Hindustan
हिंदुस्तान
HIN-doos-tan
Hindustan (हिंदुस्तान) is a Persian-origin word used in Indian English, meaning historical Persian-derived name for the Indian subcontinent or for North India. In crosswords it is the 9-letter answer HINDUSTAN (9).
Meaning & usage
Hindustan is a Persian-language name for the Indian subcontinent — literally "the land of the Hindus", though it predates and is broader than today's religious term. Under the Mughals and the early British it named the subcontinent or, more narrowly, the Indo-Gangetic plain of North India. In modern Hindi it survives as a poetic and patriotic name for India, often paired with the colour-laden "Hindustani" for the people, language and shared northern culture.
In a sentence
The old song called the country Hindustan, not India.
Common spelling variants
- Hindostan
Hindustan is the English spelling used in MG Mini puzzles.
Hindustan as a crossword answer
Hindustan is a 9-letter answer. A typical clue:
“Historical Persian-derived name for the Indian subcontinent or for North India” (9)
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