Different Names of India: India, the seventh-largest country in the world, is known by many names. Each of these names reflects a unique aspect of its cultural, linguistic, historical, or geographical diversity. In this article, we will explore the different names of India and their significance. Many of us know India either by the name of “India” or “Bharata”. Some who have a little interest in history, also, know India by the name of “Bharatvarsha” or “Aryavarta”. India is known by many names – Jambudweepa, Al-Hind, Hindustan, Tenjiku, Aryavarta, and Bharat. One country, many names. But in past immemorial, India was known by several different names in several different eras and societies and some of those names are listed here:
25 Different Names of India
1. India
The current name India is derived from the name of Sindhu river. It has been in use in Greek since Herodus (400 BC) and in English since the 9th century. The people from Iran and Greece came to the north west of India. Thus, they became familiar with the river Indus. They called it Indos or Hindos. The land to the east of this river came to be known as India.
“India, that is Bharat, shall be a union of states’.
2. Bharata
Bharata, the official name of India in Hindi, is the abbreviated form of Bharatvarsha, where Bharata is referred to the Vedic age King Bharata. Bharat is the most popular name of India, derived from the ancient Sanskrit language. It is believed to have originated from the mythological king Bharata, who is mentioned in the Hindu epic, Mahabharata. According to Hindu mythology, Bharat was the first ruler of the world who established an ideal kingdom based on righteousness and justice. Over time, the name Bharat became synonymous with India, and it is still widely used today.
3. Hindustan
In the 11th century, the Muslim conquerors called their Indian dominion, Hindustan. The Hindustan means the land of Hind. The Persian ‘Hindustan’, and the Latin ‘India’, are both derived from the old-Persian term ‘Hindu’. Hindu is Persian for Sindhu, the name for the Indus River in ancient Sanskrit. Thus, ‘Hindustan’ is ‘the land beyond the Indus’. Hindustan became a commonly used term to refer to the Mughal Empire, comprising primarily of north India, prior to British rule
4. Jambudvipa or Jambudweep
Jambudvipa is an ancient name for India, which means “the land of Jambu trees.” According to Hindu mythology, Jambudvipa was one of the nine divisions of the world, and India was considered its southernmost region. The name Jambudvipa highlights India’s rich natural resources and fertile land. The Jambu or Jambul means Indian blackberry and dvipa means the continent.
5. Bharatvarsha / Bharatam
The term “Bharatvarsha” is first cited in Vishnu Purana as the country(varṣam) that lies north of the ocean and south of the snowy mountains is called Bhāratam; there dwell the descendants of Bharata. Here, Bharata is referred to the mythical Vedic age King of Bharata and varsha means the country. The name Bharatvarsha reflects India’s long and rich history and its cultural continuity.
6. Aryavarta
Aryavarta is another ancient name for India, which means “the land of the Aryans.” The name Aryavarta is derived from the Sanskrit language, where ‘Arya’ means noble or pure and ‘varta’ means dwelling. According to Hindu mythology, Aryavarta was the sacred land of the Aryans, the noble race who migrated to India and established their civilization. The name Aryavarta reflects India’s rich cultural heritage and its significant contribution to the world’s civilization.
7. Hind
Hind is a name commonly used by Arabs and Persians to refer to India. The name Hind is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, where it means the river Indus. The name Hind reflects India’s geographic location and its long-standing cultural and trade connections with the Middle East. The name Hind is the Persian language equivalent of Sindh. According to many historians and linguists, Persians were not able to pronounce Sindh properly. They made “H” sound instead of “S” sound. Thus, the word Sindh became Hind.
8. Akhand Bharat / Bharatakhanda
Akhand Bharat, also known as Undivided India, is a concept that refers to the historical and cultural unity of the Indian subcontinent. The idea of Akhand Bharat originated during India’s independence movement, and it has since been used by Hindu nationalist groups who advocate for the reunification of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The name Akhand Bharat reflects India’s cultural and historical unity and its long-standing civilizational continuity.
Bharatakhanda is another name for India, which means “the continent of Bharata.” The name Bharatakhanda is derived from the Sanskrit language, where ‘khanda’ means continent or region. The name Bharatakhanda highlights India’s vast size and diverse geography.
9. Nabhivarsha
In Jain texts, India was known as Nabhivarsha, the country of Nabhi. Nabhi was a Chakravarti King and father of first Jain thirthankara Rishabhanatha.
In ancient Hindu texts, a different definition for the Nabhivarsha is given. According to Hindu texts, here Nabhi means “navel of the Brahma” and varsha means “the country.”
10. Al-Hind
In some Arabic text, India is denoted by the name of Al-Hind, which literally means “the Hind”.
11. Tianzhu
This is the Chinese and the Japanese name given to India by the Oriental scholars. During their travels, they came across a region bordered by the Sindhu river (now known as Indus. The Persian rule changed the name of Sindhu to Hindu and Tianzhu is literally a translation of Hindu.
12. Tenjiku
Tenjiku is the Japanese version of the Chinese name for India, Tianzhu.
13. Cheonchuk
Cheonchuk is the historical Korean name of India. It is pronounced like Chinese name for India, Tianzhu (xien-t’juk).
14. Indika/Indica
The ancient Greek historian, diplomat, and explorer, Megasthenes called India by the name of Indika. His popular work Indika is an account of the Mauryan Empire. The original book is now lost, but its fragment survived in later Greek and Latin texts.
15. Shendu
In Sima Qian’s Shiji, The Scribe’s Records, India is mentioned as Shendu. Most probably the distortion of the word “Sindhu”.
16. Dravida
In classical Sanskrit literature, Aryvarta is the name for North India. In Manu Smirti, it is described as “the tract between the Himalaya and the Vindhya ranges, from the Eastern (Bay of Bengal) to the Western Sea (Arabian Sea).” On another hand, South India was known by the name of Dravida. The Dravida region encompasses the modern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and a minor part of Chhattisgarh. The region also includes union territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.
17. Tiandu
In Hou Hanshu or Book of the Later Han, the Chinese court document covering the history of Han dynasty from 6 to 189 CE, India is known as Tiandu.
18. Yintejia
The name Yintejia is another historical name of India found in the records of Chinese dynasty of Kucha.
19. Wutianzhu
In China, India is also referred as Wutianzhu, which literally means “Five Indias”. As India can divided into five major regions, Central, Eastern, Western, Northern, and Southern India.
20. Wu Yin
Wu Yin is the name given by famous Chinese Buddhist scholar Xuanzang to India. He became famous for his seventeen-year journey in India, (629 — 645 CE). The term Wu Yin means Five Indias.
21. Yindu
Yindu is the current Chinese term for India and it is derived from either Hindu or Sindhu.
22. Hidush
Hidush is another Persian name of India, which is found in the accounts of Darius the Great. Darius controlled the Indus Valley from Gandhara to modern Karachi around 515 BC.
23. Hodu
Hodu is the Biblical Hebrew name for India. It is mentioned in the book of Esther. In Esther 1:1, Ahasuerus(Xerxes) had been described as King ruling 127 provinces from Hodu(India) to Ethiopia.
24. Indo
Indo is the current Japanese name for the Republic of India.
25. Sone Ki Chidiya
Sone Ki Chidiya, which means the golden bird, is a name used to describe India’s prosperity and wealth during the ancient times. The name Sone Ki Chidiya is derived from the Sanskrit language, where ‘Sone’ means gold and ‘Chidiya’ means bird. This name reflects India’s rich natural resources and its long history of economic prosperity and trade.
Conclusion
India is a land of many names, each reflecting a unique aspect of its culture, history, geography, and diversity. These names have been shaped by India’s long and rich history, its deep cultural roots, and its continuous contributions to the world’s civilization. Whether it is Bharat, Hindustan, Jambudvipa, Aryavarta, Bharatvarsha, Hind, or Bharatakhanda, India remains a land of immense cultural richness and diversity.
