MerryHarris567 at 09:28, 26 March 2026

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{{for|Indianisation of British Colonial India's bureaucracy|Indianisation (British India)}}
{{short description|Spread of Indian religions, culture, diaspora, soft power, economic reach and impact}}
{{Prose|date=August 2020}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2024}}

'''Indianisation''' (also spelt as '''Indianization''') may refer to the spread of Indian languages, culture, diaspora, cuisines, economic reach and impact beyond the [[Indian subcontinent]].

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== History ==

=== Ancient era ===
[[File:Global distribution of Sanskrit language presence, texts and inscriptions dated between 300 and 1800 CE.svg|thumb|Presence and [[Sanskritisation (linguistics)|spread of Sanskrit]]]]
Indianisation [[Indianization of Southeast Asia|took place in Southeast Asia]] mainly from the first millennium onwards through trade and religion.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Smith |first=Monica |date=1999-01-01 |title="Indianization" from the Indian Point of View: Trade and Cultural Contacts with Southeast Asia in the Early First Millennium C.E. |url=https://brill.com/view/journals/jesh/42/1/article-p1_1.xml |journal=Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient |language=en |volume=42 |issue=1 |pages=1–26 |doi=10.1163/1568520991445588 |issn=1568-5209|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

=== Colonial era ===
The term Indianisation was [[Indianisation (British India)|used in British India]] to describe the inclusion of native people in running India. For example, the Indian Armed Force began to Indianise in 1917.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sundaram |first=Chandar S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=7z2SDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1 |title=Indianization, the Officer Corps, and the Indian Army: The Forgotten Debate, 1817–1917 |date=2019-04-25 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing PLC |isbn=978-1-4985-7952-0 |language=en}}</ref> In the early 20th century, discourse around Indianisation also revolved around the emerging scholarship on an ancient [[Greater India]] and the possibility to re-assert India's value and independence. Initially, the theory considered it likely that Indians had colonised Southeast Asia in developing it, though later it became clear that influence occurred mainly through trade and peaceful contact.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Vivekanandan |first=Jayashree |date=2018-01-02 |title=Indianisation or indigenisation? Greater India and the politics of cultural diffusionism |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/14662043.2018.1411232 |journal=Commonwealth & Comparative Politics |volume=56 |issue=1 |pages=1–21 |doi=10.1080/14662043.2018.1411232 |issn=1466-2043|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Indian cultural influence==
{{See also|History of foreign relations of India (pre-1947)|Cultural history of India}}
[[File:Buddhist Expansion.svg|thumb|[[Silk Road transmission of Buddhism]]]]
Historical spread of [[Indian culture]] beyond India proper:

* [[Indomania]] or Indophilia refers to the special interest that Indian culture has generated in the world, more specifically the western world where though the 19th century European writers had seen India as a cradle of civilization, their romantic vision of India was gradually replaced by "[[Indophobia]]".<ref>[[Thomas Trautmann|Trautmann, Thomas R.]] 1997, [https://books.google.com/books?id=jR_LPnEH3GsC Aryans and British India]. Berkeley: University of California Press., Bryant 2001.</ref> [[Indology]] has evolved as the academic study of [[History of India|Indian history]] and [[Culture of India|culture]], which is sometimes replaced by the term "South Asian studies".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/indology|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190830095220/https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/indology|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 August 2019|title=Indology | Definition of Indology by Lexico|website=Lexico Dictionaries | English}}</ref>

* [[Greater India]]
** [[Indosphere]]
** [[Sanskritisation (language)|Sanskritisation]]
*** [[List of Sanskrit-related topics]]
** [[Buddhist studies]]
** [[Hindu studies]]
** [[Neo-Vedanta]]

* [[Indianization of Southeast Asia|Indianisation of Southeast Asia]]
** [[Indianised kingdom]]
** [[History of Indian influence on Southeast Asia]]
*** [[Sanskrit inscriptions in the Malay world]]
*** [[South-East Asia campaign of Rajendra Chola I|South-East Asia campaign of Rajendra Chola]]
*** [[Chola invasion of Srivijaya]]
*** [[Indian influences in early Philippine polities]]

** [[East Indies]] or Indies in Southeast Asia under Indian cultural influence, e.g. Indonesia and Philippines
** [[French Indochina|Indochina]], Indianised Southeast Asia under French colonial rule

==Indian inventions & STEM influence==

* [[List of Indian inventions and discoveries]]
* [[Hindu–Arabic numeral system|Indian numeral system]], disseminated from India to Arabia and then to Europe.
** [[List of Indian Americans|Prominent Indians in STEM in USA]]

==Indian soft power ==
[[File:Indian_cultural_zone.svg|thumb|300px|right|Historic [[Indosphere]] cultural influence zone of [[Greater India]] for transmission of elements of Indian arts, architecture, culture, religion, martial arts, etc.]]

Global spread of Indian [[soft power]]:

* [[Medical tourism in India]]
** [[Ayurveda]]
** [[Siddha medicine]]
** [[Yoga]]

* Global influence of India's:
** [[Hindu_temple_architecture#Southeast_Asia_as_part_of_Greater_India|Architecture]]
** [[History_of_Indian_cuisine#Global_spread_of_Indian_cuisine|Cuisine]]
*** [[History_of_Indian_cuisine#Vedic_and_vegetarian_Buddhist_exchanges_with_Roman_empire_and_influence_on_Southeast_Asia|Influence on Southeast Asian cuisine]]
** [[Indian_martial_arts#Influence|Martial arts]], especially on Southeast Asian martial arts
** [[Bollywood#Overseas|Movies and Bollywood]]
** [[Music of India#musicpower|Music]]
** [[Indian physical culture#Influence on the world|Physical culture]]
* [[India at the Big Four international beauty pageants]]

* [[Indianisation (British India)|Indianisation of British Colonial India's bureaucracy]]

=== Names ===

* [[Indian_name#Global_Indian_influence_in_names|Global influence of India in names of people]]
* [[Place_names_in_India#Global_Indian_influence_in_place_name|Global influence of India in names of places]]
* [[Indian_honorifics#Influence_on_other_cultures|Influence of Indian honorifics in Southeast Asia]]
** [[Filipino styles and honorifics|Filipino]]
** [[Indonesian_names#Honorifics|Indonesian]]
** [[Malay styles and titles|Malay]]
** [[Thai royal ranks and titles|Thai]]
* [[Renaming of cities in India]], for [[decolonisation]] and re-indianisation of city names

==Hard power==

India, one of the [[emerging power|emerging superpower]] and existing [[regional power]] ranked [[Asia Power Index|second in Asia Power Index]], has [[List of countries by number of military and paramilitary personnel|world's third largest military]] in terms of number of active soldiers, among [[List of countries by military expenditures|world's top five spender on annual military budget]], and ranks moderate in terms of per capita [[List of countries by Global Militarization Index|Militarization Index]].

* [[Overseas military bases of India]] of [[Indian Military]]
* [[Equipment of the Indian Army]]
* [[India and weapons of mass destruction]]
* [[Weapon systems of the Indian Navy]]
* [[List of active Indian military aircraft]]
* [[Guided missiles of India]]
* [[Integrated Space Cell#Military|Indian military satellites]]
* [[Indian Human Spaceflight Programme]]
* [[Defence industry of India]]

==Indian economic impact on the world==
Impact of [[Economy of India]] on [[world economy]] as well as [[globalisation]]:

* [[List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)|Current GDP (PPP)]], India is ranked on 3rd place
* [[List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)|Current Nominal GDP]], India is ranked on 4th place
* [[List_of_countries_by_real_GDP_growth_rate|Current GDP growth rate]], India is ranked among top 7

* [[Remittance#Top_recipient_countries|Current top recipient of remittance]], India is ranked on 1st place for last several years
** [[Remittances to India]]
** [[Foreign-exchange reserves of India]]

* Production in India, one of the top producer and consumer country
** [[Lists of countries by mineral production|Among top 2 largest producer of most mineral, metals, and fuel types]]
** [[Fishing_industry_by_country|Among top 3 largest producer of fisheries harvest]]
** [[List of largest producing countries of agricultural commodities|Among top 5 largest producer of most agricultural and dairy commodities]]
** [[List of oil refineries#Global|India among top 4 mineral oil refiner]]<ref>[https://www.energyinst.org Statistical Review of World Energy 2024], Energy Institute, 2024, accessed March 2026.</ref><ref>[https://asb.opec.org Annual Statistical Bulletin 2024], OPEC, 2024, accessed March 2026.</ref>
* [[Foreign trade of India]]
** [[List of exports of India|Exports of India]]
*** [[Business process outsourcing to India]]
*** [[H-1B visa]], over 80% of all these visas are granted to Indian IT professionals
** [[Pharmaceutical industry in India]]

==Indian diaspora==
Global Indian diaspora is world's largest diaspora, which includes NRIs, OCI, PIO, and mixed races:

* [[Indian Diaspora (Overseas Indian)|Indian diaspora]] (PIO and NRI), world's largest diaspora
** [[Overseas Citizenship of India]]
** [[List of heads of state and government of Indian origin]], Indian diaspora's influence on policy making of other nations
** [[List of foreign politicians of Indian origin]], Indian diaspora's influence on policy making of other nations

* British colonial era diaspora
** [[Coolie#Indian_coolies|Coolies]], [[Girmityas]], and [[Indian indenture system|Indian indentured labourers]], such as [[Indian South Africans]], [[Malaysian Indians]], [[Indo-Caribbeans]], [[Indo-Fijians]], [[Mauritians of Indian origin]], [[Indian diaspora in Southeast Africa]], [[Indian Singaporeans]]
** [[Anglo-Indian]]s, such as [[Eurasians in Singapore]], [[Irish Indians]], [[Luso-Indian]], [[Macanese people]], [[Scottish-Indian]]
** {{Anli|Commonwealth diaspora}}

* Other mixed diaspora
** [[Chindians|Chinese Indians]]
** [[Dougla]]
** [[Seychellois Creole people]]
** [[South Asian diaspora]]

* [[Indian religions|Indian-origin religions]] diaspora:
** Buddhist diaspora: [[Tibetan diaspora]]
** Hindu diaspora: [[Bengali Hindu diaspora]]
** [[Jain_communities#Diaspora|Jain diaspora]]
** [[Sikh diaspora]]

* Foreign-origin religions diaspora of overseas Indians
** Jews: [[Bnei Menashe|Bnei Menashe Mizo-Manipuri diaspora]]

* Global influence of Indian diaspora organisations and lobby groups
** [[Global Organization for People of Indian Origin]]
** [[List of foreign politicians of Indian origin|Indian origin politicians in other nations]]

==See also==
{{wiktionary}}
* {{anli|Acculturation}}
* {{anli|Arabization}}
* {{anli|Christianization}}
* {{anli|Islamization}}
* {{Anli|Persianization}}
* {{anli|Westernization}}
** {{anli|Americanization}}
** {{anli|Anglicization}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Cultural assimilation}}

[[Category:Cultural assimilation]]
[[Category:Culture of India]]
[[Category:Indosphere]]

Indianisation - Revision history

MerryHarris567 at 09:28, 26 March 2026