Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today released the book “Early North India and Its Coins” at his official residence. On this occasion, the Chief Minister said that this book is not an ordinary publication, but a document that opens the eyes of the world. From this perspective, the book release programme is extremely significant.
The Chief Minister said that India has always presented its viewpoints with facts and evidence, whereas Western thinkers have no knowledge of matters even 2,000 years old. This book has brought before us a heritage spanning 2,500 years. It will inspire the present generation to understand the coins scattered here and there.The Hinduja Foundation has presented more than 34,000 coins as excellent evidence of India’s historical background before the present generation. He said that the coins displayed in the exhibition by the Hinduja Foundation,made of copper, silver and mixed metals—are testimonies of a rich heritage nearly 2,500 years old and are an invaluable part of our rare legacy.
These coins belong to various regions of North India and reflect the geographical, social and economic conditions associated with Ayodhya, Kashi, Mathura, Kaushambi, the sixteen Mahajanapadas, as well as the Maurya and Gupta periods.They also provide a great opportunity to understand the measurement systems of that time. Manu was the first to introduce the concept of weights and measures to the world, and the measurement of coins was also designed accordingly.
The Chief Minister said that the Mahabharata mentions: “Durlabham Bharate janma, manushyam tatra durlabham”, meaning that being born in India is rare, and even rarer is being born as a human being. Western scholars, however, continued to propagate the misconception that India was not a single entity. In 1947, India became a victim of this propaganda, when two of its integral parts were separated. Many conspiracies were hatched to weaken India, but the nation strongly resisted them.
He said that India has always been one. Indian wisdom proclaims: “Uttaram yat samudrasya himadreshchaiva dakshinam, varsham tad Bharatam nama Bharati yatra santatih”meaning that the land north of the ocean and south of the Himalayas is called Bharat, and its people are called Bharati.This concept of Bharatvarsha includes present-day India along with Pakistan and Bangladesh.This heritage of thousands of years was gradually forgotten by people.
The Chief Minister said that even today, people in the West believe that they gave democracy to the world, whereas in India, the Vaishali Republic was among the earliest republics to lay the foundation of democracy. That is why Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, during the G-20 Summit, firmly stated that India is not only the world’s largest democracy, but also the mother of democracy. Anyone wishing to understand democracy must learn from India.
He further said that these coins express India’s Sanatan tradition, which believes in the principle of “live and let live.” There is no race, sect, religion or community in the world that Indians have not sheltered in times of adversity, giving them opportunities to flourish and progress. Only India can proclaim “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”the world is one family.
The Chief Minister said that the Mauryan period was India’s golden age, during which India’s share in the global economy was 46 percent. This share remained at 24 percent until the 15th century. Subsequently, India’s wealth was plundered. At the time of independence, India’s share in the world economy had declined to merely 1.5 to 2 percent. Today, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, India has succeeded in becoming the world’s fourth-largest economy. An economy grows when it receives a secure and development-friendly environment, for which both the government and society share equal responsibility.
He said that to ensure every Indian feels pride in the nation’s heritage, the Prime Minister has presented Vision 2047 to the country. Vision 2047 aims to connect every Indian through Panch Pran and 11 resolutions, the first of which is pride in heritage. The construction of the grand Shri Ram Temple at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya after 500 years, and the Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Kashi, are outcomes of this vision.
The Chief Minister said that preserving, nurturing and promoting heritage linked to India’s Vedic, Ramayana and Mahabharata eras is part of this effort. This work is realizing the concept of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.” Binding the entire nation from north to south and east to west into a thread of unity and once again conveying India’s message to the world for global humanity is India’s objective.
Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh said that under the Chief Minister’s leadership over the past nine years, improvements in law and order, development, implementation of public welfare schemes and swift decision-making have transformed the perception of Uttar Pradesh across the country and the world. He said these coins are proof of respecting our traditions, heritage and culture, and serve as a medium to connect India’s unbroken golden saga. On this occasion, the Chief Minister also visited the exhibition of coins collected by the Hinduja Foundation.
The programme was also addressed by the author of the book “Early North India and Its Coins,” Shri Devendra Handa, and the Chairman of Hinduja Group (India), Shri Ashok P. Hinduja. Hinduja Group (Europe) Chairman Prakash P. Hinduja, officials of the Hinduja Foundation and other distinguished guests were also present.
