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Culture, Civilization & Diversity
Dr. Ambrish Saxena

Culture
The English word ‘Culture’ is derived from the Latin term ‘cult or cultus’ meaning the
cultivating. Therefore, ‘Culture’ represents a set of shared attitudes, values, goals and
practices. Culture and creativity manifest themselves in almost all economic, social and other
activities. A country as diverse as India is symbolized by the plurality of its culture. This is
practically the same as ‘Sanskriti’ of the Sanskrit language. The term ‘Sanskriti’ has been
derived from the root ‘Kri (to do) of Sanskrit language. Three words came from this root
word ‘Kri(to do) are Prakriti’ (basic matter or condition), ‘Sanskriti’ (refined matter or
condition) and ‘Vikriti’.
Concept of Culture
Culture is a way of life. It encompasses the food you eat, the clothes you wear, the language
you speak in, the lifestyle practice in your routine life, the beliefs you follow and the God you
worship all are aspects of culture. In very simple terms, we can say that culture is the picture
of the way in which we think and do things. It is also the things that we have inherited as
members of society. All the achievements of human beings as members of social groups can
be called culture. Art, music, literature, architecture, sculpture, philosophy, religion and
science can be seen as aspects of culture. However, culture also includes the customs,
traditions, festivals, ways of living and one’s outlook on various issues of life. Culture thus
refers to a human-made environment which includes all the material and nonmaterial
products of group life that are transmitted from one generation to the next. There is a general
agreement among social scientists that culture consists of explicit and implicit patterns of
behaviour acquired by human beings. These may be transmitted through symbols,
constituting the distinctive achievements of human groups, including their embodiment as
artifacts. The essential core of culture thus lies in those finer ideas which are transmitted
within a group-both historically derived as well as selected with their attached value. More
recently, culture denotes historically transmitted patterns of meanings embodied in symbols,
by means of which people communicate, perpetuate and develop their knowledge about and
express their attitudes toward life. Culture is the expression of our nature in our modes of
living and thinking. It may be seen in our literature, in religious practices, in recreation and
enjoyment. Culture has two distinctive components, namely, material and non-material.
Material culture consists of objects that are related to the material aspect of our life such as
our dress, food, and household goods. Non-material culture refers to ideas, ideals, thoughts
and belief. Culture varies from community to community, place to place, and country to
country. Its development is based on the historical process operating in a local, regional or
national context. For example, we differ in our ways of greeting others, our clothing, food
habits, social and religious customs and practices. In other words, the people of any country
are characterized by their distinctive cultural traditions.
Components of Culture
 There are two basic components of Culture material component and non-material component
 Material Component or material culture includes all the physical objects like tools,
technology, eating utensils, mean of transport and clothing
 Immaterial culture includes ideas, values, beliefs, symbols and language that define a
society.
Symbols
Every culture has symbols, or things that stand for something else and often elicit different
reactions and emotions. Nonverbal communication can take the form of symbols, which are
material objects that are shared to enable social interaction.
Shaking hands is a common nonverbal symbol that is practised in some societies but not in
others. It is commonly used to express friendship and as a sign of greeting and departure.
Most societies have nonverbal symbols known as gestures, which are movements of the
hands, arms, or other parts of the body intended to convey specific ideas or emotions.
However, the same gesture can mean one thing in one society and quite another in another.
"Thumbs up" in the sense of "great" or "excellent" in many societies but in many places has
same meaning as extending the middle finger.
Other symbols include religiously significant objects like the cross, the Star of David, the
crescent moon, the Bodhi Tree, Shiv Lingam and Trident or Trishul are three some of the
most well-known religious symbols representing Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism
and Hinduism respectively. While these shapes have no religious significance in many
cultures, they evoke strong feelings of religious faith in many people around the world.
moreover, Hate groups have frequently desecrated these symbols of recognition which can
also lead to misunderstandings and even hostility. These issues highlight the importance of
symbols in social interaction and meaning.
Language
Language is essential for communication and thus for the culture of any society. Humans
have a language ability that no other animal species has. Our ability to communicate, in turn,
contributes to the existence of our complex culture. Children learn language from their
culture, just as they learn how to shake hands, make gestures, and understand the meaning of
the flag and other symbols.
Language can be language can be spoken or written One of the most important
developments in the evolution of society was the creation of written langauge. Some of the
preindustrial societies that anthropologists have studied have written language, while others
do not, and in the remaining societies the “written” language consists mainly of pictures, not
words. Language influences how we understand the world around us.

Norms
Norms are the expectations and rules by which a culture guides the behaviour of the members
of the society in any given situation and vary widely across cultural groups. In western
countries, maintaining direct eye contact during a conversation is normal. However, Asians,
on the other hand, may avert their eyes as a sign of politeness and respect. Cultures differ
widely in their norms, or standards and expectations for behaving any norms differ
dramatically from one culture to the next.
Some of the best evidence for cultural variation in norms comes from the study of behavior.
Other evidence for cultural variation in norms comes from the study of how men and women
are expected to behave in various societies. Some of the most interesting norms that differ by
culture govern how people stand apart when they talk with each other.
Sociologists classify norms into four categories: folkways, mores, taboos, and laws.
Folkways, sometimes known as "conventions" or "customs," are socially acceptable but not
morally relevant rules of behaviour. Belching loudly after eating supper at someone else's
house, for example, violates an American folkway. Mores are moral standards. Most
individuals in a culture will be offended if they see you in your underwear at church. Certain
actions are deemed taboo, which means that a culture strictly prohibits them, such as incest in
American culture. Finally, laws are a formal set of norms issued by the state and supported by
the state's power. Almost all taboos, such as child abuse, are made illegal, while not all mores
are. Wearing a bikini to the beach, for example is not morally right but it is not against the
law. For a culture to exist and function, its members must adhere to its norms. As a result,
members must wish to conform and follow the regulations. They must first internalise the
social norms and values that define what is "normal" for the society, and then socialise, or
teach norms and values to, their children.
Rituals
Different cultures also have different rituals, or established procedures and ceremonies that
often mark transitions in the life course. As such, rituals both reflect and transmit a culture’s
norms and other elements from one generation to the next. rituals more common in
traditional societies than in industrial ones. A ritual is a predetermined sequence of events
that include gestures, words, acts, or items. They may be mandated by a community's
traditions, especially those of a religious community. All known human groups practise
rituals. They comprise not just organised religions' and cults' worship rites and sacraments,
but also rites of passage, atonement and purification rites, oaths of allegiance, dedication
ceremonies, coronations and presidential inaugurations, marriages, funerals, and other
ceremonies. Even simple activities can be considered as rituals.
Values

Values are another important element of culture and involve judgments of what is good or
bad and desirable or undesirable. It is the core principles or ideals that an entire community
or society is based around. The community revolves around these concepts and forms a
harmonious, interconnected relationship around these shared values. The concepts embodied
in a culture's values include a society's traditions, rituals, and beliefs. Cultural values can
include a particular way of dressing within a society. A culture’s values shape its norms and
traditions.

Traditional garb can be linked to a particular ceremony, holiday, or time of the year and is
associated with traditions. This can be considered a part of a person's cultural behavior. The
way people behave and speak is another form of cultural value that has been tied to a
particular group of people. The music and religion of a region is part of their cultural value.
Some cultural values may be shared by more than one cultural group. Many geographical
areas may borrow similar cultural values based on their similar experiences. In the same way
that cultural values can be similar amongst different cultures, cultural values can also
contradict each other. Cultural values can be shared across multiple cultures, regardless of
geographical location. For example, many neighbouring countries of India have the same
cultural values based on strong familial connections. This concept is shared in India,
Pakistan, Bangladesh and Srilanka. E.g Children are expected to take care of their elders, and
be stoic, respectful, and obedient to their elders. Some societies as in Japan, place a central
value is group harmony. The Japanese place great emphasis on harmonious social
relationships and dislike interpersonal conflict.

Some of the features of cultural values are:

 The worth or relevance of anything in comparison to other things is defined as its

value. Value is attributed to concepts, ideas, people, and items to assist steer a person's life
decisions. People are motivated by value to make decisions that are in their best interests and
reflect what is important to them.

 Values direct how a person interacts with the world around them by assisting the
individual in selecting activities that match their perceptions. What one person finds value
may not be valuable to another.

 Value is determined in part by a person's prior experiences and cultural background.

People are motivated by value to make decisions that are in their best interests. If a thought is
deemed righteous or important by society, it will expand and be passed down from generation
to generation.
Difference between Culture and Civilization
The word ‘culture’ and ‘civilization’ are often used synonymously. However, they have
clearly defined meanings differentiating them. ‘Civilization’ means having better ways of
living and sometimes making nature bend to fulfill their needs. It also includes organizing
societies into politically well-defined groups working collectively for improved conditions of
life in matters of food, dress, communication, and so on. Thus some groups consider
themselves as civilized and look down upon others. When we think of culture, we have to
understand that it is different from civilization. As we have seen, culture is the ‘higher levels
of inner refinement’ of a human being. Humans are not merely physical beings. They live and
act at three levels: physical, mental and spiritual. While better ways of living socially and
politically and better utilization of nature around us may be termed as civilization. This is not
enough to be cultured. Only when the deeper levels of a person’s intellect and consciousness
are brought into expression can we call him/her ‘cultured’.
Culture and Heritage
Cultural development is a historical process. Our ancestors learnt many things from their
predecessors. With the passage of time they also added to it from their own experience and
gave up those which they did not consider useful. We in turn have learnt many things from
our ancestors. As time goes we continue to add new thoughts, new ideas to those already
existent and sometimes we give up some which we don’t consider useful any more. This is
how culture is transmitted and carried forward from generation to next generation. The
culture we inherit from our predecessors is called our cultural heritage. This heritage exists at
various levels. Humanity as a whole has inherited a culture which may be called human
heritage. A nation also inherits a culture which may be termed as national cultural heritage.
Cultural heritage includes all those aspects or values of culture transmitted to human beings
by their ancestors from generation to generation. They are cherished, protected and
maintained by them with unbroken continuity and they feel proud of it. A few examples
would be helpful in clarifying the concept of heritage. The Taj Mahal of Agra, Red Fort of
Agra and Delhi’s, Qutub Minar of Delhi, Mysore Palace of Mysore, Jain Temple of Dilwara
(Rajasthan), Nizamuddin Aulia’s Dargah of Delhi, Golden Temple of Amritsar, Gurudwara
Shishganj of Delhi, Sanchi Stupa. Christian Church in Goa, India Gate in Delhi are all
important places of our heritage and are to be protected by all means. Besides the
architectural creations, monuments, material artifacts, the intellectual achievements,
philosophy, treasures of knowledge, scientific inventions and discoveries are also the part of
heritage. In Indian context the contributions of Baudhayan, Aryabhatta, Bhaskaracharya in
the field of Mathematics, Astronomy and Astrology; Kanad and Varahmihir in the field of
Physics; Nagarjuna in the field of Chemistry, Susruta and Charak in the field of Medicines
and Patanjali in the field of Yoga are profound treasures of Indian Cultural heritage. Culture
is liable to change, but heritage does not. Individuals, belonging to a culture or a particular
group, may acquire or borrow certain cultural traits of other communities/cultures, but
belongingness to Indian cultural heritage will remain unchanged. Indian cultural heritage bind
societies together e.g. Indian literature and scriptures namely Vedas, Upanishads Gita and
Yoga System etc. have contributed a lot by way of providing right knowledge, right action,
behavior and practices as complementary to the development of civilization.
Characteristics of Culture
Some general characteristics, which are common to different cultures throughout the world,
are:
1. Culture is learned and acquired: There are certain behaviors which are acquired through
heredity. Individuals inherit certain qualities from their parents but socio-cultural patterns are
not inherited. These are learnt from family members, from the group and the society in which
they live. It is thus apparent that the culture of human beings is influenced by the physical
and social environment through which they operate.
2. Culture is shared by a group of people: A thought or action may be called culture if it is
shared and believed or practiced by a group of people.
3. Culture is cumulative: Different knowledge embodied in culture can be passed from one
generation to another generation. More and more knowledge is added in the particular culture
as the time passes by. Each may work out solution to problems in life that passes from one
generation to another. This cycle remains as the particular culture goes with time.
4. Culture changes: There is knowledge, thoughts or traditions that are lost as new cultural
traits are added. There are possibilities of cultural changes within the particular culture as
time passes.
5. Culture is dynamic: No culture remains on the permanent state. Culture is changing
constantly as new ideas and new techniques are added as time passes modifying or changing
the old ways. This is the characteristics of culture that stems from the culture’s cumulative
quality.
6. Culture gives us a range of permissible behavior patterns: It involves how an activity
should be conducted, how an individual should act appropriately.
7. Culture is diverse: It is a system that has several mutually interdependent parts. Although
these parts are separate, they are interdependent with one another forming culture as whole.
8. Culture is ideational: Often it lays down an ideal pattern of behavior that are expected to be
followed by individuals so as to gain social acceptance from the people with the same culture.
Levels of Culture
There are three broad levels, with a certain overlapping, at which the meaning of the term
culture can be understood:
i) The general process of intellectual, spiritual and aesthetic (visual) development.
ii) A particular way of life, whether of a people, period, or a group.
iii) The works of intellectual and artistic endeavour expressed through music, literature,
art, film etc.
How Culture Differs from Civilisation?
The word ‘culture’ is often used interchangeably with civilization, and both have a history in
what they have meant at different points of time and in different societies. Both referred
originally to a process, and in some sense this meaning is still inherent in the ways these two
words are used. The term civilization is now generally used to describe an achieved state or
condition of organized social life as well as the process whereby it has been arrived at.
Through comparative studies we today also come across terms such as western civilization,
modern civilization, industrial civilization, etc. which are descriptive. Culture as a concept is
more complicated than civilization. The word is used in various ways denoting values of
general human development which today are not easily questionable, for example, freedom,
democracy, equality, secularism: etc. The particularities of different communities which
constitute their rights and expression also are included within the meaning of culture.
Heritage is a similarly broad concept of culture. Whatever we inherit from our past can be
called our heritage. In terms of contents it includes our craft traditions, music, dance,
painting, architecture and other art forms, traditions of production and technology, different
systems of therapies, our environment with all its bio-diversity, our systems of philosophy
etc. Cultural heritage has a strong secular - popular content and is pluralistic in character. But
it also contains many elements which inhibit development; a nation like caste system,
superstitions, discriminations against women and deprived peoples. We, therefore, have to be
conscious about what aspects of our culture we should conserve and emulate and what
elements we must discard.
Determinants of Culture
Culture is determined and shaped historically and socially. It, in its turn, influences the social,
economic and political development of people or nation. Various factors which has
influenced culture over thousands of years are:
1. Culture, Society and History
The culture of a particular society or age cannot be separated from its historical context. The
continuity, change or transformation in cultural traditions is influenced by the social,
economic and political developments at any given time, and vice-versa. To give a few
examples, the growth and changes in agricultural production are inseparably linked with the
emergence, development and changes within the Vedic civilization in India. The Vedic
civilization which gave birth to the Varna system and in continuation, the caste system has
exerted great influence on Indian culture. The caste system an inescapable aspect of our
society through history, has assumed changes, modifications, and flexibility to suit the
changing needs of the various ruling groups in India. The flowering of art and literature as
well as the Buddhist monuments of the Maurya and Gupta period would not have been
possible without the prosperity and increase Indian Culture and in commerce during that
period. The same can be said for the Chola temples or the Vijaynagar structures. The Bhakti
movement had as its basis the growth of trade and commerce, and the consequent growth of
towns in the 14th and 15th centuries. The preaching of Bhakti saints in the peoples' languages
and their compilation made possible the growth of Braj, Awadhi, Rajasthani, Gujarati,
Marathi, Panjabi, Kashmiri and other regional literatures. The enormous expenditure
involved in the magnificent architecture of the Mughals was possible only because of the
significantly increased state share in the surplus production during Mughal rule. Development
of new musical forms and their popularization in the courts, translation of important texts of
the world, as well as growth of new techniques in production were immensely helped by the
Court patronage generated by this increased surplus. The concepts of equality as part of anti-
caste and peasant economic struggles, the movement for women's education and
emancipation, a scientific temper, secularism, a democratic culture and the culture of
democracy took shape in the context of modernity that came with the development of
capitalism in India, as a result of the impact of British conquest.
2. Political Structures and their impact on Culture
Political structures have also had an impact on culture throughout its history. For example,
the periods of political decentralization, as after the disintegration of the Gupta Empire and,
later, the Mughal Empire, resulted in the growth of regional cultures. Similarly, the periods of
centralization, such as the Mughal and the modern periods, helped in the development of a
composite, syncretic tradition that has the semblance of a national culture. The religion
professed by a ruler can inspire the development of art forms bearing those religious
expressions. It does not, however, mean that other forms were suppressed. Similarly a more
liberal, democratic and secular rule may witness the growth of non-religious art forms as seen
in modern and contemporary India. An oppressive rule can also stimulate cultural expressions
of protest as seen during the colonial rule.
3. External Influences on Culture
No society has existed in isolation, or remained uninfluenced by the other societies it came in
contact with. This is as true of our country as any other, and we have had contact with the
outside world since the earliest times. We have taken much from it, and given much to it. Our
entire scientific and technological heritage is a shared heritage. Repeated new influences as a
result of trade contacts, conquests followed by settlements and adoption or intermixing with
the native population by different tribes and races through India's history have enriched
Indian culture. The Aryans brought with them forms of agricultural products, new gods and
beliefs. With Turkish conquest came gunpowder, cavalry (horse regiments) and new
techniques. Stitched cloth, domes, arches, paper, glass-making techniques, and water-wheel
are some of the elements of civilization which came from outside. Persian influences after the
Mughal conquest brought into being new melodies, musical forms, musical instruments,
dastan and ghazals as forms of literary expression, miniature painting etc. The composite,
syncretic culture, and flowering of different regional cultures came from the interaction that
shared life gave to India.
4. Cultural Awareness and History Even cultural awareness has a connection with history.
For example, a scientific temper is possible only in the context of modernity, as are
secularism and an attitude of pluralism. We cannot search for an awareness and
consciousness of these values in our ancient past. The past may contain many things of great
importance. The past and present both must be critically examined and then the positive
things be assimilated and the negative things can be discarded.

Characteristics of Indian Culture

Indian culture is multifaceted and includes intellectual and social aspects of any human being.
It also takes account of the aesthetic instinct as well as the spiritual impulses of human being.
It has also, in effect, an appeal to the subconscious as a force making for the formation of
character. India is a vast country with a lot of diversity in her physical and social
environment. We see people around us speaking different languages, having different
religions and practicing different rituals. We can also see these diversities in their food habits
and dress patterns. Besides, look at the myriad forms of dance and music in our country. But
within all these diversities there is an underlying unity which acts as a cementing force. The
intermingling of people has been steadily taking place in India over centuries. A number of
people of different racial stock, ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs have settled down
here. Let us not forget that the composite and dynamic character of Indian culture is a result
of the rich contributions of all these diverse cultural groups over a long period of time. The
distinctive features of Indian culture and its uniqueness are the precious possession of all
Indians. Continuity and Change Many great cultures had developed in different countries and
regions of the world. Many of them have perished or have been replaced by other cultures.
However Indian culture has had an enduring character. Despite major changes and upheavals
significant threads of continuity can be traced throughout the course of Indian history right
upto the present day. Archaeologists have found evidences to show that cultures existed here
even before the matured phase of the Harappan civilization. This tells us that we have a very
long history behind us. And yet what is amazing is that even today the pattern of a house in
an Indian village is not very different from that of a Harappan house. Some aspects of
Harappan culture are still practiced, such as, the worshipping of Mother Goddess and
Pashupati. Similarly, Vedic, Buddhist, Jain and many other traditions continue to be followed
even today. At the same time one should not lose sight of the changes as are evident in the
multistoried buildings in the metropolitan cities like Mumbai and Delhi, quite unlike the
Harappan houses that had only one storey. The point to be noted here is that continuity and
change in our civilization has gone hand in hand. In fact, a remarkable feature of Indian
culture is that along with continuity it has kept on changing, whereas the basic spirit of our
culture continued. It has kept on discarding what was becoming irrelevant in the modern age.
In our long history, there have been periods of ups and downs. As a result, movements have
grown and reforms brought about. The reform movements in the Vedic religion brought
about by Jainism and Buddhism in sixth century BC and the religious and social awakening
in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in modern India are a few examples when
revolutionary changes were brought about in Indian thought and practices. Yet the thread of
basic philosophy of Indian culture continued and still persists. Thus a process of continuity
and change has always been a feature of Indian culture. This shows the dynamic character of
our culture.
Unity in Diversity
Our cultural profile today bears testimony to the diversity and secular basis of cultureforged
by popular cultural expression through history. It underlines the central role of thecommon
people in determining the nature of cultural unity as well. A great deal ofinformation about
this has come out in the form of a survey by Anthropological survey ofIndia, envisaged in
approximately 20-30 volumes of data. According to the conclusions of this massive survey
we are one of the most diverse peoples in the world. There are 4635 communities in this
country differentiated among themselves in terms of biological traits, dress, languages, and
forms of worship, occupation, food habits andkinship (similar) patterns. It is all these
communities who, in their essential ways of life, express ournational popular life. Nobody is
a 'foreigner' in this country and there is no pure Aryan. Most Indian communitieshave a
mixed ancestry, and it is today impossible to separate our roots. Genetic andmorphological
traits within religious communities vary more than those betweencommunities. Homogeneity
is along lines of region, not caste or religion, and it has beenscientifically disproved that
upper and lower castes have a different racial ancestry. Forexample Tamil Brahmins have
little similarity of racial traits with Brahmins in the North. TheBrahmins and people of the
lowest caste in the same region almost everywhere showremarkable homogeneity in this
respect. There are few communities which do not consider themselves as migrants or
'outsiders'.Every community recalls its migration in its folklore, history, and collective
memory, and allhave, with time, accepted the regional ethics of the area they settled in,
contributing to itslocal traditions. Even invaders become migrants eventually, and it needs to
be emphasizedthat Indian culture has benefited from migrations. Many settlers professing
Islam andChristianity actually settled here earlier than many of those professing Hinduism.
Manysegments of the Muslim population, in fact, do not show any characteristic that can be
calledmigratory, having descended mainly from the local population. In terms of their
identification 85% of the communities are rooted in their resources. Expertssay that
"rootedness in the eco-cultural zone is an outstanding characteristic of ourcommunities, no
matter what religious labels are attached to them". In fact, it is not possible to separate the
lives and livelihood, the occupations, food habits and dress patterns, the songsand the hut
settlements of the different communities from their landscape, climate andoccupations
deriving from their resources and environment. India is the home of many forms of dance and
music which we normally use for festivals and social functions like marriages or the birth of a
child.All over India celebrates after a rich harvest of crops in the varied name of Bhangra
dance in Punjab, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Bihu dance in Assam, Holi and Deepawali in most
part of India. A large number of languages and dialects are spoken in our country which has
led to the growth of a great variety of literature. People belonging to eight great religions of
the world co-exist here in a harmonious manner. India is home to many religions of the world
like Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism and off-course Hinduism. Numerous styles of architecture,
sculpture and painting have developed here. Different styles of music and dance, both folk
and classical, exist in the country. So also are numerous festivals and customs. This wide
variety has led to the making of Indian culture both composite one and rich and beautiful at
the same time. The vastness of the country and variation in its physical and climatic features
is an obvious reason for the variety of culture. The second important reason for the variety in
our culture is the intermingling among various ethnic groups. Since time immemorial, people
from far and near have been coming and settling here. Along with contacts with outside
cultures, cultural exchange between different regions of India has also continued. The
Chikan-work of Lucknow, Phulkari embroidery of Punjab, Kantha embroidery of Bengal,
Patola of Orissa shows a distinct regional flavor. Although the centers in the South, North,
East and West of India have their characteristic cultures, yet these did not develop in absolute
isolation. In-spite of physical barriers, Indians used to travel from one part of the country to
another for trade or pilgrimage. Some regions were joined together through conquests or by
alliance. As a result, people transmitted cultural habits and thoughts from one part of the
country to the other. Military campaigns too took people from one place to another. This
helped in exchanging ideas. Such contacts have led to the development of commonness in
Indian culture, which has been maintained throughout our history. Another unifying factor is
climate. Despite geographical diversity and climatic variations India experiences an inherent
unity. The system of monsoons is the most important component of the Indian climatic
pattern and this gives unity to the whole country. The coming of the monsoon has ensured
that agriculture remains the main occupation of the people of India. On the other hand the
differences in physical features have affected the food habits, dress, houses and economic
activities of people leading to the formation of social, economic and political institutions.
These factors in turn influenced the thinking and philosophy of the people. The variety in
physical features and climate of India has thus led to the development of a variety of cultures
in different regions. The typical features of different regions have given some identity to
these cultures. The composite nature of our culture is reflected in our music, dance forms,
drama and art forms like paintings, sculpture and architecture as well. Our literature in
different languages also reflects this composite nature. Unity in diversity is reflected in our
political forms as well. During the early Vedic period, society was pastoral, that is, people
used to move from place to place in search of pastures. But, as these people started practicing
agriculture, they settled down. This settled life led to community development and growth of
towns which needed rules and regulations. Thus, emerged a political organization, this
included the sabhas and samitis which were political bodies through which people
participated in governance. In course of time, the concept of rashtra emerged and possession
of territory became the new measure of power. In some places, republics came up. The period
from sixth to fourth century BC is known as the age of maha-janapadas in India. In these
kingdoms kings had more powers. Subsequently large empires were also established with
emperors exercising absolute powers. You may be aware of ancient rulers such as Ashoka,
Samudragupta and Harshavardhana, Rajputs etc. The Mughals also established a vast empire
in India. The British established themselves in India and in l858 India became a part of the
British Empire. However in 1947, we were able to gain our freedom after a long struggle.
Today we are a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic and a uniform system of
government prevails over the length and breadth of the country.
Multi-Culturalism
The secular character of Indian culture is a result of the intermingling of people belonging to
diverse cultural groups over a long period of time. There have been instances of occasional
conflicts here and there, but by and large, people have lived together peacefully for centuries.
The popular cultural traditions of India are the best examples of such cultural synthesis in
which a large number of people belonging to different religious groups come together. You
are aware that there is a great variety of thoughts and habits in our country. Amongst a
variety of cultural system, dominance of one particular thought is not possible. You will
recall that Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsees and Jews live in
India. The constitution declares India to be a secular country. Everyone is free to profess,
practice and propagate any religion of his/her own choice. The state has no religion of its own
and all religions are treated equally by the state. No one is to be discriminated on the basis of
religion. The people have, to a large extent, developed a broad outlook and they believe in the
concept of live and let others live. Right to freedom of religion ensures secular nature of our
polity. In the Western context development of secularism meant complete separation of the
church and the state. In India secularism is taken as a more positive concept to cope with the
complex social structure in the country with a view to protecting the interests of all,
particularly the minorities. The concept of coexistence has not been confined to the
geographical and political boundaries of the country only. India has a universal outlook and it
has been promoting the message of peace and harmony to the entire world. India has been
raising a strong voice against racialism and colonialism. It has protested against the formation
of power blocks in the world. In fact India became one of the founder members of the non-
aligned movement. India is committed to the development of other underdeveloped nations.
In this manner, India has been discharging her responsibilities as a part of the world fraternity
and has been contributing to the progress of the world.

Conclusion
Culture is a way of life. The food, the clothes, the language, the lifestyle, the beliefs all are
aspects of culture. Indian culture is diverse, because India is diversified with varied climate,
region, religion, castes and sub-casts. Every segment of these has its own identical culture.
Cultural development is a historical process. Culture is transmitted and carried forward from
generation to next generation. At passing times culture is liable to change, but our heritage
does not. Indian cultural heritage binds us together in form of monuments, language,
literature, arts, music, lifestyle, beliefs etc. General characteristics of Indian culture are –
culture is learned and acquired; culture is shared by a group of people; culture is cumulative;
at passing times culture changes; culture is dynamic; culture is diverse, culture gives us
behavior patterns, etc. Multi-culturism and Unity and Diversity is a unique identity of India.

Summary
Culture is a way of life that includes the foods we consume, the clothes we wear, the
language we speak, the way we live our daily lives, the beliefs we hold, and the God we
serve. It also encompasses one's customs, traditions, festivals, way of life, and viewpoint on
many life concerns. The term civilisation is now used to refer to a completed state or situation
of organised social activity. Indian culture encompasses both the intellectual and social
components of any human being. It also considers the aesthetic instinct as well as the spiritual
inclinations of humans.

India is a big country with a diverse physical and social environment, but amidst all of these
differences. India is a big country with a lot of variation in its physical and social
environment, yet within all of these diversities, there is an underlying oneness that functions
as a cementing force. The vast contributions of all these varied cultural groups over a long
period of time have resulted in the composite and dynamic nature of Indian culture. All
Indians treasure the special features and distinctiveness of Indian culture. Despite massive
changes and upheavals, important lines of continuity may be found throughout Indian history,
all the way up to the current day.

References
Billington, R., Strawbridge, S., Greensides, L., & Fitzsimons, A. (1991). Culture and Society:
Sociology of Culture. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Naganath, D. S. S. S., English Translation by S. (2022). Indian Culture: A Compendium of
Indian History, Culture and Heritage. Notion Press.
Oswell, D. (2006). Culture and Society: An Introduction to Cultural Studies. Sage
Publications, New York.