| History of India- An Overview | | | | opposition parties. |
| The people of India have had a continuous | | | | In 1979, Desai's Government crumbled. |
| civilization since 2500 B.C., when the inhabitants of | | | | Charan Singh formed an interim government, |
| the Indus River valley developed an urban culture | | | | which was followed by Mrs. Gandhi's return to |
| based on commerce and sustained by agricultural | | | | power in January 1980. On October 31, 1984, Mrs. |
| trade. This civilization declined around 1500 B.C., | | | | Gandhi was assassinated, and her son, Rajiv, was |
| probably due to ecological changes. | | | | chosen by the Congress (I)--for "Indira"--Party to |
| During the second millennium B.C., pastoral, | | | | take her place. His government was brought |
| Aryan-speaking tribes migrated from the | | | | down in 1989 by allegations of corruption and was |
| northwest into the subcontinent. As they settled | | | | followed by V.P. Singh and then Chandra Shekhar. |
| in the middle Ganges River valley, they adapted | | | | In the 1989 elections, although Rajiv |
| to antecedent cultures. | | | | Gandhi and Congress won more seats in the 1989 |
| The political map of ancient and medieval | | | | elections than any other single party; he was |
| India was made up of myriad kingdoms with | | | | unable to form a government with a clear |
| fluctuating boundaries. In the 4th and 5th centuries | | | | majority. The Janata Dal, a union of opposition |
| A.D., northern India was unified under the Gupta | | | | parties, was able to form a government with the |
| Dynasty. During this period, known as India's | | | | help of the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Golden Age, Hindu culture and political | | | | (BJP) on the right and the communists on the left. |
| administration reached new heights. | | | | This loose coalition collapsed in November 1990, |
| Islam spread across the Indian | | | | and the government was controlled for a short |
| subcontinent over a period of 500 years. In the | | | | period by a breakaway Janata Dal group |
| 10th and 11th centuries, Turks and Afghans | | | | supported by Congress (I), with Chandra Shekhar |
| invaded India and established sultanates in Delhi. In | | | | as Prime Minister. That alliance also collapsed, |
| the early 16th century, descendants of Genghis | | | | resulting in national elections in June 1991. |
| Khan swept across the Khyber Pass and | | | | On May 27, 1991, while campaigning in |
| established the Mughal (Mogul) Dynasty, which | | | | Tamil Nadu on behalf of Congress (I), Rajiv Gandhi |
| lasted for 200 years. From the 11th to the 15th | | | | was assassinated, apparently by Tamil extremists |
| centuries, southern India was dominated by Hindu | | | | from Sri Lanka. In the elections, Congress (I) won |
| Chola and Vijayanagar Dynasties. During this time, | | | | 213 parliamentary seats and put together a |
| the two systems--the prevailing Hindu and | | | | coalition, returning to power under the leadership |
| Muslim--mingled, leaving lasting cultural influences | | | | of P.V. Narasimha Rao. This Congress-led |
| on each other. | | | | government, which served a full 5-year term, |
| The first British outpost in South Asia was | | | | initiated a gradual process of economic |
| established in 1619 at Surat on the northwestern | | | | liberalization and reform, which has opened the |
| coast. Later in the century, the East India | | | | Indian economy to global trade and investment. |
| Company opened permanent trading stations at | | | | India's domestic politics also took new shape, as |
| Madras, Bombay, and Calcutta, each under the | | | | traditional alignments by caste, creed, and |
| protection of native rulers. | | | | ethnicity gave way to a plethora of small, |
| The British expanded their influence from | | | | regionally based political parties. |
| these footholds until, by the 1850s, they controlled | | | | The final months of the Rao-led |
| most of present-day India, Pakistan, and | | | | government in the spring of 1996 were marred |
| Bangladesh. In 1857, a rebellion in north India led | | | | by several major political corruption scandals, |
| by mutinous Indian soldiers caused the British | | | | which contributed to the worst electoral |
| Parliament to transfer all political power from the | | | | performance by the Congress Party in its history. |
| East India Company to the Crown. Great Britain | | | | The Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) |
| began administering most of India directly while | | | | emerged from the May 1996 national elections as |
| controlling the rest through treaties with local | | | | the single-largest party in the Lok Sabha but |
| rulers. | | | | without enough strength to prove a majority on |
| In the late 1800s, the first steps were | | | | the floor of that Parliament. Under Prime Minister |
| taken toward self-government in British India with | | | | Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the BJP coalition lasted in |
| the appointment of Indian councilors to advise the | | | | power 13 days. With all political parties wishing to |
| British viceroy and the establishment of provincial | | | | avoid another round of elections, a 14-party |
| councils with Indian members; the British | | | | coalition led by the Janata Dal emerged to form a |
| subsequently widened participation in legislative | | | | government known as the United Front, under |
| councils. Beginning in 1920, Indian leader Mohandas | | | | the former Chief Minister of Karnataka, H.D. Deve |
| K. Gandhi transformed the Indian National | | | | Gowda. His government lasted less than a year, |
| Congress political party into a mass movement to | | | | as the leader of the Congress Party withdrew his |
| campaign against British colonial rule. The party | | | | support in March 1997. Inder Kumar Gujral |
| used both parliamentary and nonviolent resistance | | | | replaced Deve Gowda as the consensus choice |
| and non-cooperation to achieve independence. | | | | for Prime Minister of a 16-party United Front |
| On August 15, 1947, India became a | | | | coalition. |
| dominion within the Commonwealth, with | | | | In November 1997, the Congress Party in |
| Jawaharlal Nehru as Prime Minister. Enmity | | | | India again withdrew support for the United Front. |
| between Hindus and Muslims led the British to | | | | New elections in February 1998 brought the BJP |
| partition British India, creating East and West | | | | the largest number of seats in |
| Pakistan, where there were Muslim ajorities. India | | | | Parliament--182--but fell far short of a majority. |
| became a republic within the Commonwealth after | | | | On March 20, 1998, the President inaugurated a |
| promulgating its constitution on January 26, 1950. | | | | BJP-led coalition government with Vajpayee again |
| After independence, the Congress Party, | | | | serving as Prime Minister. On May 11 and 13, 1998, |
| the party of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal | | | | this government conducted a series of |
| Nehru, ruled India under the influence first of | | | | underground nuclear tests forcing U.S. President |
| Nehru and then his daughter and grandson, with | | | | Clinton to impose economic sanctions on India |
| the exception of two brief periods in the 1970s | | | | pursuant to the 1994 Nuclear Proliferation |
| and 1980s. | | | | Prevention Act. |
| Prime Minister Nehru governed India until | | | | In April 1999, the BJP-led coalition |
| his death in 1964. He was succeeded by Lal | | | | government fell apart, leading to fresh elections in |
| Bahadur Shastri, who also died in office. In 1966, | | | | September. The National Democratic Alliance-a |
| power passed to Nehru's daughter, Indira Gandhi, | | | | new coalition led by the BJP-gained a majority to |
| Prime Minister from 1966 to 1977. In 1975, beset | | | | form the government with Vajpayee as Prime |
| with deepening political and economic problems, | | | | Minister in October 1999. Now Sri Manmohan Singh |
| Mrs. Gandhi declared a state of emergency and | | | | is a Prime Minister of India. The Government was |
| suspended many civil liberties. Seeking a mandate | | | | formed in 2004. This is called as UPA (United |
| at the polls for her policies, she called for elections | | | | Progressive Alliance). The Chairperson of UPA is |
| in 1977, only to be defeated by Moraji Desai, who | | | | Mss. Sonia Gandhi. |
| headed the Janata Party, an amalgam of five | | | | |