Indians

Indians
Name	Indians

Indians are a diverse population originating primarily from the South Asian subcontinent with extensive diasporas worldwide. They encompass multiple ethnic, linguistic, religious, and cultural communities shaped by millennia of migration, state formation, trade, and intellectual exchange. Their global presence links to historical empires, colonial encounters, modern nation-states, and transnational networks.

Etymology and Terminology

The exonym derives from Indus River via Ancient Greek language terms used by Herodotus and later by Arrian and Pliny the Elder, while the endonym Bharat appears in Mahabharata and in inscriptions such as the Aśoka inscriptions. Colonial-era usage by British East India Company officials and by administrators in British Raj standardized the English term; constitutional usage in Republic of India retains both Bharat and India. Scholarly debates involve comparisons to terms like Hindustan used in sources including the Baburnama and toponymic labels in Persian language chronicles and Portuguese India documents. Modern legal texts such as the Constitution of India codify citizenship terminology while international law instruments like the United Nations conventions frame diaspora designations.

Demographics and Distribution

Population data are collected by censuses such as the Census of India and by national statistics offices in countries with significant diasporas such as United States Census Bureau, Statistics Canada, Office for National Statistics (UK), Australian Bureau of Statistics, and Ministry of Home Affairs (India). Major concentrations exist within the Republic of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Bhutan, with sizeable communities in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago, and Malaysia. Urban agglomerations with high populations include Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Karachi, Dhaka, Kathmandu, and Colombo. Migration waves tied to events like indentured labor movements organized by British Empire planters, labor migrations to Gulf Cooperation Council states, and skilled migration to Silicon Valley have reshaped demographic profiles referenced in studies by World Bank, International Organization for Migration, and United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

History

Prehistoric and ancient periods feature sites such as Mehrgarh, evidence from the Indus Valley Civilization, and texts from the Vedas and Rigveda; imperial phases include the Maurya Empire, Gupta Empire, Chola dynasty, Mughal Empire, and regional polities like the Vijayanagara Empire and Maratha Empire. Contacts with Achaemenid Empire, Hellenistic Greece, Roman Empire, Tang dynasty, and Arab Caliphate influenced trade networks recorded in sources like the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. Medieval and early modern eras saw the rise of institutions under rulers such as Akbar, Shivaji, and Raja Raja Chola I and incursions by entities including the East India Company culminating in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and the transfer of sovereignty to the British Crown. Nationalist movements led by figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and Subhas Chandra Bose resulted in the partition events of 1947 producing Dominion of India and Dominion of Pakistan and subsequent conflicts such as the Indo-Pakistani wars and the Bangladesh Liberation War. Postcolonial developments include land reform initiatives, economic planning under Five-Year Plans (India), and global integration through institutions like the World Trade Organization.

Culture and Society

Cultural traditions encompass performing arts such as Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, and film industries including Bollywood, Tollywood (Telugu cinema), and Kollywood. Literary contributions range from classical works like the Ramayana and Mahabharata to modern authors such as Rabindranath Tagore, R. K. Narayan, Arundhati Roy, Salman Rushdie, and Jhumpa Lahiri. Architectural heritage includes monuments like the Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar, Konark Sun Temple, and Red Fort. Festivals such as Diwali, Holi, Eid al-Fitr, Vesak, and Christmas mark communal calendars, while cuisines from regions like Punjab, Bengal, Gujarat, and Kerala showcase dishes celebrated in global restaurants. Social reform movements and figures such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy, B. R. Ambedkar, and Annie Besant influenced debates on caste, gender, and legal rights exemplified in legislation like the Hindu Code Bills.

Languages and Religion

Language families represented include Indo-Aryan languages such as Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi, Marathi, and Sindhi; Dravidian languages such as Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam; and others like Sino-Tibetan languages (Nepali) and Austroasiatic languages (Santali). Script traditions range from Devanagari to Tamil script, Bengali script, and Perso-Arabic script used for Urdu. Religious affiliations span Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, Christianity, and indigenous faiths; pilgrimage sites include Varanasi, Amritsar, Bodh Gaya, and Rameswaram. Reform movements such as Bhakti movement, Sufism, and modern organizations like Arya Samaj and Ramakrishna Mission shaped devotional practices.

Economy and Education

Economic transformation involves agriculture in regions like the Ganges Delta and industrial centers including Pune, Noida, and Surat alongside service-sector hubs such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Economic policy landmarks include the Licence Raj, the 1991 Indian economic liberalisation, and participation in multilateral institutions like the International Monetary Fund and Asian Development Bank. Major corporations and institutions include Tata Group, Reliance Industries, Infosys, Wipro, Mahindra Group, and Indian Institutes of Technology; higher education and research bodies include University of Calcutta, University of Delhi, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, and Indian Space Research Organisation with missions like Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan. Labor migration patterns interact with remittance flows tracked by World Bank statistics.

Contemporary Issues and Identity Politics

Contemporary debates involve constitutional citizenship cases adjudicated by the Supreme Court of India and policies such as the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 and discussions over affirmative action linked to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Political movements and parties like the Bharatiya Janata Party, Indian National Congress, and regional parties including Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Aam Aadmi Party shape policy and identity discourse. Transnational issues include diaspora lobbying through organizations such as the Overseas Friends of BJP and responses to international events involving United States–India relations, India–China border standoff, and climate negotiations at United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conferences. Debates over secularism, communalism, linguistic rights, and land rights engage courts, civil society groups like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, and social movements exemplified by protests in locations such as Shaheen Bagh and demonstrations influenced by campaigns on social media platforms.

Category:Peoples of South Asia