Here’s How Indonesia’s Name Is Connected With India – News18

The picturesque islands of Bali are one of the most popular tourist destinations for not just Indians but for people from all over the world. It is a province of the country of Indonesia, which is the world’s largest archipelagic nation. It is interesting to know that Indonesia is also the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country. As Indians, we cannot help but wonder why the name of the country sounds similar to that of ours. Is there a connection between the names of Indonesia and India?

In a related question on the online platform Quora, a user asked why the name Indonesia is very similar to the English name of our country India. Are these two related to each other or is it just a coincidence? In response to this question, users gave different answers. Let us analyse the truth based on these answers.

According to information received from different sources, while India is named after the Indus River, the word Indonesia is a combination of two Greek words. Indos means Indian or Hindi (from the name of the Indian Ocean), while Nessos means island. Indonesia could be translated to mean Indian islands. This country is made up of thousands of islands. It is said that this name was given to this country by European travellers.

The name was originally used in the 19th century, long before Indonesia gained its independence. The English ethnologist George Windsor Earl offered the term “Indonesians” for the people who lived in the “Indian Archipelago or Malay Archipelago” in 1850. James Richardson Logan, one of his students, used the term Indonesia interchangeably with the Indian Archipelago in the same paper.

As far as similarities with India are concerned, Hindu kings have ruled over ancient Indonesia and hence Indian culture has also seeped into the country’s culture and art. Even today, ruins of temples can be found here. Indonesia has its unique history and its diverse culture gives it a distinct identity across the world.