Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said that India’s ancient civilisations stood apart from others not through conquests or conversions but through their message of cultural harmony and intellectual exchange. Speaking in Mumbai, Bhagwat remarked that while past invaders had plundered India’s wealth, the most recent ones “looted the minds” of its people.
The RSS chief was addressing the launch of the Arya Yug Vishay Kosh encyclopedia when he reflected on India’s global footprint through ages, noting that the country’s ancestors had travelled across continents, from Mexico to Siberia, spreading knowledge, not dominance.
“Our ancestors travelled from Mexico to Siberia and taught science and culture to the world. They didn't convert anyone or conquer. We went with sadhbhavna (goodwill) and a message of unity,” Bhagwat said, drawing a clear distinction between cultural outreach and political expansionism.
He said India’s downfall came not from its own shortcomings but from centuries of invasions that eroded self-belief. “Many invaders came and looted us and made us slaves. The last ones to invade looted our minds. We forgot our strengths and what we can share with the world,” he remarked.
Calling for a reawakening of national consciousness, Bhagwat said that India’s strength lay in its blend of spiritual wisdom and scientific understanding. “Spiritual knowledge is still flourishing and we, as descendants of Aryavrat, have science and weapons, strength and power, faith and knowledge,” he said, underscoring the need to revive confidence in the country’s civilisational legacy.
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He lauded India’s continuing role as a beacon of peace and wisdom, suggesting that rediscovering its ancient ethos was key to addressing contemporary challenges. Bhagwat’s speech, steeped in references to the unity of science and spirituality, reflected the Sangh’s long-held view that India’s civilisation offers a model for the world built on mutual respect and intellectual exchange rather than conquest.
The Arya Yug Vishay Kosh, the encyclopaedia released at the event, aims to document the philosophical, scientific and cultural contributions of ancient India, highlighting the continuity of its traditions through millennia. Scholars present at the launch said the compilation sought to remind future generations of India’s place in the evolution of global thought.
Bhagwat’s remarks come at a time when the RSS has been urging the younger generation to rediscover indigenous wisdom, while resisting what it perceives as cultural dilution caused by Western influences. His assertion that India’s civilisation “never conquered or converted” echoed the organisation’s belief in India’s historic moral superiority and its duty to project this heritage globally.
As Bhagwat concluded his address, he emphasised that India’s future progress lay in reconnecting with its past without falling prey to arrogance or imitation.
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