India is an extremely diverse country with a long, storied history reaching as far back as written word. From as far back as we are able to study, its culture and traditions have been continually altered and shaped by everything from the many great rulers to the invasion of other countries. Each of these has had a lasting impact on the India we see today. As the history of India progressed, my understanding of what it means to be an Indian continually evolved, until it encompassed many facets I had never before considered. Although the definition is still changing, I have come to realize that, in much the same was as there is no typical American, there is no answer as to what a “real” Indian is.

The first element of Indian culture that I looked into was a famous Indian from history. In my artifact The Cultural Impact of Shah Jahan, I explored in depth his time as emperor of India during the Mughal Empire. His military success, along with compassion shown to the poor, both contribute to him being seen as the height of the Mughal Empire’s prosperity. Like other rulers, however, he significantly contributed to their downfall through the sheer amount of money he spent. Jahan had a penchant for architecture which was only heightened after the death of his wife. As a tribute to her, he built the Taj Mahal. Not content, he continued to build, until he had completely expended all of the Mughal Empire’s resources. Shah Jahan played a major part in the downfall of the Mughal Empire; however, the end of the Mughal’s reign wasn’t the end of their significance. Many of his structures are still standing today, and are world famous tourist attractions. Thanks in part to Shah Jahan, the Mughal Empire left behind a cultural heritage that continues to impact Indians to the present day.

Another ruler who had a great effect on India, but is much more recent, is Indira Gandhi, who I researched for my second artifact. Born into politics, she was originally elected for the sole reason that she was seen as weak. Other political parties, after failing to select a candidate from among themselves, ensured her election with the goal of influencing Indian politics through her. However, she proved naturally adept at creating policy, and she was re-elected several times. Eventually, her popularity began to falter when the economy slowed due to several factors, which influenced her decision to rig the upcoming elections in her favor. She was caught, and declared a state of emergency in order to keep her position. While in this state, she passed several unpopular laws, which contributed to loss in the next election. After being re-elected two years later, she called for the use of government soldiers to attack a Sikh temple which was being used by rebels. This angered her Sikh bodyguards, who killed her in her home. Although her loss of power didn’t cause the downfall of an empire, it still shares the similarities of several others. Indira Gandhi’s rule is reminiscent of rulers in ancient times, who had varying degrees of success based on their tolerance to different aspects of Indian culture.

There have been effects on India other than the people themselves, however. One example of this is its location. Proximity to the Silk Roads as well as the Indian Ocean fostered the exchange of goods, money, and ideas with everyone from the Romans to the Chinese. All of this eventually attracted the attention of Britain, who established the British East India Company to take advantage of the massive potential for trade. The British East India Company grew exponentially, to the point where they had an influence on the vast majority of India, whether directly or indirectly. Although many of India’s cultural norms are unique, the outside influences cannot be ignored.

One of these influences that has influenced India’s development is the Himalayan mountain range. Other than simply being an imposing sight, it provides a physical barrier between India and neighboring countries. However, instead of preventing the mixing of people, it has continually affected India’s culture through the diffusion of elements of surrounding countries. Different people have settled in the region from every surrounding country, and many of these aspects of Central Asians, Iranians, and others have slowly worked their way into Indian everyday life.

Every empire, every ruler, and every religion has left its mark on India. In the present day, although much more modernized, India still holds on to elements of the past. Throughout this class, and through my personal research into supporting artifacts, I have come to realize that there is no one definition of what it means to be an Indian today, and there never has been. The aspects of culture that one would include are constantly changing, and will forevermore.