The whole world is family

These are just a few examples of people who made India their home — some seeking safety, some a better life. Together they show India's culture of acceptance and inclusion. The idea of vasudhaiva kutumbakam, 'the whole world is family', is not just a slogan; it has been practised for thousands of years.

How did India earn its name as a kind country that welcomed people from everywhere?

India's many schools of thought shared teachings like:

• sarve bhavantu sukhinah — 'may all creatures be happy';
• atithi devo bhava — 'a guest is like God';
• and the value of compassion.

The Buddhist Karaṇīya Mettā Sutta ('the Buddha's words on loving-kindness') says it beautifully: just as a mother protects her only child with her life, so with a boundless heart we should cherish all living beings, spreading kindness over the whole world.

Indians who live abroad have carried these values with them. Wherever there is a large Indian community today, it is usually seen as peaceful, law-abiding, hard-working and successful, adding to the economy and fitting well into its new country — like the Parsis' sugar, this time in someone else's milk.

While religious persecution has happened for centuries in many parts of the world, India developed a culture of living together peacefully and accepting many different faiths and ideas. This made it a safe place for the persecuted.

Some people even came to conquer India but were 'conquered' instead — won over by its culture, philosophy, knowledge, land and wealth. You have met two: the Indo-Greeks, whose ambassador raised a pillar to Vāsudeva, and the Kuṣhāṇas, whose king put the Buddha and Śhiva on his coins.

The idea that all humankind is one is one of India's core values. The book says it can help the world deal with today's big problems: wars, climate change, growing inequality and discrimination.