Alternate multi-ethnic states as large and diverse as India

One thing that amazes me about places like India and Indonesia is that they have (roughly) enough consensus and homogenity to form functioning states, yet are so big and diverse that they will never have one homogenus "culture" to any meaningful extend (for instance one native language that most people would consider to be "their" language). They are countries with the diversity of regions and continents, more like the roman empire than european nation-states.

So with a POD prior to 1900, what other places could end up housing multi-national democracies of "Indian" proportions? Knowing of course that India and Indonesia have unique histories and geographical properties (say, abundant agricultural resources that support huge and diverse populations) that won't be easy to replicate elsewhere. So your states could come together for entirely different reasons.

I would consider a surviving Roman Empire, a (mostly) slavic "india" streching from central europe to the Ural and a North American agricultural civilization uniting the native nations. I want to say one large sub-saharan democracy in Africa but I'm not sure how I would go about this.
 
I would point out that India is at least united by Hindu dominance(and indeed Pakistan and Bangladesh opted out because they aren't Hindu). As for Indonesia, they've had longstanding difficulties with secession movements and responded by implementing the transmigration program, essentially an attempt to anchor the low population density outer islands to Indonesia by flooding them with Javanese(in West Papua for example, where the indigenous Papuans are now outnumbered by settlers).

I would argue that the Soviet Union is a more compelling examples of this, and the Soviet Union could have been larger given the whole Communist Internationale philosophy. In theory I could see them absorbing Mongolia, Korea and Manchuria if the revolution took place in a Russia that had won the Russo-Japanese war. If the Soviet Union possesses Manchuria during the 1920s, and given the large ethnic Chinese population there, they might be able to recruit and influence/infiltrate the CCP into favouring "communism under one banner". Which could undermine the Chinese communist movement if it's percieved as treasonous. There's no reason in principle that they couldn't have taken more European nations on as Soviet Republics, and maybe even Iran(or at least Northern Iran).

I would also point out that America mostly fits the bill, but for English's dominance. English only displaced the ethnic European languages because of backlash and patriotism inspired by entrance into WW1 and WW2... so avoid that, and maybe avoid the 1920s immigration restriction bill(you'll definitely have restrictions put in at some point, but they could be "weaker"), and America could be even more multicultural and much more multilingual.
 
I want to say one large sub-saharan democracy in Africa but I'm not sure how I would go about this.
I didn't see this before. I saw a scenario posted on this forum not long ago about a native African rebellion in Leopold's Congo that came very close to seizing control(to be clear this happened in OTL, they just narrowly failed). This rebellion was led by African commanders who'd actually had a proper European -style education(I guess Leopold for all his faults didn't really grok the idea of keeping the natives ignorant as a method of control), so perhaps if they'd succeeded and avoided getting reconquered they might implement a European-inspired developmentalist junta. If everything goes right for them, then maybe they have enough cache with African independence/nationalist movements(and perhaps they'll sponsor those movements) that surrounding states end up glomming on to them. It's definitely an implausibly wanky scenario, but implausible doesn't mean impossible.
 
A successful Arab Revolt and the establishment of a state encompassing the Arabian peninsula and the Arabic-speaking lands east of Egypt and west of Persia would've created somewhat of a reverse India: a multi-religious state tied together by a common ethnicity (if the House of Hashim is willing to part with the Assyrian and Kurdish lands).
 
One thing that amazes me about places like India and Indonesia is that they have (roughly) enough consensus and homogenity to form functioning states, yet are so big and diverse that they will never have one homogenus "culture" to any meaningful extend (for instance one native language that most people would consider to be "their" language). They are countries with the diversity of regions and continents, more like the roman empire than european nation-states.

So with a POD prior to 1900, what other places could end up housing multi-national democracies of "Indian" proportions? Knowing of course that India and Indonesia have unique histories and geographical properties (say, abundant agricultural resources that support huge and diverse populations) that won't be easy to replicate elsewhere. So your states could come together for entirely different reasons.

I would consider a surviving Roman Empire, a (mostly) slavic "india" streching from central europe to the Ural and a North American agricultural civilization uniting the native nations. I want to say one large sub-saharan democracy in Africa but I'm not sure how I would go about this.
I'd argue that USA will become a multi-ethnic / cultural democracy of similar size to what you are talking about (if it isn't already). Depending if the EU holds together then it too may count.

USSR tried and failed.
 
What about something West Africa? Perhaps an empire emerges that dominates the full extent of the Niger basin?
 

Deleted member 67076

What about a state that manages to unite Southeast Asia?
I didn't see this before. I saw a scenario posted on this forum not long ago about a native African rebellion in Leopold's Congo that came very close to seizing control(to be clear this happened in OTL, they just narrowly failed). This rebellion was led by African commanders who'd actually had a proper European -style education(I guess Leopold for all his faults didn't really grok the idea of keeping the natives ignorant as a method of control), so perhaps if they'd succeeded and avoided getting reconquered they might implement a European-inspired developmentalist junta. If everything goes right for them, then maybe they have enough cache with African independence/nationalist movements(and perhaps they'll sponsor those movements) that surrounding states end up glomming on to them. It's definitely an implausibly wanky scenario, but implausible doesn't mean impossible.
Hey, someone remembers my Mamluk Congo!

Actually I'd argue if you get the Congo by itself to be democratic you've already achieved an Indian style democracy. The place is huge (4x bigger than France), has 250 ethnic groups and a few dozen languages.

Nigeria is another state that fits this mold.

Also, another idea that Ive seen discussed here might be if French West Africa declared independence in WW2 from the Vichy. The colonies were, since the 1830s organized as a federation. If they declared independence together at the time, and somehow manage to withstand the birthing pains of state formation, you've got another India right there.

Tall order though.
 
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