I take into account some of the texts which describe about the National Character of Hindus as stated by Europeans and our own Mohammedans from the book - "What India can Teach?" written by Friedrich Max Muller (p.no 41 and 42).
FM Muller says....."it is quite true that during the two thousand years which precede the time of Mahmud of Gazni, India has had but few foreign visitors, and few foreign critics; still it is surely extremely strange that whenever, either Greek, or in Chinese, or in Persian, or in Arab writings, we meet with an attempts at describing the distinguishing features in the national character of the Indians, regard for truth and justice should always be mentioned first.
Ktesias, the famous Greek physician of Artaxerxes Mnemon (present at the battle of Cunaxa, 404 B.C.), the first Greek writer who tells us anything about the character of the Indians, such as he heard it described at the Persian court, has a special chapter 'On the justice of the Indians."
Megasthenes, the ambassador of Seleucus Nicator at the court of Sandrocottus in Palibothra (Pataliputra, the modern Patna), states that thefts were extremely rare, and that they honoured truth and virtue.
Arrian (in the second century, the pupil of Epictetus), when speaking of the public overseers or superintendents in India, says: 'They oversee what goes on in the country or towns, and report everything to the King, where the people have a King, and to the magistrates, where the people are self-governed, and it is against use and wont for these to give in a false report, but indeed no Indian is accused of lying.'
The Chinese, who come next in order of time, bear the same, I believe, unanimous testimony in favour of the honesty and veracity of the Hindus. Let me (FM Muller) quote Hiuen-tsang, the most famous of the Chinese Buddhist pilgrims, who visited India in the 7th Century. 'Though the Indians', he writes, 'are of a light temperament, they are distinguished by the straightforwardness and honesty of their character. With regard to riches, they never take anything unjustly; with regard to justice they make even excessive concessions....Straightforwardness is the distinguishing feature of their administration.'
If we turn to the accounts given by the Mohammedan Conquerors of India, we find Idrisi, in his Geography (written in the 11th Century), summing up their opinion of the Indians in the following words;
'The Indians are naturally inclined to justice, and never depart from it in their actions. Their good faith, honesty and fidelity to their engagements are well-known and they are so famous for these qualities that people flock to their country from every side.
Again in the 13th Century, Shems-ed-din Abu Abdallah quotes the following judgment of Bedi ezr Zenan: The Indians are innumerable, like grains of sand, free from all deceit and violence. They fear neither death nor life.
In the 14th Century we have Friar Jordanus, who goes out of his way to tell us that the people of Lesser India (South and Western India) are true in speech and eminent in Justice.
In the 15th Century, Abu Fazl, the minister of the Emperor Akbar, says in his Ain-i-Akbari: 'The Hindus are religious, affable, cheerful, lovers of justice, given to retirement, able in business, admirers of truth, grateful and of unbounded fidelity; and their soldiers know not what it is to fly from the field of battle.'
So, in this way we can go on quoting from passages after passages that it was Love of Truth in India that inspired millions of people who came in contact with India. No one accused Indians of Falsehood. There must surely be some ground for this and I call it the strong legacy of INDIANISM. This Indianism is not a volatile or fad that it appears and disappears. But, timeless nature of Bharat since times immemorial. Today, there is a need to recover from Amnesia and recall and rediscover our rich heritage and culture. All the Young Generations should stand by the true Indian Spirit and Order and help the globe know the purpose of their existence.
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