A momentous event, as expected as the proclaimed first place of the Chinese economy, but perhaps not so soon, was ever the ascent of old India to the place of first nation among the nations, the proverbial "largest" country in the world. And while this entire subcontinent - sub to a continent of continents - is substantial and rich in its geographical, topographical and climatological features, as well as the only home to the tiger and other species, it is the equally crammed and convoluted home of one point near four billion human beings, a number superadded and enlarged and reproduced (mostly) by a factor of four since independence in 1947. It was this independence which saw the breaking of the back of Britain's empire, Attlee's premier achievement (over the instating of the NHS, or the decimation of the same by introducing fees for dental care to pay for his Korean War effort) and the accomplishment of creating an India, singular sense, with a single language and administration. For this, maybe Attlee indeed may deserve as much credit as Nehru, if not as much recognition, and on the back of this process we find the long road now crowned by the most populated country in the world, finally, having an elected government by, for and because of its own people.
This most ancient of nations, however, has never been taken seriously in the same manner as old Zhongguo.
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