THE STORY OF INDIA

How could I possibly tell the story of India in one blog posting?  Well, I can't, but here is my attempt anyway.

• India is only the seventh largest country by area, but  in 2023 will have the largest population in the world.
• China has held the top spot since the 1750's, when it overtook India.
• China did not grow in 2021 and will only decline more and more over the next few years.
• Where are the people in this world?

• 
  Modern humans arrived from Africa no later than 55,000 years ago.
• The oldest religion, Hindu, began as far back as 2300 BCE.
• Gautama Buddha lived in India in the 5th/6th century BCE, and formed the Buddhist religion.
• The caste system emerged within Hinduism by 400 BCE.

• 
  95% of Hindus live in India.
• Hindus don't eat beef or pork, and many are vegetarians.
• The swastika is a symbol for good luck
• While the East India Company, effectively Great Britain, took control in 1757, British Crown rule began in 1858, just around the time of the American Civil War.

• 
  Soon after World War II Mahatma Gandhi emerged as a peace activist, and in 1947 the British decided to pull out, and the result was the formation of two countries, Pakistan (majority Muslim) and India (Hindu).
• In 1971 there was an internal crisis in Pakistan, and the result was the secession of East Pakistan into Bangladesh.
• The status of Kashmir and Jammu still remains unsettled.

The first three general elections in 1951, 1957 and 1962 were won by Jawaharlal Nehru.  

• 
  He passed away in 1964 and was eventually succeeded by daughter Indira Gandhi, who won victories in 1967 and 1971.  
• She was assassinated in 1984, and was succeeded by her son Rajiv Gandhi.

• 
  There were short term leaders in the interim, leading eventually today to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu.  You probably did not know that the president was a female, but can be forgiven, for she just took office a few months ago.
• Note that the active international leader is the prime minister.  When Nehru was PM, Rajendra Prasad was president.  Why two people and what do they do?  Read this.
• A similar situation is Germany, with President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who replaced Angela Merkel.

Other highlights:

• 

  The most popular sport is cricket.
• More than 19,500 languages or dialects are spoken, but only 22 are officially recognized.  Did you know that it has the second largest population of people speaking English...but #1 is the USA?
• Hard to believe this means much, but the first shampoo (for the hair) was originated in India in 1800 or so.  What did people do before this?

• 
  Was the first Asian country to reach Mars.
• Sanskrit is the oldest language in the world.
• Vivien Leigh, the Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, was born in Darjeeling, India.

• 
  Indian cuisine has six tastes:  sweet, salty, sour, pungent, bitter and astringent.
• Most eat with only their fingers.
• Kauai vies with India as the wettest spot on Earth, but the victor is usually Meghalaya village in India.
• Was the first country to mine diamonds.  For a millennium beginning in the 4th century BC, they were the only source of this gem.
• Has 26 official holidays, including Christmas.
• The Taj Mahal is changing color from white to yellow.  Was disguised as a bamboo stockpile in World War II.
• In some places in India, Coke and Pepsi are used as insecticides.  Cheaper than traditional pesticides, and they work just as well.  Something to do with syrup attracting ants, which eat the eggs and larva of insects.
• Only 1 in a 100 marriages end in divorce, among the world lowest.  Well, maybe not, as I'm looking at a list that shows Sri Lanka as #1, and no sign of India in the bottom 15.  Incidentally the Maldives has the highest divorce rate in the world, a place I visit today to see how badly global warming is affecting the country.
• Says it has the oldest city in the world, Varanasi in Benares State.  Says Mark Twain:

• Supplies 70% of world spices.
• Was first country to refine and consume sugar.

I end with a few cow facts.

• Consumes 40 pounds of food/day.
• Urinates 30 gallons/day.
• Domesticated in Turkey 10,500 years ago.
• Only sleeps 4 hours/day.

• 
  Produces more than 500 quarts of fart/day, a global warming problem.
• Cannot see red.  A bull chases what they see as yellowish grey.

• 
  Cow is female, bull male and cattle for both.
• For Hindus, the cow is a sacred symbol of life.
• Shiva rode on a bull.
• Gives milk.
• Cattle crap is used as fertilizer.
• Might replace the tiger as the national animal.
• Cow slaughter has led to religious riots.

• 
  India has over 700 million cattle, versus 93 million in the U.S.
• In Japan, an adult wagyu can cost as much as a car.  In India, they generally don't eat beef.

Tomorrow all about the Maldives and how global warming is a problem.

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