Syncretism in the Indian Subcontinent Over the Ages: Challenges in the Modern World

The session focuses on the great syncretic traditions which have grown and developed within the Indian Subcontinent. From the earliest non-dual philosophical work, the Upanishads from the Vedic tradition, concepts such as Vasudhaivakutumbhakam—the world as one family. Concepts such as these became popular in the collective imagination. The nonviolent inclusiveness of Buddhism and Jainism; the Din-E-Ilahi – common faith of humanity, conceived by the great Mughal Emperor Akhbar; Dara Shikoh and his mystical work “Majma-Ul-Bahrain”. The mingling of two oceans of Hinduism and Islam are some examples of such traditions. Great mystics like Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya, Lalded, and the Reshi culture of Kashmir and the Bauls of Bengal, lived and sang on these ideas. More recently, M.K. Gandhi and Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and other thinkers have stressed the importance of inclusiveness. In today’s world, there is a great need to find new ways of living harmoniously.