A viral post on social media claims that India got its name from the British after Independence and that its full form is 'Independent Nation Declared In August.' However, this claim is completely false and unsupported by historical facts.

The Origin of India's Name

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India's name comes from the Indus River, known as Sindhu in Sanskrit. The Greeks and Iranians who traveled through the northwest 2500 years ago, called the Indus River the Hindos or the Indos, and the land to the east of the river was known as India. The name 'India' had already been identified with the region beyond the Indus by the time of Alexander the Great's invasion in the third century BCE.

The British and India's Name

The British began using the term 'India' in the late 18th century, according to historian Ian J. Barrow in his article 'From Hindustan to India: Naming change in changing names'. 'Hindustan,' which was mainly used from the 16th century, began to lose its association with all of South Asia. The term 'India' appealed to the British because of its Graeco-Roman associations, long history of use in Europe, and adoption by scientific and bureaucratic organizations such as the Survey of India.

Various British legislations made in the 19th and 20th centuries, prior to India's Independence, have used the term 'India.' Therefore, the claim that India got its name from the British after Independence is false.

India's Full Form

The post also claims that the full form of India is 'Independent Nation Declared In August.' However, this claim has no factual basis and is untrue. India's name has no full form and does not come as a short form of 'Independent Nation Declared In August.'

The Naming of India in the Constitution

When the Constitution of India was being prepared, a debate ensued regarding the naming of the country in a way that would be most suitable for its multicultural, vivacious population. However, none of the suggestions made by Hari Vishnu Kamath, Seth Govind Das, and Hargovind Pant were accepted by the committee. Consequently, the first article of the Indian Constitution reads, 'India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.'

In Conclusion

In summary, India's name originated from the Indus River, and the term 'India' was used by the British since the 18th century and not after Independence. Moreover, India's name has no full form and does not come as a short form of 'Independent Nation Declared In August.' While India's Constitution refers to the country as 'Bharat,' this does not change the fact that India's name has been 'India' for centuries.