India has played a huge part in world history for millennia. It would be impossible to explain absolutely all of the ways in which India has been important to the world.
Nevertheless, this article explains some of the key moments in world history where India took center stage, as well as giving an overview of the ways in which India remains very important to the world in the present day.
Mehrgarh – 7000 BCE
Our story begins in 7000 BCE, at one of the earliest neolithic settlements. This settlement, known in its Anglicized form as Mehrgarh, lies on the Indian continent in what is now Pakistan. The period from which the settlement dates is known as the Mehrgahr period. Why is this settlement so important? First and foremost, it is of crucial importance to world history because it represents one of the earliest pieces of evidence that we possess for the existence of ancient farming communities in Asia. In addition, some of the artifacts that have been unearthed in this settlement are simply beautiful, including a wonderfully preserved ceramic figurine which appears to be a fertility goddess, and which has been compared to classical and pre-classical statuettes of Venus.
The Himalayas – Mighty Protection
As we all know, this magnificent mountain range is home to the world’s highest peak: mount Everest. Indeed, over 50 mountains in the Himalayan range are in excess of the key benchmark of 7, 200 metres high (for more data on the mountains, see this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himalayas). The Himalayas have long formed a natural wall of ‘Mighty Protection’, preserving civilizations against invading armies, maintaining ecosystems, and enabling culture to flourish in the shadow of the mountains.
Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi, who lived until 1948, is one of the most important figures in the non violence movement worldwide. His philosophy of non violent resistance for a good cause has inspired other movements world wide, including peace protestors at rallies, and the Himalayan Chipko ecological movement. Gandhi was a crucial figure in gaining independence for India, which was achieved in 1947. It was Gandhi and his followers’ use of non violent civil disobedience that materially ended the colonial rule of the British in the country. To this day, the name of Gandhi is synonymous with the power of peace.
The launch of the PSLV.
On February 15th, 2017, India made space age history when it managed to launch no less than 104 polar satellite missiles in a single mission. This was thanks to the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (known as the PSLV for short). To give you an idea of the scale of the achievement, the previous record holder was Russia, who managed to launch around a third of the number of India’s missiles – i.e. 37 – back in 2014. With its PSLV, India has helped other nations, by launching satellites that are designed to go into geostationary orbit on behalf of countries as diverse as Canada and Singapore.
Bollywood is the largest film industry in the world!
Named from a mix of ‘Bombay’ (the previous, Anglicized, name of Mumbai) and ‘Hollywood’, India’s Bollywood film industry remains the world’s largest. At the last count, in 2014, Bollywood had produced a whopping 263 feature films (for more data on India’s film industry and its place in the world, please see this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollywood)
India is responsible for the world’s largest diaspora
In 2015, it was revealed that 16 million people of Indian origin were living outside their country of birth. This makes India the source of the largest diaspora in the entire world! Indians can be found in every country of the world, from Finland to Fiji!
The world’s largest youth population
More than 50% of India’s population is aged below 25 and its population is getting younger and younger. That means that India has the largest youth population in the whole world. This can be a factor in enabling India to become a world leader when it comes to innovations in every sphere, from tech to innovation, in the near future.
India has the third largest number of billionaires.
Out of all the countries in the world, India has the third largest number of billionaires.
The world’s largest solar plant
With a 648 MW capacity, the power plant in Kamuthi in Tamil Nadu in India is the largest solar power plant on the whole planet.
India is the world’s largest gold consumer.
Seems all of those billionaires in India are keeping busy buying gold…
India is a key player in the world of tech and connectivity.
India has the second last smartphone market in the world, and also India has second largest number of Internet users in the world. You may not be surprised to hear that the only country that manages to exceed India in terms of tech markets and internet usage is the tech giant China. What is more, Indians are really powering social media at the moment, as recent statistics have revealed that India is also home to the second largest number of Facebook users in the whole world.
The world’s cheapest car
The cheapest car in the world is made in India. It’s name: the tata nano!
The world’s first solar powered airport
We’ve already heard about India’s penchant for huge solar power plants, but did you know that its love of solar power has extended to the creation of the first ever solar powered airport? This is Cochin International Airport in the southern Indian state of Kerala. To top things off, India is home to the world’s fastest growing aviation market, too.
Besides above, other important things to note about India:
The first public demonstration of Microwave transmission took place in India. This took place in 1895, and was overseen by Jagadish Chandra Bose!
Yoga originated in Ancient India…and now is practised all over the world.
India is the world’s second largest domestic LPG consumer. As a whole, India consumes 19 million tonnes of LPG per year and counting!
India was the second biggest Investor in the UK in 2015. It was second only to the US and France when it comes to FDI (i.e. Foreign Direct Investment) to the UK.
Further Wikipedia links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehrgarh
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma_Gandhi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_Satellite_Launch_Vehicle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-resident_Indian_and_person_of_Indian_origin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_India
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