> India was founded as an independent nation on August 15, 1947, when it gained independence from British rule. > However, its modern republic form, with its own constitution, was established on January 26, 1950, when it became the Republic of India. > Before British rule, the Indian subcontinent was not a single country but was a region with diverse kingdoms and empires, most notably the Mughal Empire and, prior to that, the Mauryan and Gupta empires. > If the British had never ruled the Indian subcontinent, it’s almost certain that the region would have remained divided into hundreds of independent kingdoms, princely states, sultanates, and tribal territories, each functioning as a separate political entity.