The name India was imposed on the land by the British colonizers, and the locals originally called their homeland Bharata. Before the 17th century, the region was never known as India. Bharata is derived from the Sanskrit word "one who seeks knowledge, light." Comparatively, the name India bears more of a colonial stamp. These two names are still in use today, but we are more familiar with the English word "India".
Understanding the history of India can be divided into two main phases: the stage of conquest and the stage of independence. These two stages are intertwined with each other, just as China's history has experienced a chaotic period after the unification of the Qin and Han dynasties, and only then has it entered a prosperous era. Prior to the establishment of the Mauryan Empire, India experienced a tribal era. In 600 BC, northwestern India was conquered by the Persians, and in 327 BC, Alexander the Great led an expeditionary force to defeat the Persian army and enter India. The Mauryan Empire was founded in 322 BC with Emperor Ashoka as the most prominent monarch, and during his reign he largely unified the entire Indian continent. However, with the death of Emperor Ashoka, the Mauryan Empire gradually declined, similar to the situation of the Western Han Dynasty after the death of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty in China.
The Gupta dynasty arose in the 1st century, but due to internal disunity, it led to foreign rule. In the 4th century, the Kushan Empire arose and occupied parts of northwestern India. The Gupta dynasty gradually completed the unification of northern India, but the southern Karami remained independent. However, the Gupta dynasty was again conquered by the Central Asian White Huns around 540, and India was once again under foreign rule. The invasion of the Bada (White Huns) eventually led to their assimilation in India, becoming natives.
The Delhi Sultanate was established in 1206, and the Turkic peoples of Central Asia ruled most of India. The Mughal Empire was then established in 1526 under the rule of Babur, a Turkic Mongol from Central Asia. Despite being an empire founded by outsiders, the Mughal Empire existed until the British colonial period. The British East India Company established a colony in Bengal in 1757 and began to expand gradually. After 1773, all land sovereignty of the British East India Company was vested in the British Crown, which made the colonial invasion smoother. In 1857, the Mughal Empire collapsed, and India became a British colony. In 1876, Queen Victoria of England was crowned Empress of India. India gained independence in 1947, ending British rule.