India

India stamps, available worldwide at Io Collezionista. India is among the most populous nations in the world, with more than 1 billion inhabitants. Independence from the United Kingdom was won in 1947, following the decisive contribution of the non violent movement led by the activist Mahatma Gandhi, who from that point on became a source of inspiration and a universal symbol of the struggle for civil rights. The name of the nation comes from the Old Persian Hindush, used to denote the river Indus. The geographical name Bharat, recognised by the constitution as the country's official name, is the modern form of the term Bharatavarsha, whose use took hold from the middle of the 19th century.