal governors and other Hindu and Muslim princely states, though they all continued to recognise
4879-536: The Mughal emperor as their suzerain . The period also saw the emergence of the British East India Company who took control of large parts of the empire, though they nominally ruled and traded under the authority of the emperor and nominally considered him as their suzerain. The regions under Company rule witnessed a period of rapid development of infrastructure, economic decline and major famines . During
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4998-462: The Republic of India . In 2022, the population of India stood at 1.4 billion people, of various ethnic groups . According to United Nations forecasts, India overtook China as the world's most populous country by the end of April 2023, containing 17.50 percent of the global population. In addition to the Indian population, the Indian overseas diaspora also boasts large numbers, particularly in
5117-516: The Roman Empire and was one of the major exports of ancient India to other parts of the world along with Indian spices and Wootz steel . Traditional Indian clothing greatly varies across different parts of the country and is influenced by local culture, geography and climate. Women traditionally wear Sari , Gagra Choli , Angarkha , Phiran , Shalwar Kameez , Gharara and Bandi with Dupatta or Ghoonghat worn over head or shoulder to complete
5236-587: The United States , are widely used in official discourse and in law. The name Bhārata has been used as a self-ascribed name by people of the Indian subcontinent and the Republic of India since 1949. The designation "Bhārata" appears in the official Sanskrit name of the country, Bhārata Gaṇarājya . The name is derived from the ancient Vedic and Puranas , which refer to the land that constitutes India as Bhārata varṣam and uses this term to distinguish it from other varṣa s or continents. The Bhāratas were
5355-627: The indigenous peoples of the Americas . Although the misidentification of indigenous Americans as Indians occurred during the European colonization of the Americas , the term "Indian" is still used as an identifier for indigenous populations in North America and the Caribbean . This usage is growing rarer, as terms such as indigenous, Amerindian, and specifically First Nations in Canada , and Native American in
5474-468: The princely states , which were areas ruled by local monarchs given limited autonomy in exchange for accepting British suzerainty. Provincial residents were British subjects , while subjects of princely state rulers were considered British protected persons instead. Although Britain held comprehensive jurisdiction in both types of holdings, domestic law treated the princely states as foreign territory. British protected persons were treated as aliens in
5593-468: The 18th century, giving the company opportunity to gain further advantages by intervening in regional politics. The vast financial resources of the firm and its superior military enabled it to defeat rival European trade companies and become the dominant power in India. The company itself ruled as the direct governing body from 1757 to 1858, though sovereignty was often shared with the Crown . Although legislation
5712-419: The 1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship ; all Indian and Nepalese citizens have since had the officially sanctioned ability to live and work in either country. Commonwealth citizens initially continued to hold an automatic right to settle in the United Kingdom and Ireland after 1949. Non-white immigration into the UK was systemically discouraged, but strong economic conditions in Britain following
5831-449: The Constitution's commencement. Individuals of Indian descent living outside of the country could register for citizenship, but a person who had voluntarily acquired citizenship of a foreign state was barred from Indian citizenship. In this context, the definition of "foreign state" does not include Commonwealth member states. Persons who migrated from the area that became part of Pakistan could be registered as Indian citizens if they (or
5950-433: The Crown were equal before the law, regardless of race or background. This ideal was directly contradicted by a series of immigration restrictions in other colonies and Dominions that were created to exclude non-white migrants, including Indian British subjects, from entering their borders. Australia , Canada , New Zealand , and South Africa all enacted legislation severely restricting Indian immigration in some form by
6069-538: The Empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. While the imperial government had recognised these claims as legitimate prior to the First World War , it was nervous at the prospect of these movements becoming revolutionary in nature and decided to forcefully suppress local unrest rather than politically address Indian concerns. As it became apparent that equality within the British Empire would not be possible,
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#17328456550396188-708: The Empire. The Imperial Parliament brought regulations for British subject status into codified statute law for the first time with passage of the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act 1914 ( 4 & 5 Geo. 5 . c. 17). British subject status was standardised as a common nationality across the Empire. This act allowed Dominions and British India to grant subject status to aliens by imperial naturalisation, but did not prevent further grants of local naturalisation under local legislation. The continued application of local naturalisation allowed British Indian authorities to avoid adding English language requirements to
6307-572: The Hindi Belt made up the majority of Indians in the Anglo-Caribbean and Suriname. Hence, their dialect of Hindustani, known as Caribbean Hindustani collectively, is based mostly on Bhojpuri and Awadhi, and it became the lingua franca of the early Indians. Also, since they formed the largest group of Indians, the traditions and culture from the Bhojpur and Awadh regions became the dominant culture for
6426-479: The Indian context, the two terms are used interchangeably. However, the Supreme Court provides a more precise definition applicable in Indian law; citizenship is a legal status that can only be held by natural persons and determines the civil and political rights a person may exercise, while nationality is a status that can apply to both natural and juridical persons that determines the rights that entity has in
6545-461: The Indian people was the Maurya Empire having Patliputra (currently Patna , Bihar ) as its capital, conquered the major part of South Asia in the 4th and 3rd centuries BC during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka alongside their senior advisor, Acharya Chanakya , the world's pioneer of the fields of political science and economics. The next great ancient empire of the Indian people
6664-464: The Indian subcontinent and within the international borders of the modern country of India had been migrating to Southeast Asia , East Asia , Central Asia , North Africa , and even along Europe's Mediterranean coast, the Indian diaspora generally socio-politically or historically refers to those whose families or themselves migrated to other parts of the world after the British Empire established itself in India. Population estimates from 2016 vary from
6783-642: The Indians in those countries. France sent southern Indians to its colonies in the Caribbean as indentured laborers, hence there are also many residents of Indian descent in Guadeloupe , Martinique , and French Guiana , mostly of southern Indian descent. Many Indo-Caribbean people have migrated to the United States , United Kingdom , Canada , the Netherlands , and France , and few of them have even seasonally migrated to
6902-811: The Second World War attracted an unprecedented wave of colonial migration. In response, the British Parliament imposed immigration controls on any Commonwealth citizens originating from outside the British Islands with the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962 . Ireland had continued to allow all British subjects free movement despite independence in 1922 as part of the Common Travel Area arrangement, but moved to mirror Britain's restriction in 1962 by limiting this ability only to people born on
7021-464: The UAE, Indians constitute more than 27% of the population. Here are some areas with a comparatively larger concentration of Indians. The Sultanate of Oman is home to many expatriates, of which Indians form the largest constituency. The southeastern side of the business district of Ruwi is known as Muscat's Little India. Indian people Indian people or Indians are the citizens and nationals of
7140-404: The UK. Remaining European colonial possessions in India were reintegrated by 1961. French-administered Chandernagore held a referendum in 1949 resulting in the city's merger with West Bengal , while the rest of French India was relinquished by 1954. Portuguese India was taken by force with two military offensives in 1954 and 1961 . Although most residents of these territories were given
7259-424: The United Kingdom, but both Indian British subjects and protected persons could be issued British Indian passports . Protected persons could not travel to the UK without first requesting permission, but were afforded the same consular protection as British subjects when travelling outside of the Empire. A person with connections both to directly governed portions of British India and one of the princely states could be
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#17328456550397378-548: The addition of Section 6A to the Citizenship Act that same year. Under this change, any person who had been living in Assam prior to 1966 was an Indian citizen; those who settled there between 1966 and 1971 were removed from electoral rolls and subject to a 10-year waiting period before becoming eligible to register for citizenship. Migrants arriving after 1971 were all considered to have illegally immigrated. Ethnic conflict in neighbouring Sri Lanka led to civil war in 1983. Following
7497-713: The advent of European traders resulting in the establishment of British India ; and the subsequent independence movement that led to the Partition of India and the creation of the Republic of India . The Indian people established during the ancient and medieval periods to the early eighteenth century some of the greatest empires and dynasties in South Asian history like the Maurya Empire , Satavahana dynasty , Gupta Empire , Rashtrakuta dynasty , Chalukya Empire , Chola Empire , Karkota Empire , Pala Empire , Vijayanagara Empire , Delhi Sultanate , Mughal Empire , Maratha Confederacy and Sikh Empire . The first great empire of
7616-596: The area's sprawling Chinatown and Koreatown . Little India in Edison and Iselin is the largest and most diverse South Asian cultural hub in the United States. The zone is home to approximately 400 South Asian establishments and businesses, including dining, apparel and electronics retailing , and entertainment . Around 60 Indian and Pakistani restaurants are found in the area. In Middlesex County, election ballots are printed in Gujarati , Hindi , and Punjabi as well. In
7735-636: The centuries, there has been significant integration of Hindus , Jains , and Sikhs with Muslims across India. India is the birthplace of Hinduism , Buddhism , Jainism and Sikhism , collectively known as Indian religions . Indian religions, also known as Dharmic religions, are a major form of world religions along with Abrahamic ones. Today, Hinduism and Buddhism are the world's third- and fourth-largest religions respectively, with over 1 billion followers altogether, and possibly as many as 1.5 or 1.6 billion followers. Throughout India's history, religion has been an important part of
7854-490: The citizens of India are Hindus , the country has a substantial population of Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and adherents of tribal faiths. Zoroastrianism and Judaism each has several thousands of Indian adherents, and also have an ancient history in India. India has the largest population of people adhering to Zoroastrianism and Baháʼí Faith in the world, even though these two religions are not native to India. Many other world religions also have
7973-514: The concept of zero and the Hindu–Arabic numeral system decimal system during this period. During this period Indian cultural influence spread over many parts of Southeast Asia which led to the establishment of Indianized kingdoms in Southeast Asia . During the early medieval period the great Rashtrakuta dynasty governed most of the Indian subcontinent from the 8th to 10th centuries and
8092-472: The context of international law. The East India Company was founded by royal charter in 1600 and granted a monopoly on all English trade with Asia. Over the course of the 17th century, the company secured a strong commercial presence in the Indian subcontinent through trade in indigo dye , saltpeter , and Indian textiles. Operations became more lucrative as the Mughal Empire entered into decline in
8211-489: The country for at least 12 years and renouncing any previous nationalities. Members of certain religious minority communities from neighbouring countries qualify for a reduced residence requirement of six years. Indian citizens who permanently settle in Pakistan or Bangladesh , or voluntarily acquire foreign citizenship automatically lose Indian citizenship. Dual citizenship is allowed in certain cases of minor children. India
8330-473: The country or outside the area of pre-partition India. Persons whose parents are Indian citizens, who themselves or their parents had previously held Indian citizenship, or have held overseas citizenship for at least five years are also eligible to acquire citizenship by registration. Eligible individuals must be resident in the country for at least 12 months prior to an application for registration, and are subject to additional residence requirements depending on
8449-421: The country's culture. Religious diversity and religious tolerance are both established in the country by the law and by custom ; the Constitution of India has declared the right to freedom of religion to be a fundamental right . Atheism and agnosticism have a long history in India and flourished within Śramaṇa movement . The Cārvāka school originated in India around the 6th century BCE and
8568-530: The country, or a person permanently settled in Sikkim who had cut all ties with their previous country or had acquired real estate in Sikkim. Subject status was further restricted by a requirement to have held property rights in Sikkim before 1937, effectively barring a large number of Nepali residents from obtaining a permanent status in the country. Dual citizenship was prohibited and women automatically lost their rights as subjects on their marriage to non-Sikkimese men. The ethnic qualification to subject status
8687-528: The criterion they qualified under. All other foreigners may become Indian citizens by naturalisation after residing in the country for at least 11 of the previous 14 years, with an additional 12 months of residence immediately preceding an application, a total of 12 years. Anyone acquiring Indian citizenship through either naturalisation or registration must renounce their previous nationalities. Between 2010 and 2019, about 21,000 people naturalised as Indian citizens. Any person deemed to be an illegal migrant
8806-463: The early 20th century. Indians had greater success exercising their British subject rights in Britain itself, exemplified by the election of two Indian candidates to the House of Commons , Dadabhai Naoroji and Mancherjee Bhownaggree . Demands for an equal imperial citizenship with the same status and rights as European British subjects were a primary motivator for Indian civil rights movements throughout
8925-437: The extent that it is treated as a religion in itself. Sports like hockey, volleyball, football are quite popular while polo, golf and tennis are preferred sports for affluent sections of the society. In recent times with government support Olympic sports like shooting, archery, wrestling, javelin throw, swimming, badminton have gained prominence in the Indian society. Although, population groups originating in different parts of
9044-487: The first half of the 20th century, a nationwide struggle for Indian independence movement was launched, the Indian subcontinent gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1947, after the British provinces were partitioned into the dominions of India and Pakistan and the princely states all acceded to one of the new states. India is one of the world's oldest civilisations. The Indian culture, often labelled as an amalgamation of several various cultures, spans across
9163-485: The first wave of migration of indentured laborers, more Indians from Gujarat , Sindh , Kutch , Punjab , Bengal , and South India came to the Caribbean for business and professional occupations from the 1930s till present-day. There are more than a million Indo-Caribbean people . In Trinidad and Tobago , Guyana , and Suriname they are the largest ethnic groups. The Indians from the Bhojpuri and Awadhi-speaking areas of
9282-660: The focus of post-war Indian political movements turned towards independence. British India was partitioned into two independent Dominions on 15 August 1947, the Union of India and Federation of Pakistan . India transitionally retained the British sovereign as its head of state until its continued membership in the Commonwealth of Nations as a republic was agreed upon at the 1949 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference . Indians continued to be British subjects until independent India enacted its own nationality legislation. Subjects of
9401-580: The highest per capita Indian American populations of any U.S. state and U.S. county , respectively, at 3.9% and 14.1%, by 2013 U.S. Census estimates. India Square , also known as Little Gujarat , is a commercial and restaurant district in Bombay , on Newark Avenue , in Jersey City , Hudson County, New Jersey . The area is home to the highest concentration of Asian Indians in the Western Hemisphere , and
9520-427: The immediate purpose of determining citizenship of these migrants. The Citizenship Act later enacted by Parliament in 1955 provides a full framework detailing citizenship requirements after that point. Any individual domiciled in India automatically became an Indian citizen in 1949 if they were: born in India, born to at least one parent who themself was born in India, or living in India for at least five years prior to
9639-484: The islands of Great Britain or Ireland. Britain somewhat relaxed these measures in 1971 for patrials, subjects whose parents or grandparents were born in the United Kingdom, which gave effective preferential treatment to white Commonwealth citizens. Under the 1955 Citizenship Act, Commonwealth citizens were eligible to obtain Indian citizenship by registration in lieu of naturalisation, though there were no specific advantages to this method of acquisition. This pathway
9758-735: The late 19th and early 20th centuries. They are concentrated around the city of Durban . They were classified as members of an "Indian" race under the country's defunct Apartheid system. About 40,000 people of Indian origin live in Tanzania mostly in the urban areas. According to the American Community Survey of the United States Census Bureau , the Indian American population in the United States grew from almost 1.67 million in 2000 to 3.1 million in 2010 which
9877-454: The meaning of the terms citizenship and nationality is not always clear in the English language and differs by country. Generally, nationality refers a person's legal belonging to a nation state and is the common term used in international treaties when referring to members of a state; citizenship refers to the set of rights and duties a person has in that nation. In general discourse within
9996-660: The medieval Indians was the Chola dynasty . Under the great Rajaraja Chola I and his successor Rajendra Chola I the Chola dynasty became a military, economic and cultural power in South Asia and South-East Asia . The power of the Chola empire was proclaimed to the eastern world by the expedition to the Ganges which Rajendra Chola I undertook and by the occupation of cities of the maritime empire of Srivijaya in Southeast Asia , as well as by
10115-825: The name Āryāvarta to "the tract between the Himalaya and the Vindhya ranges, from the Eastern (Bay of Bengal) to the Western Sea (Arabian Sea)". While the word Indian and India is derived from Greek Ἰνδία ( Indía ), via Latin India . Indía in Koine Greek denoted the region beyond the Indus ( Ἰνδός ) river, since Herodotus (5th century BC) ἡ Ἰνδική χώρη , hē Indikē chōrē ; "the Indian land", Ἰνδός , Indos , "an Indian", from Old Persian Hinduš and medieval term Hindustani . The name
10234-428: The nationalities of their parents. Between 1 July 1987 and 3 December 2004, citizenship by birth was granted if at least one parent was a citizen. Individuals born in the country since then receive Indian citizenship at birth only if both parents are Indian citizens, or if one parent is a citizen and the other is not considered an illegal migrant. Foreigners may become Indian citizens by naturalisation after residing in
10353-512: The naturalisation process. Following the Indian Rebellion of 1857 , Queen Victoria issued a royal proclamation to the "Princes, Chiefs and People of India" in 1858, declaring the Crown to be "bound to the natives of our Indian territories by the same obligations of duty which bind us to all our other subjects". Official rhetoric emphasised British subject status as a platform of equity, illustrating an imperial philosophy that all subjects of
10472-494: The neighboring Latin American and other Caribbean countries as migrant workers. A majority of Indo-Caribbean are Hindus , while there is significant minority of Christians and Muslims , along with smaller numbers of recently arrived Indian Jains , Sikhs , Buddhist , and Baháʼís . Indo-Caribbean people are known as the descendants of the jahajis or girmityas . Recent genome studies appear to show that South Asians are
10591-521: The number of Indian-born people in the UK increased in size by 38% from 467,634 to around 647,000 (an increase of approximately 180,000). There are approximately 1.86 million people of Indian origin or ancestry in Canada, the majority of which live in Greater Toronto and Vancouver , with growing communities in Alberta and Quebec. Roughly 5.1% of the total Canadian population is of Indian ancestry,
10710-603: The orbitals of planets. The Mughal Empire consolidated much of the Indian sub-continent under a single realm. Under the Mughals, India developed a strong and stable economy, leading to commercial expansion and greater patronage of culture, greatly influencing Indian society. The Mughal Empire balanced and pacified local societies through new administrative practices and had diverse and inclusive ruling elites, leading to more systematic, centralised, and uniform rule. Newly coherent social groups in northern and western India, such as
10829-728: The other is not considered an illegal migrant. Mandatory registration in the National Register of Citizens for the entire country (contrasted with the register specific to Assam) was introduced in that year, as well as overseas citizenship for the Indian diaspora living abroad. Restrictions were selectively relaxed in 2019 for migrants from neighbouring countries belonging to certain religious groups who illegally entered India before 2015; persons from Afghanistan , Bangladesh , and Pakistan who are Hindus , Sikhs , Buddhists , Jains , Parsis , or Christians are not counted as illegal migrants for nationality purposes and are eligible for
10948-450: The outfit. Men traditionally wear Angarkha , Achkan , Bagalbandi , Kurta , Kameez , Phiran , Sherwani and Koti for upper garment, lower garment includes Dhoti , Churidar , Shalwar , and Lungi . Pagri is usually worn around head to complete the outfit. In urban centres, people often wear western clothing and variety of other contemporary fashion. Indian food varies from region to region. Staple foods of Indian cuisine include
11067-520: The previous 14-year period, along with the additional 12 months of residence immediately preceding an application. Indian citizenship can be voluntarily relinquished by any person over the age of 18. Minor children of a person who gave up citizenship also cease to be citizens. On reaching adult age, these children have the option of resuming Indian citizenship within one year. Before 2003, relinquishment required holding nationality of another country, and all married women were considered to be of full age for
11186-493: The princely states, who were previously considered British protected persons, became British subjects of India when their states acceded to India . British subject status was reformed under the British Nationality Act 1948 . The Act abandoned the common nationality used across the Empire and redefined British subject to mean any citizen of a Commonwealth country. A Commonwealth citizen was defined in this Act to have
11305-543: The purposes of giving up citizenship regardless of their actual age. Minor children lost citizenship only if their fathers (not mothers) relinquished that status until 1992. Any Indian citizen who permanently settles in Pakistan or Bangladesh, or who voluntarily acquires citizenship of another country at any time automatically loses Indian citizenship. Between 2015 and 2019, about 670,000 people lost their Indian citizenship either through renunciation or automatic loss after acquiring
11424-404: The register, leaving them stateless and subject to deportation. All persons born in India between 26 January 1950 and 1 July 1987 automatically received citizenship by birth regardless of the nationalities of their parents. From 1 July 1987 until 3 December 2004, children born in the country received Indian citizenship by birth if at least one parent was a citizen. Since then, citizenship by birth
11543-535: The repeated embassies to China. During the late medieval period the great Vijayanagara Empire ruled most of southern India from the 14th to 16th centuries and reached its peak during the reign of Sri Krishnadevaraya The medieval Kerala School of Astronomy and Mathematics flourished during this period under such well known south Indian mathematicians as Madhava ( c. 1340 – c. 1425 ), who made important contributions to Trigonometry and Calculus, and Nilakhanta (c. 1444–1545), who postulated on
11662-473: The rise of sixteen oligarchic republics known as Mahajanapadas ; the rise of the Śramaṇa movement ; the birth of Jainism and Buddhism in the 6th century BCE, and the onset of a succession of powerful dynasties and empires for more than two millennia throughout various geographic areas of the subcontinent, including the growth of Muslim dynasties during the Medieval period intertwined with Hindu powers;
11781-407: The same meaning. British subject/Commonwealth citizen status co-existed with the citizenship of each Commonwealth country. Because India had not enacted citizenship regulations by the time the 1948 Act took effect on 1 January 1949, Indians (and citizens of all other Dominions without citizenship laws) were provisionally classed as "British subjects without citizenship". The citizenship provisions of
11900-600: The spread of Hinduism , Buddhism , architecture , administration and writing system from India to other parts of Asia through the Silk Road by the travellers and maritime traders during the early centuries of the Common Era . To the west, Greater India overlaps with Greater Persia in the Hindu Kush and Pamir Mountains . During medieval period, Islam played a significant role in shaping Indian cultural heritage. Over
12019-447: The spread of Buddhism. These literature's were also influential in development of One Thousand and One Nights during medieval period. Indian people have played a major role in the development of the philosophy , sciences , mathematics , arts , architecture and astronomy throughout history . During the ancient period, notable mathematics accomplishment of India included Hindu–Arabic numeral system with decimal place-value and
12138-412: The start of hostilities, about 100,000 people sought refuge in India. This event, combined with sustained unrest in Assam, led to another amendment to the Citizenship Act in 1986 that limited citizenship by birth to children born to at least one Indian parent. A further amendment in 2003 restricted that entitlement only to children with two Indian parents, or those with one parent who is a citizen and if
12257-488: The state in the 1970s, compared to 221,000 in the 1950s and 424,000 in the 1960s. During a local election in 1979, a substantial portion of the enrolled electorate was discovered to be non-citizens. The ensuing backlash triggered the multi-year Assam Movement , which demanded the expulsion of foreigners in the state. Protest organisers and government officials ultimately agreed on the Assam Accord in 1985, which resulted in
12376-544: The time of the republic's founding. Successive governments since the 1980s have gradually increased the difficulty of acquiring Indian citizenship in response to changing patterns of immigration from neighbouring countries. Large-scale migration into Assam from Bengal began during colonial rule. British authorities encouraged workers from outside the region to resettle there to provide a continual source of labour for railway construction, agricultural development, and resource mining. The National Register of Citizens for Assam
12495-429: The tradition in Indian society. Marriage is considered a union of the two families rather than just the individuals, the process involved in an arranged marriage can be different depending on the communities and families. Recent survey study found that fewer marriages are purely arranged without consent and that the majority of surveyed Indian marriages are arranged with consent. The study also suggested that Indian culture
12614-463: Was achieved through individual Acts of Parliament until 1844, when a more streamlined administrative process was introduced. In 1847, the Imperial Parliament formalised a clear distinction between subjects who were naturalised in the UK and those who did so in other territories. Individuals who were naturalised in the UK were deemed to have received the status by imperial naturalisation, which
12733-583: Was an Indian citizen by descent, in which case registration of their birth was mandatory. Prior to 10 December 1992, only children of Indian fathers (not mothers) were eligible for citizenship by descent. Indian citizens by descent who hold another nationality automatically cease to be Indian citizens six months after reaching the age of 18, unless they renounce their foreign nationality. Certain non-citizens qualify for citizenship by registration if they are married to an Indian citizen, are minor children of Indian citizens, or are of Indian origin and living either in
12852-541: Was an autonomous monarchy in northeastern India from the 17th century to 1975. Although Britain (and later India) had control over its foreign affairs, Sikkim was never considered a princely state and always held full autonomy over domestic matters. Sikkim lacked codified nationality legislation until 1961, when the Sikkim Subject Regulation came into force. This legislation initially defined Sikkim subjects as anyone of native ancestry with their permanent home in
12971-529: Was available until Commonwealth citizen status was removed from Indian law in 2003. The UK itself updated its nationality law to reflect the more modest boundaries of its remaining territory and overseas possessions with the British Nationality Act 1981 , which redefined the term "British subject" to no longer also include Commonwealth citizens. Indian citizens remain Commonwealth citizens in British law and are still eligible to vote and stand for public office in
13090-417: Was created in 1951 to maintain a central ledger of all citizens in the state as a result of local discontent towards the influx of migrants. Assam's population growth rate was substantially higher than the rest of India for the entire period between 1901 and 1981. The highest levels of migration occurred in the decade following the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War ; an estimated 1.8 million people settled in
13209-528: Was enacted referencing British subjects in India, no comprehensive nationality statute existed to define which persons were subjects, leaving the status of native Indians ambiguous throughout this period. Legislation passed in 1852 allowed foreigners residing in territory governed by the East India Company to naturalise as British subjects by application to the government. There was no minimum residence requirement and candidates simply needed approval from
13328-408: Was first performed in 1873. She is usually depicted as a woman clad in an orange or saffron sari holding a flag and sometimes accompanied by a lion . Sports in India are mainly in two categories: traditional sports and global sports. Traditional sports like gilli danda , kho kho , kabaddi are quite popular. On the other hand, Indians are highly enthusiastic about the game of cricket, to
13447-427: Was no law terminating their previous citizenship. Former Indian citizens and descendants of citizens have been eligible for overseas citizenship since its creation in 2003. This status gives its holders a lifelong entitlement to live and work in the country but they cannot vote in elections , stand for public office, and are subject to restrictions on entry into protected and restricted areas . Overseas citizenship
13566-467: Was particularly unpopular, leading to a revolt and the repeal of the regulation in the following year. However, the 1962 amendment also created a facilitated naturalisation pathway for non-subjects of native ancestry; any person descended from a person domiciled in Sikkim before 1850 could apply for subject status even if they did not live in the country. After the dissolution of Sikkim's monarchy and its accession to India in 1975, any person registered as
13685-615: Was previously ruled by the British Empire and local residents were British subjects and British protected persons . Although India gained independence in 1947 and Indians no longer hold British nationality, they continue to have favoured status when residing in the United Kingdom ; as Commonwealth citizens , Indians are eligible to vote in UK elections and serve in public office there. Indian citizens also enjoy free movement rights in Nepal through bilateral agreement . The distinction between
13804-650: Was the Gupta Empire . This period, witnessing a Hindu religious and intellectual resurgence, is known as the classical or " Golden Age of India ". During this period, aspects of Indian civilisation, administration, culture, and Hinduism and Buddhism spread to much of Asia , while the Chola Empire in the south had flourishing maritime trade links with the Roman Empire during this period. The ancient Indian mathematicians Aryabhata , Bhāskara I and Brahmagupta invented
13923-543: Was valid throughout the Empire. Those naturalised in colonies were said to have gone through local naturalisation and were given subject status valid only within the relevant territory. For example, a subject locally naturalised in Bengal was a British subject there, but not in England nor New South Wales . Like protected persons, locally naturalised British subjects were still entitled to imperial protection when travelling outside of
14042-489: Was woven around 2450 BC and 2000 BC. In the 11th century BC Rig-veda mentions dyed and embroidered garments known as paridhan and pesas respectively and thus highlights the development of sophisticated garment manufacturing techniques during this period. In the 5th century BCE, Greek historian Herodotus describes the richness of the quality of Indian textiles. By the 2nd century AD, cotton , muslins and silk textiles manufactured in India were imported by
14161-506: Was written during the period between 200 BCE and 200 CE in classical India and is traditionally attributed to the Sage Bharata . Natya Shastra is incredibly wide in its scope. While it primarily deals with stagecraft, it has come to influence music , classical dance , and literature as well. It covers stage design , music , dance , makeup , and virtually every other aspect of stagecraft . Indian drama and theatre has
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