Question

How would you justify the geographical unity in india

Answer 1

Geographically India may not be a united by itself but from times immemorial India has been consi­dered as-one country. The single name Bharatvarsha given to this country emphasis this unity.
According to the authors of ‘Advance History of India’, this name and the sense of unity which it denotes, “was ever present before the minds of the theologians, political philosophers and poets who spoke of the thousand yojans (leagues) of land that stretches from Himalayas to the sea as the proper domain of a single universal emperor.”

During the medieval times the Muslim rulers also considered it as one country and made efforts to capture all parts. The nature has also bestowed a geographical unity by providing Himalayas in the North and Ocean in the other three sides of the country, and thereby completely separating India from other countries.

The rivers of India have also been responsi­ble for giving a sense of unity in the country. Some of the rivers are ascribed divine origin and are considered sacred by every Indian. For example, Ganga is worshipped in all the Tour direction of the country.

Pilgrims from all over the country continue to visit the various holy places situated on its banks. Other rivers like Yamuna and Saraswati are also considered sacred by people all over the country. In short we can say that in spite of the geographical diversity the country has enjoyed a typical unity.

Answer 2

1. Geographical Unity:

Undoubtedly, down through the ages India has maintained geographical unity. Even, the seers of the past had visualized it. The geographical location of Bharatavarsha had been described in the Vishnu Purana.

“Uttaram yat samudrasya

Himadreschaiva Dakshinam

Varsham tad Bharatam noma

Bharati Yatra Santatih”

It means- “The country that lies to the north of the ocean and to the south of the snowy mountains is called Bharata where dwell the descendants of Bharat.” The kings of ancient India like Chandragupta Mourya, Asoka, Pushyamitra Sunga, Kanishka, Chandragupta II, Harsavardhan and others considered India as one geographical unit. In the medieval period Akbar, Shahjahan and others considered this land as a single entity and ruled over it. The British authorities also did the same thing.

After independence, India maintained and still maintains that uninterrupted geographical entity. Thus goes the popular saying – ‘from Kashmir to Kanyakumari India is one’. The concept of ‘Bharatmata’ our national song ‘Vande Mataram’ and national anthem ‘Jana-gana-mana’ clearly project India as one geographical unit. The poets, philosophers, prophets, reformers…………. had conceived this geographical unit of this land and to-day the Indians are preserving that ideal with all its sanctity.