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.