The
history of India is shrouded in antiquity. The country has been thought of
as a nation of philosophers with a well-developed and even idyllic
society.
Excavations of sites belonging to the Harappan era show
that the people lived in brick houses in towns with excellent drainage.
One of the oldest scriptures in the world is the four-volume Vedas that
many regard as the repository of national thoughts that anticipated some
of the modern scientific discoveries.
Despite formidable
barriers in the form of the mighty Himalayas and oceans, India also
received a succession of foreigners, many of them carrying swords and
guns.
But nearly all of them stayed on. Out of these waves of
immigration has emerged the composite culture of India and made it a land
of unity in diversity. India became a land of assimilation and learning, a
land of change and continuity.
The Aryans were among the first
to arrive in India which was inhabited by the Dravidians. Others who came
here included Greeks, Persians, Mughals and even British, Portugese and
French.
Over the years there have been many major ruling
dynasties like the Shakas, the Kushans, the Maurayas and Guptas.
Nearly
every major religion in the world is represented in India which is also
the land of the Lord Buddha, Lord Mahavira and Guru Nanak Dev, the
founders of Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.
