how Indus became India

Before India, there was Sindhu

The name Indus comes from the ancient Sanskrit Sindhu, which evolved through Persian, Greek, and Latin adaptations reflecting the river's role in identity, conquest, and civilisation; this transformation tells a larger story of how geography shapes names and history through foreign tongues, empires, and time.

In the hymns of the Rigveda, dating back over three thousand years, Sindhu was more than just a river — it was a force of nature. — ASIF HASSAN/AFP
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