The name "India" for the country is derived from the river Indus, originally called "Sindhu" in Sanskrit. The Persians adapted "Sindhu" to "Hindu," and the Greeks later transformed it into "Indos" or "India," losing the initial 'h' sound due to their dialect. This term was used by Greek historians like Herodotus around the 5th century BCE to describe the region beyond the Indus River
. The British colonial administration adopted the name "India" from this historical usage during their rule from the 18th century onwards, using it as the official name for the subcontinent. The name was not given by the British after independence but had been in use long before
. Alongside "India," the name "Bharat" has ancient roots in Indian texts and mythology, referring to the land of the Bharata tribe mentioned in the Rigveda and the Mahabharata. When India became independent, both names were constitutionally recognized, with Article 1 of the Indian Constitution stating, "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States"
. In summary, the name "India" comes from ancient Greek and Persian adaptations of the Sanskrit name for the Indus River, and it was the British who popularized its use administratively, but they did not originally coin the name. The country's indigenous name "Bharat" has equally deep historical and cultural significance
