Culture, People and Power deals with a rich tradition of India which has in its long history attracted the world through its cultural wealth and literary heritage. Power of India for its natural wealth could be another story to tell in many a volume. But scholars who have contributed to this volume are focusing mainly on India cultural, intellectual, literary and political relations with the external world for over half a millennia. If the Mughal emperors were trying to reason with Indian intellectual heritage by learning and translating Sanskrit into Persian ancient India literary and legal classics the European and American intellectuals in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries were impressed by India’s epic tradition and sophistication of ancient Indian dance, drama and theatre. India’s linguistic richness and philological advances, too, had a considerable impact on the world. The independent India and the leaders who shaped its destiny in the second half of the twentieth century have drawn much on India rich heritage to foster relations with and have fruitfully intervened in the international affairs of the modern world. The essays in this volume analyse India past and present by citing decisions, documents and incidents and also suggest how India can continue to influence the world in future through its, what Joseph Nye would like to call, Soft Power.