"Story of India" Questions

Kerala
2. During the first century CE, India's spices became the most important commodity in trade with the eastern Mediterranean. Demand for spices used in seasoning and preservation in the West spurred trade with India for cardamom, ginger, turmeric, saffron, nutmeg, and clove.
5. Boat building was one of India’s first industries (similar to spice trade). Indians were known for their large and durable ships.

Language
1. Philologist see a connection between Sanskrit and other Indo-European languages (for example Latin or Greek). These languages have some astounding similarities. So is for example the greek word "mater", very similar to latin "meter”, and "matar" in Sanskrit. It is suggested that these languages have a common origin.
2. The Aryan immigration spread from Turkey in 9000BC to what is known as Iran today and into the northeast of India. The Aryans did not have a significant impact on the DNA, they did bring influence in form of language and culture.
3. Transferring mantras over generations is mostly responsible for keeping the caste system in its traditional state because its not simply a transfer of language but culture.

The Ganges River
1. To praise the god Ganga Hindus are bathing in the Ganges every day. They believe by this they can reverse sins and attain eternal salvation.
3. The idea of the caste system is deeply rooted in Hinduism therefore a simple ban by law did not away with the societal fact. It will take time to change the mindset of the Indian population.

Tamil Nadu
1. Spices were the most interesting good the British were interested in. Besides the trade with spices they found this region to be very valuable because of the fertility of the soil that allowed up to three harvests per year.

Agriculture
1. Even though we all have high-tech and IT etc in mind when we think about India, agriculture is still a very important sector of the Indian economy. The monsoon winds bring most of the water needed for agriculture. Some people say 80% of India’s rain is supplied by the monsoons.
2. The Anicut Dam provided much needed water to facilitate agricultural growth for a developing population. The dam divertes water to the delta and prevents it from flowing out to the India Ocean. The dam is over 1000 feet long and 60 feet wide and is till in use today even though it was built during the Cholan Empire.

Trade
1. India has been an important center of trade because it is essentially a connection between empires like China and Rome. Valuable goods like silk and spices were available in India and much sought after in said empires.

Fine Arts
2. Gold flowed into India because Romans wanted Indian goods such as spices and they traded it for gold and other precious metals. Indians used the gold to make jewellery while Romans used it for other purposes.

Allahabad
4. After the rebellion, the British strengthened their relationships to the Indians and no new land reforms were implemented for 90 years.

Religion
1. Throughout history in India the separation of church and state was widely accepted. I believe that this is largely responsible for the successful development of the country. As I understand there are uncountable different religions in India, if a government would advocate the advancement of one specific religious denomination it would cause tension within the society.

Science and Medicine
1. I think we live in a very fast paced and stressful world. People crave relaxation and spirituality. I think because yoga combines this with working out and physical fitness is the reason for growing popularity.
3. I don’t know if I can say the Indians invented zero, but at least they discovered it. The concept of zero is extremely important in mathematics making the Indian’s an important player in the advancement of this science.

Taj Mahal
1. The Taj Mahal was originally intended to be a tomb for Gauhara Begum, the third wife of Mumtaz Mahal (the Mughal emperor). The Taj Mahal represents a map of the Day of Judgment.
2. I find the giant dome that rises on top of the tomb most impressive. I think just looking at a building of this size will make me hold my breath in veneration.

Non-Violence
1. Non-violence or non-injury (ahimsa in Sanskrit) is a precept common to three faiths that originated in the Indian subcontinent—Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism.
Hinduism identifies non-violence as an essential virtue in its ancient treatises.
Adherents to the proscription against can escape from the cycle of rebirth.

Partition and Independence
1. The Indian National Congress (t he country's strongest advocate for self-rule) and Jawaharlal Nehru faced heavy tensions between Muslims and Hindus. Ultimately a separation of India and Pakistan became inevitable.