History of the Country - India
 

Welcome to India or Indi as the Greeks referred to it since it was a land on the banks of the river Indus. India is also known to rest of the world as Bharat (named after a great ruler) and Hindustan (land of the Hindus). The concept of one country or India developed during the struggle for Independence in the 19th Century, prior to which India was an amalgamation of various kingdoms and princely states or territories.

The spirit of India always fascinated the world with its mystique.
The Indus valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world dates back 5000 years; a civilization united by its diversity. India's history and culture is ancient and dynamic, spanning back to the beginning of human civilization. A visit to India is to experience the richness of culture, its past glory, the turbulences and triumphs. The landmarks of each era, the achievements of each age, the legacy of the regime.

India's history is more than just a set of unique developments in a definable process; it is, in many ways, a microcosm of human history itself, a diversity of cultures all impinging on a great people and being reforged into new, syncretic forms. Placed in the center of Asia, history in India is a crossroads of cultures from China to Europe, and the most significant Asian connection with the cultures of Africa. The history of India is one punctuated by constant integration with migrating peoples and with the diverse cultures that surround India.

The History of India begins with the birth of the Indus Valley Civilization in such sites as Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa, and Lothal, and the coming of the Aryans. These two phases are usually described as the pre-Vedic and Vedic periods. It is in the Vedic period that Hinduism first arose: this is the time to which the Vedas are dated.

In the 5th century, large parts of India were united under Ashoka. He also converted to Buddhism, and it is in his reign that Buddhism spread to other parts of Asia. It is in the reign of the Mauryas that Hinduism took the shape that fundamentally informs the religion down to the present day.
Islam first came to India in the 8th century, and by the 11th century had firmly established itself in India as a political force; the North Indian dynasties of the Lodhis, Tughlaqs, and numerous others, whose remains are visible in Delhi and scattered elsewhere around North India, were finally succeeded by the Mughal empire, under which India once again achieved a large measure of political unity.

The European presence in India dates to the 17th century and it is in the latter part of this century that the Mughal Empire began to disintegrate, paving the way for regional states. In the contest for supremacy, the English emerged 'victors', their rule marked by the conquests at the battlefields of Plassey and Buxar.

The Rebellion of 1857-58, which sought to restore Indian supremacy, was crushed; and with the subsequent crowning of Victoria as Empress of India, the incorporation of India into the empire was complete. Successive campaigns had the effect of driving the British out of India in 1947. India regained independence in 1947, after being partitioned into the Republic of India and Pakistan.

Now a brief history of Kozhikode, where you will be spending a minimum of 4 weeks during the course. Rich in history, Kozhikode or former Calicut was once a flourishing town, leading trading center in spices on the west coast of India was the traditional capital of Northern Kerala during the medieval period.

Calicut was brought into the attention of the entire world when Portuguese Navigator Vasco Da Gama discovered the sea route to India in 1498 and Calicut made a glorious entry in the world history. British and Dutch ruled the region for several years. In 1972 the administrative power was handed over to the local Zamori rulers after years of ascendancy by the British rulers. The region remained under Madras Presidency till Kerala was given the status of an individual state in 1956.

Today Kozhikode or Calicut is one of the prime tourist attractions in India and attracts thousands of visitors from different parts of the world every year.