This table shows a population comparison. What is the purpose of this table?

to predict the future populations of China and India
to present the populations of China and India when they were established
to compare a country with a large population to a country with a small one
to show how the population of two countries changed from long ago to today

It depends on the population graph which is not available.

Explanation:

If the graph shows the population comparison of China and India for 72 years so we can conclude that the graph shows the population of both countries at the time when they were established until today. If the graph shows the population of both China and India from this year onward till few decades in the future so we can say that the purpose of this graph is to predict the future populations of China and India. If the graph shows the population of China and India of the year 1947-48, so we can conclude that this graph is used to present the population of China and India when they were established.

the only other powers were germany russia and uk and they were too busy fighting each other wearing each other down   that the us was becoming strong and they were becoming weaker