The evolution of nations, cities, and towns has led to significant changes in their names. Various factors such as political shifts, socio-economic transformations, and cultural shifts have contributed to these changes. This article unfolds the fascinating journey of how the ancient cities and towns of India, along with certain countries, have evolved into their modern names.
This information can be particularly useful for candidates preparing for the General Studies section of the UPSC Exams .
Below is a table that provides a comparison of the ancient and current names of cities in India.
Ancient/Old Name
Modern Name
| Purushapura | Peshawar |
| Pataliputra | Patna |
| Bhagyanagar | Hyderabad |
| Pragjyotishpura | Guwahati |
| Muhammadabad | Bidar |
| Ahsanabad | Kalaburagi (Gulbarga) |
| Orugallu | Warangal |
| Prayag | Allahabad |
| Patliputra | Patna |
| Bhagyanagar | Hyderabad |
| Calcutta | Kolkata |
| Calicut | Kozhikode |
| Madras | Chennai |
| Bombay | Mumbai |
| Baroda | Vadodara |
| Cochin | Kochi |
| Benares | Varanasi |
| Tuticorin | Thoothukudi |
| Cape Comorin | Kanya Kumari |
| Gulbarga | Kalaburagi |
| Belgaum | Belagavi |
| Bangalore | Bengaluru |
| Mysore | Mysuru |
| Tumkur | Tumakuru |
The table below provides a comparison of the ancient and current names of some cities and countries globally:
Ancient/Old Name
Modern Name
| Abyssinia | Ethiopia (East Africa) |
| Angora | Ankara (Turkey) |
| Basutoland | Lesotho (South Africa) |
| Batavia | Jakarta (Indonesia) |
| Burma | Myanmar (Asia) |
| Ceylon | Sri Lanka (South Asia) |
| Christina | Oslo (Norway) |
| Congo | Zaire (Central Africa) |
| Constantinople | Istanbul (Turkey) |
| Dacca | Dhaka (Bangladesh) |
| Dutch East Indies | Indonesia (South-East Asia) |
| Dutch Guyana | Surinam (South America) |
| Edo | Tokyo |
| Ellice Islands | Tuvalu (South Pacific Ocean) |
| Formosa | Taiwan (East Asia) |
| Gold Coast | Ghana (West Africa) |
| Greenland | Kalaallit Nunaat |
| Holland | The Netherlands (West Europe) |
| Kampuchea | Cambodia (Asia) |
| Leopoldville | Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo) |
| Mesopotamia | Iraq (South-West Asia) |
| Mahmoodpur | Lahore (Pakistan) |
| New Hebrides | Vanuatu (South Pacific Ocean) |
| Nippon | Japan (East Asia) |
| Northern Rhodesia | Zambia (South-Central Africa) |
| Nyasaland | Malawi (South-Central Africa) |
| Oea | Tripoli (North Africa) |
| Peking | Beijing (China) |
| Persia | Iran (South-West Asia) |
| Rangoon | Yangon (Myanmar) |
| Raj Shahi | Islamabad (Pakistan) |
| Rhodesia | Zimbabwe (South-Central Africa) |
| Saigon | Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) |
| Salisbury | Harare (Zimbabwe) |
| Sandwich Wands | Hawaiian Islands (The United States) |
| Siam | Thailand (Asia) |
| South West Africa | Namibia (South-West) |
| Spanish Guinea | Equatorial Guinea (West Africa) |
| Stalingrad | Volgograd (Russia) |
| Tanganyika & Zanzibar | Tanzania (South-East Africa) |
| Turicum | Zürich (Switzerland) |
The renaming of a place is often driven by political motivations. For instance, several places in the former Soviet Union were renamed to honor Stalin. Sometimes, the original name of a place is restored.
When a country gains independence, it often leads to a change in its name. Similarly, when the boundaries of a country change due to merging or splitting, the names of the regions involved may also change. However, this is more of a creation of a new entity rather than a geographical renaming.
Some unusual reasons for renaming include the desire to eliminate an inappropriate or embarrassing name or as part of a sponsorship deal or publicity stunt. The change may involve a completely new name or a minor spelling change.
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