The Indus River, which traverses the Indian subcontinent’s northwest corner, is the source of the word “India.” This area was known as “India” or “Indoi” by the ancient Greeks and Romans, which eventually served as the inspiration for the contemporary name of the nation.
Since the Mauryan Empire’s rule in the third century BCE, the term “India” has been used to refer to the entire subcontinent. The majority of the Indian subcontinent was under the dominion of Ashoka, who called his kingdom Jambudvipa, which translates from Sanskrit as “Rose-Apple Isle.” However, the word “India” was popularised by the ancient Greek historian Megasthenes, who resided in Ashoka’s court and wrote about the area.
Over time, the name “India” became widely used to refer to the entire subcontinent, including modern-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and parts of Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar. Today, the name “India” is commonly used to refer to the country of India, which gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947.
