Although the country now suffers from high levels of poverty, illiteracy, and malnutrition, India was a wealthy nation for much of its history and one that was home to vast empires lured to the area by historic trade routes.
The vibrant commercial scene would have brought new religious ideas, weapons, and fighting techniques to the region from many different sources.
For example, wrestling was a popular sport in India even before the advent of Buddhism and is proof that the region came into contact with people from the outside world-such as the ancient Greeks, Persians, and Romans-several centuries ago.
Doubtless, many similar cross-cultural exchanges would have taken place over the years.
Many of the martial arts popular in India today have strong connections with religious movements.
Gatka, for example, is a martial art associated with the Sikh religion and is commonly practiced in the Punjab.
It was originally used to train Sikh warriors to protect their communities and, although it is now largely only practiced as a sport and demonstration art at festivals and public gatherings to the accompaniment of music, like many of the region's other religion-based martial traditions, it has a strong connection with its battlefield origins.
The Chola and Tamil Chera were two important dynasties central to the development of Indian martial arts.
During its zenith of power in the 10th, 11th, and 12th centuries, the Chola dynasty was a cultural, militaristic, and economic powerhouse throughout Asia, but primarily in southern India.
A Tamil dynasty that stretched south to the Malay Archipelago, it excelled in maritime activity and much trade was conducted with Southeast Asia-particularly China-and some parts of the Middle East.
It is safe to assume that the technological and militaristic advances made during the Chola period were in large part due to contact with the outside world.
The Tamil Chera dynasty, which ruled southern India (the modern-day regions of Tamil Nadu and Kerala) from ancient times until around the 15th century, saw a further expansion in both trade and contact with the wider world, most notably with Mesopotamia, Persia, Greece, Rome, Egypt, and much of the Arab world.
Trade in spices, gems, lumber, and pearls from Kerala fuelled much of this expansion, and the cross-fertilization of militaristic ideas, weaponry, armour, and hand-to-hand combat techniques was inevitable.
The introduction of firearms in the 17th century saw a decline in many Indian martial arts, but many lived on in other forms.
Kalarippayattu, for example, has had a major influence on kathakali, the traditional Keralan dance-drama.
Not only are kathakali's dance postures taken straight from kalarippayattu, but its training methods also bear a strong resemblance to those found in India's 3,000-year-old martial art.
The vibrant commercial scene would have brought new religious ideas, weapons, and fighting techniques to the region from many different sources.
For example, wrestling was a popular sport in India even before the advent of Buddhism and is proof that the region came into contact with people from the outside world-such as the ancient Greeks, Persians, and Romans-several centuries ago.
Doubtless, many similar cross-cultural exchanges would have taken place over the years.
Many of the martial arts popular in India today have strong connections with religious movements.
Gatka, for example, is a martial art associated with the Sikh religion and is commonly practiced in the Punjab.
It was originally used to train Sikh warriors to protect their communities and, although it is now largely only practiced as a sport and demonstration art at festivals and public gatherings to the accompaniment of music, like many of the region's other religion-based martial traditions, it has a strong connection with its battlefield origins.
The Chola and Tamil Chera were two important dynasties central to the development of Indian martial arts.
During its zenith of power in the 10th, 11th, and 12th centuries, the Chola dynasty was a cultural, militaristic, and economic powerhouse throughout Asia, but primarily in southern India.
A Tamil dynasty that stretched south to the Malay Archipelago, it excelled in maritime activity and much trade was conducted with Southeast Asia-particularly China-and some parts of the Middle East.
It is safe to assume that the technological and militaristic advances made during the Chola period were in large part due to contact with the outside world.
The Tamil Chera dynasty, which ruled southern India (the modern-day regions of Tamil Nadu and Kerala) from ancient times until around the 15th century, saw a further expansion in both trade and contact with the wider world, most notably with Mesopotamia, Persia, Greece, Rome, Egypt, and much of the Arab world.
Trade in spices, gems, lumber, and pearls from Kerala fuelled much of this expansion, and the cross-fertilization of militaristic ideas, weaponry, armour, and hand-to-hand combat techniques was inevitable.
The introduction of firearms in the 17th century saw a decline in many Indian martial arts, but many lived on in other forms.
Kalarippayattu, for example, has had a major influence on kathakali, the traditional Keralan dance-drama.
Not only are kathakali's dance postures taken straight from kalarippayattu, but its training methods also bear a strong resemblance to those found in India's 3,000-year-old martial art.
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