Can anyone explain why the country is known by three different names and how each one originated? What is the official name?
Re: India, Hindustan or Bharat
The names were given by various invaders, I think at one time it was also know as Araya Verta (sp)
Hindustan = Muslims
India = British
Bharat = hindus ??
Re: India, Hindustan or Bharat
Well the official name in Hindi is 'Bharat', and in English it is 'Republic of India'. Hindustan is not an official name, though it is commonly known by that name also. The word 'Bharat' dates to a few millenia and was coined by Indians. Persians came to know of the river Sindhu and named the people living beyond it as 'Hindus'. The British distorted 'Sindhu' to 'Indus', and named the people of British India as 'Indians'.
Re: India, Hindustan or Bharat
The name is "Republic of India" as in official gazette of parliament.
Arya varta is the ancient state which include today's india, pakistan, bangladesh, nepal, bhutan and even burma and afghanistan.
afganistan was previoslu known as gandhar and many times used in mahabharat
Re: India, Hindustan or Bharat
IMO Hindustan is in Urdu, Bharath is in Hindi and other indian languages and India is in english. I noticed that from people speaking these languages.
Re: India, Hindustan or Bharat
I agree. Additionally, The name “Bhārata” (in the sense of India) has Sanskrit roots and is derived from either of two ancient Hindu kings named Bharata.
As Shakespeare said -
*What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet” 
*
Re: India, Hindustan or Bharat
Nope, Bharat is also used in Urdu texts as well as Hindustan.
Re: India, Hindustan or Bharat
^ could be.. i am not sure.. as i said i got this idea from people who uses these languages.Mainly old guys. Well now ofcourse there is a lot of cross linking.
Re: India, Hindustan or Bharat
nice job ehsan.. we’ve got all dem Injuns in one thread.. ban them all.. 
just kidding.. only make them miserable.
Re: India, Hindustan or Bharat
the word hindustan is very rarely used , most of the time i heard is bharat or india