Tracing the Journey of India’s Flag: From Ancient Symbols to the Tricolour
Tracing the Journey of India’s Flag: From Ancient Symbols to the Tricolour
Last Updated Jul - 31 - 2025, 05:47 PM | Source : Fela News
Explore the fascinating evolution of the Indian flag—from Ashoka’s Chakra and Mughal standards to the modern-day Tricolour. Discover how symbols of empires beca
Tracing the Journey of India’s Flag
Every year on August 15 and January 26, schoolchildren waving the Indian tricolour is a familiar sight. But India’s national flag, as we know it today, is the result of a long historical evolution.
Before independence, various factions fighting British rule imagined different flags to symbolize Indian identity. The journey began in 1906, but flags existed long before then. In ancient times, empires like those of Ashoka, Harshavardhan, and the Guptas used symbols to mark authority. The Ashoka Chakra, later included in the national flag, once stood for state and moral power. The Guptas featured garuda emblems on coins, and flags adorned chariots and forts, representing dynasties rather than nations.
Medieval Indian kingdoms like the Chalukyas, Palas, and Rajputs used banners marked with animals or clan symbols. These represented loyalty, honour, and lineage. Under the Delhi Sultanate and Mughals, flags adopted Islamic styles—featuring calligraphy, crescents, and imperial colours. The Mughals flew banners blending Islamic and cosmological motifs like the sun and lion, asserting their universal rule.
As the Mughal Empire weakened, regional powers like the Marathas and Sikhs emerged. Shivaji’s saffron flag and royal seal symbolized self-rule and Hindu resurgence. The 18th century saw India dotted with regional flags, but no united symbol of nationhood.
Colonial rule brought the Union Jack, with princely states retaining their own emblems. Yet, the nationalist movement demanded a flag to represent all Indians. Early attempts came from Sister Nivedita in 1904 and Bhikaji Cama in 1907. Pingali Venkayya later worked with Gandhi to design a tricolour with the spinning wheel, symbolizing self-reliance.
In 1931, the Indian National Congress adopted a new tricolour with saffron, white, and green, and the charkha. It became the face of protest and unity. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose raised it in 1943 as a declaration of independence.
Just before Independence, the Constituent Assembly replaced the charkha with the Ashoka Chakra—linking back to India’s moral past. On July 22, 1947, the national flag was officially adopted.
Today, the flag reflects a tapestry of historical memories. It’s not just a design but a shared emotional and cultural legacy. As historian Arundhati Virmani notes, it gains meaning only when people invest it with memory and pride.
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