Bhāratavarsha - The Land of a Thousand Names

Bhāratavarsha - The Land of a Thousand Names

1. Bhāratavarsha (Sanskrit): This is the oldest recorded name for India, and it is still used today as an alternative name for the country. It is derived from the name of the legendary king Bharata, who is said to have founded the first Indian empire.

2. Hind (Persian): This name was used by the Persians and other Middle Eastern peoples to refer to India. It is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word Sindhu, which refers to the Indus River.

3. Hindustan (Persian): This name is a combination of the words "Hind" and "stan", which means "land" in Persian. It was used by the Mughals and other Muslim rulers of India.

4. Jambudvipa (Sanskrit): This name means "island of the rosewood tree" in Sanskrit. It is a reference to the Indian subcontinent, which is thought to be shaped like a jambu tree.

5. Aryavarta (Sanskrit): This name means "land of the Aryans" in Sanskrit. The Aryans were a group of Indo-European peoples who migrated to the Indian subcontinent in the 2nd millennium BCE.

6. Mleccha (Sanskrit): This name was used by the ancient Hindus to refer to foreigners and non-Aryans. It is often translated as "barbarian" or "outsider".

7. Sindhu (Sanskrit): This name refers to the Indus River, which is one of the major rivers in India. It is thought to be the oldest name for the Indian subcontinent.

8. Bharatkhand (Sanskrit): This name means "land of Bharata" in Sanskrit. It is a reference to the legendary king Bharata, who is said to have founded the first Indian empire.

9. Himvarsh (Sanskrit): This name means "land of snow" in Sanskrit. It is a reference to the Himalayas, which are the highest mountains in the world and are located in the north of India.

10. Ajnabhavarsh (Sanskrit): This name means "land of the unknown" in Sanskrit. It is a reference to the fact that India was a mysterious and exotic land to many people in the ancient world.