South of the Himalayas lies a triangular stretch of land, spreading about 2,000 miles in each direction—a world of rare magic. It has fired the imagination of wanderers, settlers, raiders, traders, conquerors, and colonizers. They entered this country bringing with them new ethnicities, cultures, customs, religions, and languages.
In every age, the fertility of its soil, lush green forests, relatively sparse population, overflowing rivers, mineral wealth, convenient trade routes, and legendary stores of gold and precious jewels have drawn the outside world to this land. From ancient times, India has witnessed the arrival of peoples such as the Aryans, Greeks, Scythians, Parthians, Kushans, Huns, Arabs, Turks, Afghans, Portuguese, Dutch, French, and British.
India became a haven for those who wished to make it their abode. They were not only accommodated but also assimilated. The presence of diverse peoples, with differing traditions and outlooks on life, often posed serious challenges. Yet the country acquitted itself well, demonstrating remarkable adroitness in the art of coexistence—while undergoing competition, compromise, and reconciliation.
Its people learned new arts and sciences from one another, adopting what was valuable and sharing their own gifts in return. India’s social and cultural canvas presents a mosaic of resplendent colors, each radiating in its own distinctive light. Such openness and togetherness have long spurred the development of civilization in India.
This is the story of the body and soul of India. The beauty of its physical features—its fields and rivers, forests and deserts, hills and plains—is endowed by nature. But it is its legends and civilizational ethos that have given it a soul, the source of its enduring greatness.
The unknown rishis of antiquity gave India the Vedas, which teach that humans, nature, gods, and cosmic forces are interdependent, creating an all-pervading harmony. India is the land of sages such as Mahavir, Buddha, and Nanak, who gave profound spiritual traditions to the world.
The pioneering people of Vaishali (modern Muzaffarpur) are credited with practicing a form of democracy as early as around 550 BC. The affairs of the state were conducted by an assembly of elected elders.
King Kumara Gupta I established Nalanda University (near modern Bihar Sharif) in the 5th century AD. It became a renowned center of knowledge and wisdom for students from distant lands.
Among India’s great rulers were Ashoka and Akbar. To convey their stature, it suffices to quote H. G. Wells from "The Outline of History". Of Ashoka, he writes that he was “one of the greatest monarchs of history… For eight-and-twenty years Ashoka worked sanely for the real needs of men… the name of Ashoka shines, and shines almost alone, a star.”
Of Akbar, Wells observes: “Akbar, next perhaps to Ashoka, was one of the greatest of Indian monarchs… His distinctive quality was his openness of mind. His empire was to be neither Muslim nor Mongol, nor Rajput or Aryan, or Dravidian, or Hindu, or high or low caste; it was to be Indian.”
India attained further spiritual heights through the Bhakti and Sufi movements. Their saints preached union with God and love for humanity as the highest path of life, while challenging prevailing social inequalities. They produced revered teachers such as Ramanuja, Ramananda, Kabir, Moinuddin Chishti, Nizamuddin Auliya, and Baba Farid.
In modern times, India gave the world freedom fighters and leaders such as Subhas Chandra Bose, Mahatma Gandhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru. Gandhi offered the philosophy of ahimsa (nonviolence) as a moral force in politics. Nehru, as the first Prime Minister, played a pivotal role in establishing a modern, democratic, and secular nation-state, enhancing India’s stature as a country of global consequence.
Alas, many feel that India today risks losing its soul at the hands of its own children.
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