Bharat’s reawakening: A Civilisation rises again
Bharat is not only a modern nation-state. It is a civilisation with the most ancient, eternal and timeless history and a continuum of cultural ethos that encompasses all walks of life.
Ancient Bharat's educational eminence was epitomised by Takshashila and Nalanda. Takshashila, flourishing from the sixth century BCE at the crossroads of Persian, Greek and Central Asian trade routes, offered instruction in Vedic studies, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, law, philosophy and political science. UNESCO recognises it as a World Heritage Site for its role as a pedagogical centre. Nalanda elevated this model to institutional grandeur. Its vast complex of monasteries, Stupas and libraries housed hundreds of thousands of manuscripts. The Chinese traveller Xuanzang described roughly 10,000 resident students, 2,000 teachers and curricula spanning Buddhist philosophy, Vedanta, logic, grammar, medicine, mathematics and astronomy. Scholars from China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Indonesia and Central Asia flocked here, creating a trans-Asian academic network sustained by royal patronage.
Both the legendary institutions exemplified Bharat's educational philosophy of the Guru-Shishya Parampara, oral transmission, dialectical inquiry and holistic development, underscoring the subcontinent's extraordinary soft power in the creation and transmission of knowledge.
Bharat's mathematical genius revolutionised global numeracy. The place-value decimal system, with zero formalised by Brahmagupta and conceptualised earlier by Aryabhatta as Shunya, enabled efficient arithmetic, algebra and astronomy. Inscribed on the Bakhshali manuscript, this system transformed human computation.
Aryabhatta approximated Pi (3.1416), proposed that Earth's rotation causes day-night cycles and computed planetary positions and eclipses through sine tables. Brahmagupta introduced negative numbers, zero-division rules and early gravitational insights. Bhaskara II's Lilavati and Bijaganita advanced calculus precursors and precise eclipse predictions. Together, these developments made Bharat the foremost reference point for mathematical astronomy across West and Central Asia for centuries.
Among Bharat's greatest gifts to humanity is Yoga, systematised in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras through the eight limbs (Ashtanga): Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi i.e., a comprehensive framework for physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
Ayurveda achieved systematic sophistication through two classical compendia. The Sushruta Samhita details 112 surgical instruments, eight operative techniques and 300 procedures including rhinoplasty, cataract surgery and early caesarean sections, earning Sushruta the title "father of surgery". The Charaka Samhita classified diseases through the Tridosha framework (Vata-Pitta-Kapha), catalogued over 500 drugs and emphasised holistic prevention and medical ethics.
The Sindhu-Saraswati civilisation demonstrated proto-scientific urbanism through standardised brick construction (ratio 4:2:1), calibrated weights and measures and sophisticated hydraulic planning, including covered urban drains connected to individual
homes. The Gupta-era Iron Pillar at Delhi (seven metres, six tons) exemplifies metallurgical mastery that still defies corrosion millennia later. From hydraulic engineering to metallurgy, Bharat sustained a long continuum of applied sciences and technological innovation.
Ancient Bharat's global prominence was also economic. Maritime routes across the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean linked the subcontinent to West Asia, East Africa, Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean. Textiles, spices, metals and ivory moved outward; religious ideas, scripts, artistic forms and technical knowledge flowed alongside. This was not mere commerce, it was civilisational interaction.
In governance, the Arthashastra and Dharmashastra treatises reveal sophisticated engagement with taxation, diplomacy, law, administration and welfare. Architecturally, from Mauryan Buddhist Stupas to the cave temples of Ellora, Indian builders foregrounded spiritual depth and technical precision.
The Kailashnath temple at Ellora - the world's largest monolithic rock-cut structure - remains an enduring testament to this proficient skill. Indian aesthetic theory developed a rich vocabulary around emotion and artistic experience, making art not merely ornamental but a mode of knowledge.
Sadly, the Vishvaguru stature that Bharat had held since time immemorial came to a rude halt with the arrival of the British. They eroded our civilisation politically, socially, culturally and economically. Pauperising India, the systematic drain of our wealth to Britain is discussed in Dadabhai Naoroji's book.
Handmade Indian goods could not compete with their European, factory-made counterparts. Indigenous money markets declined and were replaced by a colonial currency system. Agriculture was worst hit.
It is only now, after nearly 200 years of colonial subjugation, that Bharat has assiduously rebuilt its economic foundations and has confidently strengthened its national pride and its pivotal global role. What once seemed like an eclipse of our civilisational potential has now transformed into a determined reawakening with renewed energy and purpose to the path of excellence.
The IMF calls India the "only bright spot in the otherwise dark horizon". We are the fastest-growing economy today. There has been a massive leap in economic reforms, infrastructure, tech-driven Digital Bharat, the ease of doing business, Nari Shakti and an overall surge in every sector, with our nation on course to become a USD 30-35 trillion economy by 2047, with the achievement of a Viksit Bharat.
The last decade has witnessed transformative change: 250 million people lifted out of poverty, GST 2.0 reforms strengthening fiscal foundations and landmark initiatives - Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat and production-linked incentive schemes - boosting manufacturing and infrastructure and attracting investment.
On the global stage, Bharat has navigated tariff pressures with strategic aplomb, concluding landmark FTAs with New Zealand, Oman, the UK, the USA and the European Union. Digital public infrastructure anchored by the JAM-Trinity (Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile), a strong push into AI and the hosting of the AI Summit position Bharat as a future-ready technology leader. NEP 2020 reinforces this vision through curriculum reform, multidisciplinary learning and large-scale skilling.
Bharat's rise is equally a story of civilisational confidence. In ancient times, we were the Vishvaguru; during the Covid-19 pandemic, we were the Vishvamitra (the pharmacy of the world). International Yoga Day, now a vibrant global movement, affirms that Bharat's influence on the world stage remains one of inspiration rather than imposition. In brief, as was reiterated during G-20, the world is looking up to Bharat as a vehicle of growth and development and as a beacon of peace and hope.
The author is a Former Chairman, Haryana Public Service Commission, Chairman, Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission, DG-ITBP, DG-NDRF and Commissioner of Police, Kolkata. He is Director, Bharat Ki Soch ; views are personal
