The story of Indian Culture

Often these days, there is a war cry to save Indian Culture, to diss "foreign" rulers, to purify the culture. On one of the unfortunate days, I gave it a thought and was left wondering about what Indian culture is!

Is it today's culture which is apparently influenced by western culture and has lead to movements to pursue equality among different sections or when it has lead to affect the customs like respecting elders, taking care of old parents? Nah, this doesn't make sense. This includes adulterations. This isn't the Indian culture we talk about. 

Then is it what we had when British left? The social traditions of untouchability, child marriage, limitations on women, a rigid caste system? But this system had the traditions of taking care of old parents intact. Nah, this doesn't sound like the golden India either. There are so many social evils in this period. Let's backdate again.

It must be the era when Mughal power was declining and several Independent kingdoms sprung up. The custom of Sati, child marriage, women being used as a commodity must be it. What we don't want to accept the liability of such traditions either? Fine.

Ah, the era of Mughals. Agreed we had most of the architectural monuments we are proud of calling ours but this is when Jazia was imposed and temples destroyed too. Also, Mughals aren't Indians, are they? They are Turks, not Indian. 

Let's again backdate. I am sure we are going to find the true Indian Culture. The period of Delhi Sultanate? Nah, they were Arabs, Afghans. Skip, rewind a little more. 

What about the period before it? No major king controlled the entire India, there were great rulers down in south which contributed to the culture but this can't be the culmination of the great Indian culture. There is nothing worthy enough to be proud of. No origin of traditions, no great architectural developments in India in general.

The rule of Guptas? This seems to be it. This is the pure Indian culture we are talking about. The era when science developed, art and architecture were at its peak! But isn't this the same time when the occupation based caste system turned rigid. Before this period, different caste systems intermingled and inter-caste marriage was a practice. Do we want to give away that Indian culture had a rigid caste system which has suppressed such a vast majority of people? Hell no!

Let's find the period when this wasn't the case. The Mauryan rule. Yeah, this was again a prosperous period. Flexible caste system, great developments, happy people. This is it. We found it. In fact, we can also include the predecessors, Magadha empire. This is true India. This is who we are. This is the culmination of Late Vedic age into modern states. 

Oh wait, we are talking about Aryans here. They came from Central Asia. This is not who we are. Aryans, for the most part, were settlers who suppressed the original inhabitants, dissed them on the basis of color. Who are we? India must then be those who originated from Indus Valley Civilization. Does this settle it? No! They came from Africa. 

The first human, Australopithecus originated in Africa. The Indian descendants of Australopithecus called Ramapithecus is where we establish Indus Valley Civilization from. Most of it is any way in present Pakistan. 

Ah, we are back to square one. Who are we? What is Indian Culture?