India earned its
independence from the British on the 15/8/47. But the British
army left India ultimately in 1950. The Indians celebrate
26/1/1950 as the Republic Day of India. On this day the Indian
constitution was adopted. Until its independence in 1947, other
countries which neighbor India today; Pakistan, Bangladesh
(formerly East Pakistan), Myanmar (formerly Burma) and distant
places like Aden in present day Yemen; were all parts of British
India and were all considered as India. Until then (including the
British era) India was never one single country but a collection
of kingdoms and authorities with no sense of unity. In this sense
India as one single country is mainly a result of British rule.
Before that the word India was not used to indicate the present
day India, but any kingdom, culture or community that existed
between present day Afganistan, in the west, up to China and
Myanmar in the east.
