George Bernard Shaw really wondered how the Indians, with their civilization, survived the onslaughts of calamities all these hundreds of years. People like George Bernard Shaw must have found something indestructible in the Indians and in India.
Of course, every country is unique – with its peculiarities and characteristics.
India as a nation has its own character – its peculiar capacity for trust and suspicion, kindness and cruelty, energy and lassitude. This character is not necessarily determined by geography and environment. If it had been so, anybody living in India for years, like the Jews or the Parsees or quite a number of Europeans naturalized, would be like all other Indians.
It is astounding that in spite of provincial, regional and linguistic differences and communal feuds India remains an example of unity in diversity. The forces of disintegration and disunity have so far failed to create a void in which the India soul could perish. So many other civilizations have perished, some of these are even forgotten, but the India civilization is still there, as real as ever.
The growth and structure of India society and India civilization have always depended on the religion and poverty that constitute both the root and the foliage. In relation to these, other influences seem flippant though each of the influences is significant enough in producing the uniqueness that is India. But all other influences are only intrinsic to these two. Even the castes, prejudices and incredible ignorance of the millions seem to be integral parts of these.
Indian Culture teaches a man what he must sacrifice, what he should not desire of having, and how to enjoy bliss in submission. Without these lessons and persuasions it would not be possible for the people to remain smug and defiant in face of suffering, poverty and squalor. And this culture gives one an impression of unity and durability of India, and also it gives Indians the tolerance and patience necessary for remaining indifferent to joys and woes.