Relevance of Name

India derives its name from Indus, which is derived from the Old Persian word Hindu, from Sanskrit Sindhu, the historic local appellation for the Indus River.

The Constitution ofIndia and common usage in Hindi also recognize “Bharat” as an official name of equal status.

 A third name, Hindustan (Persian: Land of the Hindus), has been in use since the 12th century, though its contemporary use is unevenly applied.

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