India

India has a long history stretching from prehistoric times to the modern republic.
In the Indus Valley (c. 2600–1900 BCE), cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-daro flourished with planned streets, drainage and long-distance trade. From c. 1500 BCE, Indo-Aryan cultures spread in the Gangetic plains, giving rise to the Vedic age and later the Mahajanapadas, including Magadha. The Mauryan Empire under Ashoka (3rd century BCE) united much of the subcontinent and promoted Buddhism. Later, empires such as the Kushans, Guptas and many regional dynasties shaped classical Indian art, science and religion.

From around the 8th century CE, a series of Islamic dynasties—ending in the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire—ruled large parts of India, creating a rich Indo-Islamic cultural blend. European traders arrived in the 16th century; the British East India Company slowly gained control, leading to direct British Crown rule after 1858. Resistance to colonialism grew through uprisings like 1857 and, later, the mass non-violent movement led by Mahatma Gandhi and many others.

India gained independence on 15 August 1947, was partitioned into India and Pakistan, and adopted its Constitution in 1950 as a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. Since then, it has developed as a diverse democracy with a rapidly growing economy.