India, That is Bharat Class 6 Soial science Chapter 5 CBSE Notes 2025-26

India is a country with a long and fascinating history, often referred to by many names across different ages. The modern boundaries of India are a result of centuries of change and evolution—thousands of years ago, the region looked very different, with territories, cultures, and names constantly shifting. Historians have been able to trace India’s past through old texts, inscriptions, and travel accounts, which act as windows into ancient times.

Ancient Names of India in Indian Texts In India’s oldest known scripture, the Ṛig Veda, the land in the northwest is called ‘Sapta Sindhava’, meaning the land of the seven rivers. The term ‘Sindhu’ refers to the Indus River and was used for water bodies in general.

As Indian literature grew, more regions were named, including places like Kāshmīra (Kashmir), Kurukṣhetra (in today’s Haryana), Vanga (Bengal), Pragjyotisha (Assam), Kaccha (Kutch), and Kerala. In the great epic Mahābhārata, two broader names emerged—‘Bharatavarsha’ and ‘Jambudvīpa’. ‘Bharatavarsha’ means the land of the Bharatas, likely an important Vedic tribe, and came to represent almost the whole subcontinent. ‘Jambudvīpa’ refers to the “island of the jamun fruit” and was another traditional name for India.

Spread and Meaning of ‘Bhārata’ Over time, ‘Bharata’ became widely accepted as a name for the Indian subcontinent. An ancient text, the Vishnu Puraṇa, describes Bharata as the area “north of the ocean and south of the snowy mountains.” This phrase covers the land between the Himalayas to the north and water bodies to the south. In different Indian languages, this name took forms like ‘Bharat’ and ‘Bharatam’. The Mahābhārata also recognized the extensive geography of the Indian subcontinent through its mention of several kingdoms.

Ancient Tamil literature from around 2,000 years ago also described India as stretching from Cape Kumari (Kanyakumari) in the south to the mountains in the north, and from the eastern to the western seas. This shows a strong sense of geographical and cultural unity, recognized in different corners of the country.

How Ancient Indians and Rulers Described the Land Famous rulers like Emperor Aśhoka (around 250 BCE) used the term ‘Jambudvipa’ in their inscriptions to refer to their entire empire, which covered not just present-day India, but also areas that are now parts of Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The Constitution of India, first written in 1950, uses the phrase “India, that is Bharat” to reflect this ancient heritage.

A look at the first page of the original Constitution tells us how the framers wanted to connect our modern identity with our ancient one. The phrase “India, that is Bharat” is found at the very beginning of the document, and in the Hindi version, it reads “Bhārat arthāth India”. The term ‘Constitution’ here refers to the guiding document of laws and principles on which the nation is founded.

Names for India by Foreigners As different civilizations connected with India, they gave their own names to this land. The Persians, who lived in ancient Iran, referred early on to the region as ‘Hind’, ‘Hidu’, or ‘Hindu’ after the Indus or Sindhu River. It is important to recognize that in early Persian, ‘Hindu’ meant a geographical region and had nothing to do with religion.

The Greeks, learning from Persian sources, dropped the “h” sound and started calling the region ‘Indoi’ or ‘Indike’. In their languages, they could not pronounce ‘Hindu’ easily. In the same way, the ancient Chinese adapted the name to ‘Yintu’ or ‘Yindu’, following a similar path of pronunciation changes:

• Sindhu → Hindhu → Indoi / Indike (Greek)
• Sindhu → Hindhu → Indu → Yindu (Chinese)

Some Chinese texts also used the term ‘Tianzhu’ for India, which, apart from coming from ‘Sindhu’, could mean ‘heavenly master’ in their language. This was a title of respect given to India, often associated with Buddhism and the teachings of the Buddha. A more recent and familiar term, ‘Hindustān’, first appeared in a Persian record nearly 1,800 years ago and was later used by many groups who came into contact with India.

Famous scholars from China, like Xuanzang, journeyed to India centuries ago, meeting Indian thinkers, collecting Buddhist scriptures, and taking their knowledge back to China. This shows not just the spread of names but the movement of ideas and beliefs between India and other countries.

Table: How India Was Named Across Cultures

• India’s ancient names include Sapta Sindhava, Bhāratavarṣha, and Jambudvīpa, each with its own meaning and importance.
• The name ‘Bharata’ links modern India with an ancient tribe and is still the most common name in Indian languages today.
• Foreign names for India—like Indoi, Hind, Yindu—often come from adaptations of ‘Sindhu’, the Indus River.
• The blending of local and foreign names for India reflects both the country’s long cultural journey and its broad connections with the wider world.

Practice Questions for Revision

1. What do the terms ‘Bharatavarsha’ and ‘Jambudvipa’ mean and where do they appear?
2. True or false? The Viṣhnu Purana describes the entire subcontinent. The Ṛig Veda gives a complete geography of India.
3. Name three regions or kingdoms mentioned in the Mahabharata that you can identify on a modern map.
4. How did the Persians and Greeks refer to India, and where did these words come from?
5. If you could name India 2,000 years ago, which name would you choose and why?

Remember, India’s story is not just about kings or changes in territory, but also about how its identity and name took shape over time, both inside the country and in the wider world. The words ‘India’ and ‘Bharat’ each carry stories of unity, diversity, and a journey lasting thousands of years.

CBSE Class 6 Social Science Chapter 5 Notes – India, That Is Bharat

These CBSE Class 6 Social Science Chapter 5 notes cover all key topics, such as ancient names of India, geographical boundaries, and foreign influences on the country’s identity. The concise points help students revise definitions and main events for quick understanding before exams.

By studying these revision notes, students will be able to answer important questions on how India got its names like Bharat, Jambudvīpa, and Hindustān. Quick facts and tables make it easier to remember vital facts from the NCERT textbook for efficient last-minute preparation.