Anyone who wishes to understand democracy should learn it from India which has always upheld its Sanatan culture and history through authentic evidence, said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday.
Hinduja Group Chairman Ashok Hinduja said that time has come for India to present its ancient culture to the world through rigorous scientific research and evidence. He described the book “as a meaningful step in that direction” and expressed confidence in expanding investments in Uttar Pradesh. Yogi also viewed a rare collection of ancient coins preserved by the Foundation.
The coins discovered from regions such as Ayodhya, Mathura, Kaushambi, Kashi, and Panchal, made of copper, silver, and alloys, serve as irrefutable evidence of the political, economic, geographical, and trade systems of ancient India, said Yogi. He said that these artifacts, documented in the book, “reinforce India’s tradition of presenting history through facts and evidence, unlike attempts by Western powers to falsely claim the origins of democracy”.
He described the book as a significant scholarly work that establishes “India’s democratic consciousness, civilizational unity, and thousands-of-years-old cultural legacy through factual documentation”. The book, he said, “effectively counters the long-standing Western narrative that has attempted to distort India’s historical and democratic traditions”.
“Anyone seeking to understand democracy should look at India. India is perhaps the only civilization that has given refuge, dignity, and equal opportunities to people of every caste, creed, and community, enabling them to flourish. India has always preserved its Sanatan culture and history through evidence. Coins bear testimony to India’s unity, democratic heritage and advanced political and economic systems,” the CM said in a statement.
Referring to the ancient saying that being born in India is a rare privilege, and being born as a human being even rarer, he said that India’s civilizational values are unparalleled.
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He noted that Western scholars long propagated “the false notion that India was never a unified entity, whereas the Partition of 1947 itself was the result of colonial conspiracy”. Quoting the ancient verse defining Bharatvarsha, he emphasised that India historically included present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh, and that questioning India’s unity “reflects a failure to understand its ancient heritage”.
Yogi highlighted that India pioneered scientific systems of weights and measures. Traditional units such as ‘masha’ and ‘tola’ are still in use today, especially in the trade of precious metals, he said. Ancient coinage followed these precise scientific standards, reflecting India’s advanced intellectual and economic systems, he added.
Describing the Mauryan era as India’s golden age, Yogi noted that India once contributed nearly 46 per cent to the global economy. This share declined to 24 per cent by the 15th century and further to 1.5–2 per cent at the time of Independence due to prolonged foreign exploitation, he said.
Author Prof. Devendra Handa, said that a coin preserved in the British Museum bears the inscription “Savitri Putra Janapadas,” providing historical evidence that the story of Savitri and Satyavan is rooted in real events rather than mythology. He also referred to coins from the Madra kingdom and the lineage of King Porus, which challenge prevailing historical assumptions.
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A short film highlighting the Hinduja Foundation’s initiatives was also screened during the event.
Trustee of the Hinduja Group PP Hinduja, senior members and officials of the Hinduja family were also present during the occasion.
