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Glite Dictionary
Hindustan

Hindustan

1 7.7
A historical name for a part of northern India where many people follow Hinduism
  • proper noun
translation icon : Hindustán
  • In this context, they point out that Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's threat in 1971 of a 1,000-year war with Hindustan (repeated by his daughter at the height of the 1990 crisis) was not hyperbole.
  • Hindustan Unilever

Examples

  • In the time of Columbus, the country of India was called Hindustan.

    Blog text (13)

  • Many ancient texts mention Hindustan as a land steeped in tradition and spirituality.

  • The religion of Hindustan, for example, was viewed in this manner:

    Academic text (1998)

  • In Hindustan, they have a complete system of superstition; their temples are magnificent; their rites.

    Academic text (1998)

  • European travelers were instrumental in giving the name India to erstwhile Bharat or Hindustan.

    Blog text (19)

  • Historically, the term Hindustan referred to a vast region of northern India known for its rich culture and Hindu heritage.

  • During the Mughal era, Hindustan was recognized as a significant cultural center that attracted scholars and artists.

Surface Forms

Hindustan main

Morphology

Hindustan = Hindu (semi-transparent) = Hindu + stan

The formation 'Hindu' + '-stan' (land/place) is historically regular, but '-stan' is a non-native combining element and may not be familiar or fully productive to many learners.

Etymology

Hindustan comes from Persian parts Hindu ('people of the Indus') and -stan ('land' or 'place'), and you can see the same -stan in names like Pakistan and Afghanistan. So Hindustan originally meant 'land of the Hindus' and is used for the region of India where Hindu culture is strong.