India had been in contact with the outside world commercially right from about the middle of the third millennium B.C. Even though India is surrounded by sea on three sides and the Himalayan in the north, that did not stop Indians from interacting with the rest of the world. In fact, they traveled far and wide and left their cultural footprints wherever they went. In return, they also brought home ideas, impressions, customs, and traditions from these distant lands. However, the most remarkable aspect of this contact has been the spread of Indian culture and civilization in various parts of the world, especially Central Asia, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Korea, etc. What is most remarkable about this spread is that it was not a spread by means of conquest or threat to the life of an individual or society but by means of voluntary acceptance of the cultural and spiritual values of India. In this lesson, we shall find out how Indian culture spread to other countries and the impact it had on these countries. This lesson also brings forward the beautiful idea that peace and friendship with other nations, other societies, other religions, and other cultures help our lives and make them more meaningful.