India History Political System

India History Political System

Culture is a strong part of people’s lives; it influences people’s views, values, hopes, humor, loyalties, worries, and fears. Throughout the world, there are millions of different cultures. Globalization and movement of people from the region to another make it valuable to be culturally competent in other people’s way of life. Besides, learning and understanding how other people live and go by their day-to-day activities help build acceptance of the diverseness of the world. In many occasions, people tend to focus on how different we are. Studying culture and learning about others does not only outline the difference but also focuses on how much we have in common. Between all the races, languages, and etiquette, it is sometimes daunting to accept that people are different unless you study and understand these differences. The Indian culture is with no doubt one of the richest. As an individual who believes in cultural competence and acceptance of diverseness of the world, I have found learning other cultures as the path to promoting such inclusivity and to the very least, accepting other people’s values and norms. This report is aimed at providing a friend with an overview of India’s political system history, economy, culture, art, and architecture. I will also give a reflection of what I have so far learned in India culture course that I did not expect.

India History Political System

In the study of culture, politics is defined as the process of making decisions that apply to members of a group. The political system of India cannot be well understood without the mention of the British influence in the region. The British presence in India was heralded by the formation of East India Company (EIC), a small enterprise run by a group of City of London merchants (Wheeler 2). EIC had in 1600 granted a royal charter conferring their monopoly of trade in the whole of Asia and the Pacific. Though the primary agenda of EIC was to trade, its presence in the Gulf helped shape the region’s political system. In the mid-1740s, the spread of war between France and Britain to India changed the company’s commercial influence to military influence in the region. In 1757, EIC established military supremacy over other competing European trading companies in the region (Wheeler 11). The company would later face opposition due to its monopoly power in the region becoming a merely managing agency for the British government of India from the 1830s.

By the time the East Indian Company was fading in political dominance in India, the British government had taken control of about two-thirds of India. The British imperial rule over India started in 1858, a time when () says India was performing exceedingly well politically. India’s incredible workforce and raw materials such as tea, indigo, coffee, cotton, jute, and opium attracted the British to the region. The British political rule in India, however, came under sharp criticism from the locals who felt they were being treated as half-humans. There was a growing sense of nationalism. As a result, the Indian National Congress (INC) was formed to help the locals have their Britain-dominated government. The British government would, however, respond with strict policies and taxes on the Indian people causing famine hunger and poverty among the Indians.

At the beginning of the 2oth century, activists such as Mahatma Gandhi influenced political movements in the region against British power. Gandhi spearheaded peaceful protests against the British rule and political influence in the country. These protests include the non-cooperation movement (1920), the civil-disobedience movement (1930), and the Quit India Movement (1942). These protests, among other factors, led the British hand over the powers to India at the end of the Second World War. Two years after its independence from the British in 1947, India created its first constitution. The Preamble of the Indian Constitution describes India as a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, and Democratic Republic. Since gaining its independence, India has been ruled by a changing group of Hindu and Muslim leaders.

Today, India is described as the biggest democracy in the world. The country has a multi-party system of governance. Some of the national parties include Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Communist Party of India (CPI), among many other Parties. With a population of over one billion people, every voter in the country has equal opportunity to elect their leaders. The president, elected by the Electoral College, is the head of state and has a five-year term. The prime minister, chosen by the political party that is in power, is the head of the government and the most powerful. Also, India has Rajya Sabha, the Council of States, or the Upper House with 250 members. Lok Sabha is the People’s Assembly or the Lower House, which is elected directly by the people with 545 members (Rana 6).

Economy

India is the twelfth largest economy in the world in terms of the market exchange rate. This success, however, has not been easy and comes a long way. From the pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial India, Agriculture plaid a vital part in economic growth. India boasts fertile plains, rivers, and water bodies and a favorable climate that provide a wonderful scope for agricultural production in the country (Kosambi 51). Besides, Indians have throughout history been known as excellent traders. As already seen in the political system of India, East India Company helped shape the economy of the region from the seventeenth century. India’s economy was built on its abundant resources, such as textiles, tea, and spices. Colonial India was a significant part of the country’s economic history as it led to the introduction of taxing policies alongside other goods that were previously not traded in the country. After independence, India took the rough path to economic development, which has seen the country emerge as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. According to Basu (7), some of the factors that have contributed to India’s rapid economic growth include the nature of institutions in the nation, the prevalent social norms, India’s position in the global polity, and the nature of economic policy pursued by the respective government, and not to forget the high population of the country. Some of the government initiated programs in India that have helped grow the economy of the country include the Five Year Plans that were enacted immediately after independence, Green Revolution of the 1960s that aimed at making India self-sufficient in food grain production, and the open market plans of the 1990s (Basu 8).

Culture

Indians are unique in their own ways. India is termed as one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse nations in the world. Religion, according to Satpathy (9), is a central place in Indian culture. Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism are India’s main religions, all of which are based on the concept of dharma and karma (Zimmerman n.p). Hindi is the official language used by the Indian government and the most commonly used by the people. In terms of food, though cooking styles vary from region to another in India, wheat, Basmati rice and pulses with chana (Bengal gram) are important staples in Indian diet (Zimmerman n.p). What makes India’s food unique from other cuisines is that it is rich with curries and spices, including ginger, coriander, cardamom, turmeric, dried hot peppers, and cinnamon, among others. Between 20 to 40 percent of Indians are vegetarians because they treat cows as holy figures. Also, Indians practice arranged marriages, a concept that traces back to as early as the Vedic times (Holidify n.p). It is also important to understand that in India’ Atithi Devo Bhavah,’ meaning ‘the guest is equivalent to god’ (Holidify n.p). Indians treat their guests with supreme importance. Indian dressing code is also one of the most conspicuous and unique. Indian women wear saris. Other notable Indian cultures include different forms of folk dances, martial arts, and eating with hands.

Indian Art and Architecture

Jaj Mahal, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to honor his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, is India’s most well-known architecture. The value of this architecture is that it is a combination of elements from Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish, and Indian architectural styles. Also, India is well-known for Bollywood, its film industry that began in 1986. Today, Bollywood is different from other films from their elaborate singing and dancing that show romance and joy.

Learning about Indian culture, I must say that I was moved and surprised by a lot of things. First, I did not know that India’s film industry dates back to as early as the late nineteenth century. I, for once, thought that it is only Hollywood that has such a rich history. India is indeed rich in history and culture. The second thing that surprised me when going through the course was that India gained its independence as late as the mid-twentieth century. In terms of economic growth and political sanity, India has performed exceptionally well, something that has put them in the global map. It is unimaginable that until the 1940s, India was still under the chains of colonial rule. The short period of independence has seen India emerge a strong political and economic power in the global arena. I am optimistic that the future of India is even greater. I come to this conclusion because, having read the political system of India, I have learned that the government tries to as much as possible to put the interest of the people ahead of every decision. Democracy demonstrated in India is the backbone of economic growth in any part of the world. Also, the people of India, unlike many other people around the globe, have preserved their culture with little influence from the Western world. From dressing code, food, language, and religion, Indians have demonstrated high standards of conservatism. I believe Indians will continue to embrace their culture today and even in the unforeseeable future.