During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Maratha and Kerala fleets were expanded, and became the most powerful Naval Forces in the subcontinent, defeating European navies at various times ( See the Battle of Colachel). The Cholas excelled in foreign trade and maritime activity, extending their influence overseas to China and Southeast Asia. Sea lanes between India and neighbouring lands were used for trade for many centuries, and are responsible for the widespread influence of Indian Culture on other societies. exploration) appears in this book in addition to appearing in the Vedic text, Baudhayana Dharmashastra as the interpretation of the term, Samudrasamyanam.Ī depiction of a Maratha naval attack in 1812 against the East India Company's ship Aurora. The term, nava dvipantaragamanam (Sanskrit for "sailing to other lands by ships," i.e. Emperor Chandragupta Maurya's mentor and advisor Chanakya's Arthashastra devotes a full chapter on the state department of waterways under navadhyaksha ( Sanskrit for Superintendent of ships). Powerful militaries included those of the: Maurya, Satavahana, Chola, Vijayanagara, Mughal and Maratha empires. The earliest known reference to an organisation devoted to ships in ancient India is in the Mauryan Empire from the 4th century BC. A compass, Matsya yantra was used for navigation in the fourth and fifth century AD. There is reference to the side wings of a vessel called Plava, which gives the ship stability in storm conditions. The Rig Veda written around 1500 BC, credits Varuna with knowledge of the ocean routes and describes naval expeditions. The first tidal dock is believed to have been built at Lothal around 2300 BC during the Indus Valley civilisation period, near the present day port of Mangrol on the Gujarat coast. Indian maritime history dates back 5,000 years. Depiction of the battle on Sanchi stupa railing, 1st century BCE. Classical Indian texts on archery in particular, and martial arts in general are known as Dhanurveda.Īncient to medieval era Siege of Kushinagar the capital of the Mallakas by seven Mahajanapadas' chiefs and their armies for the possession of relics of Buddha after his death in 4th century BCE. The first reference to armies is found in the Vedas as well as the epics Ramayana and Mahabaratha. India has one of the longest military histories, dating back several millennia. The Government of India, as part of the Make in India initiative, seeks to indigenise manufacturing and reduce dependence on imports for defence. India remains one of the largest importer of defence equipment with Russia, Israel, France and the United States being the top foreign suppliers of military equipment. The Department of Defence Production of the Ministry of Defence is responsible for the indigenous production of equipment used by the Indian Armed Forces. Armed with the nuclear triad, the Indian armed forces are steadily undergoing modernisation, with investments in areas such as futuristic soldier systems and missile defence systems. India honours its armed forces and military personnel annually on Armed Forces Flag Day, 7 December. The Indian Armed Forces have been engaged in a number of major military operations, including: the Indo-Pakistani wars of 1947, 19, the Portuguese-Indian War, the Sino-Indian War, the 1967 Cho La incident, the 1987 Sino-Indian skirmish, the Kargil War, and the Siachen conflict among others. The Global Firepower Index report lists it as the fourth most-powerful military. It also has the third-largest defence budget in the world. With strength of over 1.4 million active personnel, it is the world's second-largest military force and has the world's largest volunteer army. The Indian Armed Forces are under the management of the Ministry of Defence of the Government of India. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces but the executive authority and responsibility for national security is vested in the Prime Minister of India and their chosen Cabinet Ministers. Additionally, the Indian Armed Forces are supported by the Central Armed Police Forces, Indian Coast Guard and Special Frontier Force and various inter-service commands and institutions such as the Strategic Forces Command, the Andaman and Nicobar Command and the Integrated Defence Staff. It consists of three professional uniformed services: the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force. The Indian Armed Forces are the military forces of the Republic of India.
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