There have been many famous and great personalities in Indian history, who have become world famous for their talents and achievements. Today we are going to learn about the top 30 most famous and eminent Indian personalities from ancient period to the 21st Century. The list of these Famous Indian People is ranked by ‘Historical Popularity Index’ (HPI). Can you guess Who will be the Most Famous Indian of All Time in this list?
Famous Personalities of India
This list includes all types of personalities in India like philosophers, spiritual gurus, political leaders, rulers, actors, artists, scientists, social reformers, and many more. Individuals who were not originally Indian but played an important role in Indian history are also included in this article.
These top 30 most famous Indian people are ranked according to Pantheon’s Historical Popularity Index (HPI) 2022.
- Lists of famous Indians : Women, Kings, Queens, Actors, Singers & Musicians, Maharashtrians
- Top 30 Famous Buddhists in India
Top 30 Famous People from India
The following 30 individuals are the most famous Indian personalities of all time, according to Pantheon’s Historical Popularity Index (HPI) of 2022. The highest HPI score is 100, and we have listed people with HPI score over 71.
Famous Personalities of India with names and Pictures
30. Sathya Sai Baba (HPI – 71.17)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Sathya Sai Baba is ranked 30th among the most famous Indian people of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI score) is 71.17. His biography is available in 57 different languages on Wikipedia.
Sathya Sai Baba (23 November 1926 – 24 April 2011) was an Indian guru. At the age of fourteen he claimed that he was the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba, and left his home to serve his devotees. The Sathya Sai Organisation, founded by Sathya Sai Baba “to enable its members to undertake service activities as a means to spiritual advancemeknt”, has over 1,200 Sathya Sai Centres (branches) in 126 countries. Through this organisation, Sathya Sai Baba established a network of free super speciality hospitals and general hospitals, clinics, drinking water projects, a university, auditoriums, ashrams and schools. Read more on Wikipedia
29. Jiddu Krishnamurti (HPI – 71.26)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Jiddu Krishnamurti is ranked 29th among the most famous Indian people of all time. His HPI score is 71.26. His biography is available in 74 different languages on Wikipedia.
Jiddu Krishnamurti (11 May 1895 – 17 February 1986) was a philosopher, speaker and writer. In his early life, he was groomed to be the new World Teacher, an advanced spiritual position in the theosophical tradition, but later rejected this mantle and withdrew from the organization behind it.
His interests included psychological revolution, the nature of mind, meditation, holistic inquiry, human relationships, and bringing about radical change in society. He stressed the need for a revolution in the psyche of every human being and emphasised that such revolution cannot be brought about by any external entity, be it religious, political, or social. Read more on Wikipedia
28. Subhas Chandra Bose (HPI – 71.66)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Subhas Chandra Bose is the 28th most famous Indian of all time. His HPI score is 71.66. His biography is available in 63 different languages on Wikipedia.
Subhas Chandra Bose (23 January 1897 – 18 August 1945) was an Indian nationalist whose defiance of British authority in India made him a hero among Indians, but his wartime alliances with Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan left a legacy vexed by authoritarianism, anti-Semitism, and military failure. In 2021, the Government of India declared 23 January as Parakram Divas (lit. ’Day of Valour’) to commemorate the birth anniversary of Subhas Chandra Bose. Read more on Wikipedia
27. Shah Rukh Khan (HPI – 71.72)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Shah Rukh Khan is ranked 27th among the most famous Indian people of all time. His HPI score is 71.72. His biography is available in 108 different languages on Wikipedia.
According to the Historical Popularity Index 2022, Shah Rukh Khan is the 4th most famous living Indian, and the 2nd most famous Indian actor of all time.
Shah Rukh Khan (born 2 November 1965) is an Indian actor, film producer, and television personality who works in Hindi films. Referred to in the media as the “Baadshah of Bollywood”, “King of Bollywood” and “King Khan”, he has appeared in more than 80 films, and earned numerous accolades, including 14 Filmfare Awards.
The Government of India has awarded him the Padma Shri, and the Government of France has awarded him the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and the Legion of Honour. Khan has a significant following in Asia and the Indian diaspora worldwide. In terms of audience size and income, he has been described as one of the most successful film stars in the world. Read more on Wikipedia
26. Swami Vivekananda (HPI – 71.89)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Swami Vivekananda is the 26th most famous Indian of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI score) is 71.89. His biography is available in 90 different languages on Wikipedia.
Swami Vivekananda (12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902) was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna (#13). He was a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world; and is credited with raising interfaith awareness, and bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion. He is regarded as a patriotic saint, and his birthday in India is celebrated as National Youth Day. Read more on Wikipedia
25. Chanakya (HPI – 71.99)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Chanakya is ranked 25th among the most famous Indian people of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI score) is 71.99. His biography is available in 113 different languages on Wikipedia.
Chanakya was an ancient Indian polymath who was active as a teacher, author, strategist, philosopher, economist, jurist, and royal advisor. He is traditionally identified as Kauṭilya or Vishnugupta, who authored the ancient Indian political treatise, the Arthashastra, a text dated to roughly between the fourth century BCE and the third century CE. As such, he is considered the pioneer of the field of political science and economics in India, and his work is thought of as an important precursor to classical economics. His works were lost near the end of the Gupta Empire in the sixth century CE and not rediscovered until the early 20th century. Read more on Wikipedia
24. Chandragupta (HPI – 72.11)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Chandragupta Maurya is the 24th most famous Indian of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI score) is 72.11. His biography is available in 81 different languages on Wikipedia. Chandragupta Maurya is also the sixth most famous king of India.
Chandragupta Maurya (350-295 BCE) was a ruler of Iron Age South Asia who expanded a geographically-extensive kingdom based in Magadha and founded the Maurya dynasty. He reigned from 320 BCE to 298 BCE. The Maurya kingdom expanded to become an empire that reached its peak under the reign of his grandson, Ashoka, from 268 BCE to 231 BCE. The nature of the political formation that existed in Chandragupta’s time is not certain. The Mauryan empire was a loose-knit empire. Read more on Wikipedia
23. Shah Jahan (HPI – 72.34)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Shah Jahan is ranked 23rd among the most famous Indian people of all time. He is also the 5th most famous king of India. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 72.34. His biography is available in 89 different languages on Wikipedia.
Shah Jahan (5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666) was the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire, reigning from January 1628 until July 1658. Under his emperorship, the Mughals reached the peak of their architectural achievements and cultural glory. He commissioned many monuments, including the Red Fort, Shah Jahan Mosque and the Taj Mahal, where his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal is entombed. Read more on Wikipedia
22. Bodhidharma (HPI – 72.92)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Bodhidharma is the 22nd most famous Indian of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 72.92. His biography is available in 59 different languages on Wikipedia.
Bodhidharma was an Indian philosopher and Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th or 6th century. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Chan Buddhism to China, and regarded as its first Chinese patriarch. According to a 17th century apocryphal story found in a manual called Yijin Jing, he began the physical training of the monks of Shaolin Monastery that led to the creation of Shaolin kungfu. He is known as Dámó in China and as Daruma in Japan. His name means “dharma of awakening (bodhi)” in Sanskrit. Read more on Wikipedia
21. Babur (HPI – 73.87)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Babur is the 21st most famous person in Indian History. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 73.87. His biography is available in 88 different languages on Wikipedia. Babur is also the 4th most famous king of India.
Babur (14 February 1483 – 26 December 1530) was the founder of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent. He was a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan through his father and mother respectively. He was also given the posthumous name of Firdaws Makani (‘Dwelling in Paradise’). He ranks as a national hero in Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Many of his poems have become popular folk songs. He wrote the Baburnama in Chaghatai Turkic; it was translated into Persian during the reign (1556–1605) of his grandson, the Emperor Akbar. Read more on Wikipedia
Top 20 Great Personalities of India
20. Ananda (HPI – 73.88)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Ananda is ranked 20th among the most famous Indian people of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 73.88. His biography is available in 50 different languages on Wikipedia.
Ananda (5th–4th century BCE) was the primary attendant of the Buddha and one of his ten principal disciples. Among the Buddha’s many disciples, Ānanda stood out for having the best memory. Most of the texts of the early Buddhist Sutta-Piṭaka are attributed to his recollection of the Buddha’s teachings during the First Buddhist Council. For that reason, he is known as the Treasurer of the Dhamma, with Dhamma referring to the Buddha’s teaching.
In Early Buddhist Texts, Ānanda was the first cousin of the Buddha. Twenty years in the Buddha’s ministry, Ānanda became the attendant of the Buddha, when the Buddha selected him for this task. Ānanda performed his duties with great devotion and care, and acted as an intermediary between the Buddha and the laypeople, as well as the saṅgha. He accompanied the Buddha for the rest of his life, acting not only as an assistant, but also a secretary and a mouthpiece. Read more on Wikipedia
19. Shivaji Maharaj (HPI – 74.13)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Chh. Shivaji Maharaj is ranked 19th among the most famous Indian people of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 74.13. His biography is available in 62 different languages on Wikipedia. According to the index, Shivaji is also the second most famous person from Maharashtra and the third most famous Indian king ever.
Shivaji Shahaji Bhonsale (19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur which formed the genesis of the Maratha Empire. In 1674, he was formally crowned the Chhatrapati of his realm at Raigad Fort. Read more on Wikipedia
18. Kalidasa (HPI – 74.42)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Kalidasa is the 18th most famous Indian of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 74.42. His biography is available in 130 different languages on Wikipedia.
Kālidāsa (fl. 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India’s greatest poet and playwright. His plays and poetry are primarily based on the Vedas, the Rāmāyaṇa, the Mahābhārata and the Purāṇas. His surviving works consist of three plays, two epic poems and two shorter poems. Much about his life is unknown except what can be inferred from his poetry and plays. His works cannot be dated with precision, but they were most likely authored before the 5th century CE. Read more on Wikipedia
17. Indira Gandhi (HPI – 74.61)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Indira Gandhi is ranked 17th among the most famous Indian people of all time. Her Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 74.61. Her biography is available in 126 different languages on Wikipedia.
Indira Gandhi (19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and a central figure of the Indian National Congress. She was elected as third prime minister of India in 1966 and was also the first and, to date, only female prime minister of India. Gandhi was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India.
She served as prime minister from January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 until her assassination in October 1984, making her the second longest-serving Indian prime minister after her father.
In 1999, Indira Gandhi was named “Woman of the Millennium” in an online poll organised by the BBC. In 2020, Gandhi was named by Time magazine among the world’s 100 powerful women who defined the last century. In 2012, Gandhi was ranked number 7 in Outlook India’s poll of the Greatest Indian. According to the Historical Popularity Index, Indira Gandhi is the 2nd most famous “female” Indian of all time. Read more on Wikipedia
16. Srinivasa Ramanujan (HPI – 74.93)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Srinivasa Ramanujan is the ranked 16th among the most famous Indian people of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 74.93. His biography is available in 94 different languages on Wikipedia.
Srinivasa Ramanujan FRS (22 December 1887 – 26 April 1920) was an Indian mathematician who lived during British Rule in India. Though he had almost no formal training in pure mathematics, he made substantial contributions to mathematical analysis, number theory, infinite series, and continued fractions, including solutions to mathematical problems then considered unsolvable. Ramanujan initially developed his own mathematical research in isolation: according to Hans Eysenck: “He tried to interest the leading professional mathematicians in his work, but failed for the most part. What he had to show them was too novel, too unfamiliar, and additionally presented in unusual ways; they could not be bothered”. His birthday in India is celebrated as National Mathematics Day. Read more on Wikipedia
15. Nagarjuna (HPI – 75.31)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Nagarjuna is the 15th most famous Indian of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 75.31. His biography is available in 95 different languages on Wikipedia.
Nāgārjuna (c. 150 – c. 250 CE) was an Indian Mahāyāna Buddhist thinker, scholar-saint and philosopher. He is widely considered one of the most important Buddhist philosophers. Jan Westerhoff considers him to be “one of the greatest thinkers in the history of Asian philosophy.” Nāgārjuna is widely considered to be the founder of the Madhyamaka school of Buddhist philosophy and a defender of the Mahāyāna movement.
With the exception of Adi Shankara, no other thinker has equaled him in matters of spirituality, logical acumen and spiritual insight. His Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (Root Verses on Madhyamaka, or MMK) is the most important text on the madhyamaka philosophy of emptiness. The MMK inspired a large number of commentaries in Sanskrit, Chinese, Tibetan, Korean and Japanese and continues to be studied today. Read more on Wikipedia
14. Babasaheb Ambedkar (HPI – 75.72)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Dr. B.R. Ambedkar is ranked 14th among the most famous Indian people of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 75.72. His biography is available in 132 different languages on Wikipedia. Dr Ambedkar is also the most famous person from Maharashtra and the 4th most famous Indian Buddhist ever. Ambedkar is widely regarded as the most intelligent Indian of all time.
Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (14 April 1891 – 6 December 1956), also referred to as Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, is one of the foremost polymaths in history. Ambedkar was a philosopher, economist, jurist, politician, social reformer, journalist, lawyer, author, anthropologist, theologian, social scientist, political scientist, environmentarian, educationist, constitutionalist, polyglot, linguist, orator, historian etc. He was one of the founding fathers of the republic India.
He was the leader of Dalits, who inspired the Dalit Buddhist movement after renouncing Hinduism. Ambedkar is recognised as the “Father of the Constitution of India“, who headed the committee drafting the Constitution of India from the Constituent Assembly debates, served as Law and Justice minister in the first cabinet of Jawaharlal Nehru.
In 1956, he embraced Buddhism with millions of followers, and revived Buddhism in India. After the emperor Ashoka, Babasaheb has done the most work for the spread of Buddhism in India. Ambedkar was voted “the Greatest Indian” in 2012 by a poll organised by Outlook magzine, History TV18 and CNN IBN, ahead of Vallabhbhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru. Nearly 20 million votes were cast. Read more on Wikipedia
13. Ramakrishna (HPI – 76.48)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Ramakrishna is the 13th most famous Indian of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 76.48. His biography is available in 82 different languages on Wikipedia.
Ramakrishna Paramahansa (18 February 1836 – 16 August 1886) was an Indian Hindu mystic and religious leader; who after adhering to various religious practices from the Hindu traditions of Bhakti yoga, Tantra, and Advaita Vedanta, as well as from Islam and Christianity, proclaimed that the world’s various religions are “so many paths to reach one and the same goal”, thus validating the essential unity of religions.
Ramakrishna’s followers came to regard him as an avatara, or divine incarnation, as did some of the prominent Hindu scholars of his day. After his demise, his chief disciple Swami Vivekananda popularized his ideas, and founded the Ramakrishna Math, which provides spiritual training for monastics and householder devotees, and the Ramakrishna Mission, to provide charity, social work and education. Read more on Wikipedia
12. Jawaharlal Nehru (HPI – 78.07)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Jawaharlal Nehru is the 12th most famous Indian of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 78.07. His biography is available in 143 different languages on Wikipedia.
Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian politician, anti-colonial nationalist, secularist, social democrat, and author who served for 16 years as India’s first prime minister following India’s independence in 1947. He is widely considered one of the most influential heads of state in India’s post-colonial history and among the world’s most consequential 20th century heads of state. Nehru was a principal leader of the Indian nationalist movement in the 1930s and 1940s. He promoted parliamentary democracy, secularism, and science and technology during the 1950s, powerfully influencing India’s arc as a modern nation. In 2012, Nehru was ranked number 4 in Outlook India’s poll of the Greatest Indian. Read more on Wikipedia
11. Akbar the Great (HPI – 78.33)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Akbar is ranked 11th among the most famous Indian people of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 78.33. His biography is available in 146 different languages on Wikipedia.
According to HPI 2022, Akbar ranks second among the most famous kings of India, as well as the second most famous Muslim figure in Indian history.
Akbar (25 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), popularly known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expand and consolidate Mughal domains in India. A strong personality and a successful general, Akbar gradually enlarged the Mughal Empire to include much of the Indian subcontinent. His power and influence, however, extended over the entire subcontinent because of Mughal military, political, cultural, and economic dominance. Read more on Wikipedia
Top 10 Indian Legends
10. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam (HPI – 78.36)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Dr APJ Abdul Kalam is the 10th most famous Indian of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 78.36. His biography is available in 84 different languages on Wikipedia. According to the HPI 2022, Kalam is the most famous Indian scientist, and also the Most Famous Muslim in the list.
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam (15 October 1931 – 27 July 2015) was an Indian aerospace scientist and statesman who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. He spent the next four decades as a scientist and science administrator, mainly at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and was intimately involved in India’s civilian space programme and military missile development efforts. In 2012, Kalam was ranked number 2 in Outlook India’s poll of the Greatest Indian. Read more on Wikipedia
9. Amitabh Bachchan (HPI – 78.77)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Amitabh Bachchan is ranked 9th among the most famous Indian people of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 78.77. His biography is available in 109 different languages on Wikipedia.
According to the Historical Popularity Index 2022, Amitabh Bachchan is the most famous Indian actor, as well as the third most famous living personality in India.
Amitabh Bachchan (born 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor, film producer, television host, occasional playback singer and former politician known for his work in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of the most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema. During the 1970s–1980s, he was the most dominant actor in the Indian movie scene; the French director François Truffaut called him a “one-man industry.” Read more on Wikipedia
- Read also : Top 25 Most Famous Indian Actors of All Time
8. Rabindranath Tagore (HPI – 79.04)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Rabindranath Tagore is the 8th most famous Indian of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 79.04. His biography is available in 158 different languages on Wikipedia. Tagore is the most famous Bengali people all time.
Rabindranath Tagore (7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was an Indian Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer and painter. He reshaped Bengali literature and music as well as Indian art with Contextual Modernism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Author of the “profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful” poetry of Gitanjali, he became in 1913 the first non-European and the first lyricist to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Tagore’s poetic songs were viewed as spiritual and mercurial; however, his “elegant prose and magical poetry” remain largely unknown outside Bengal. Read more on Wikipedia
7. Narendra Modi (HPI – 79.83)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), PM Narendra Modi is ranked 7th among the most famous Indian people of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 79.83. His biography is available in 139 different languages on Wikipedia. According to the HPI, Modi is the second most famous living Indian, and the second most famous Gujarati person.
Narendra Damodardas Modi (born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician serving as the 14th and current prime minister of India since 2014. Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Parliament from Varanasi. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He is the longest serving prime minister from outside the Indian National Congress. Read more on Wikipedia
6. 14th Dalai Lama (HPI – 79.98)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), 14th Dalai Lama is the 6th most famous person in Indian History. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 79.98. His biography is available in 116 different languages on Wikipedia. According to the Historical Popularity Index, the 14th Dalai Lama is the most famous living person in India as well as in China. Among the Most famous people in China, Dalai Lama ranks 9.
The 14th Dalai Lama is the current Dalai Lama. He is the highest spiritual leader and former head of state of Tibet. The Dalai Lama considers himself a spiritual son of India. He was born on 6 July 1935, or in the Tibetan calendar, in the Wood-Pig Year, 5th month, 5th day. He is considered a living Bodhisattva, specifically, an emanation of Avalokiteśvara in Sanskrit and Chenrezig in Tibetan. He is also the leader and a monk of the Gelug school, the newest school of Tibetan Buddhism, formally headed by the Ganden Tripa. The central government of Tibet, the Ganden Phodrang, invested the Dalai Lama with temporal duties until his exile in 1959. Read more on Wikipedia
5. Mother Teresa (HPI – 80.90)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Mother Teresa is ranked 5th among the most famous Indian people of all time. Her Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 80.90. Her biography is available in 137 different languages on Wikipedia.
Mother Teresa (26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997) was an Albanian born Indian Catholic nun who, in 1950, founded the Missionaries of Charity. Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu was born in Skopje—at the time, part of the Ottoman Empire. After eighteen years, she moved to Ireland and then to India, where she lived most of her life. Saint Teresa of Calcutta was canonised on 4 September 2016. The anniversary of her death is her feast day. After Mother Teresa founded her religious congregation, it grew to have over 4,500 nuns and was active in 133 countries as of 2012. In 2012, Mother Teresa was ranked number 5 in Outlook India’s poll of the Greatest Indian. Read more on Wikipedia
4. Osho (HPI – 81.09)
According to the Historical Popularity Index, Osho is ranked 4th among the most famous Indian people of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 81.09. His biography is available in 67 different languages on Wikipedia.
Rajneesh (11 December 1931 – 19 January 1990), also known as Osho, was an Indian religious leader, mystic, and founder of the Rajneesh movement. He born into a Jain family of Madhya Pradesh. He rejected institutional religions. Rajneesh emphasised the importance of freethought, meditation, mindfulness, love, celebration, courage, creativity, and humour—qualities that he viewed as being suppressed by adherence to static belief systems, religious dogmas and traditions, and socialization. Rajneesh is considered to be one of the most logical and best philosophers of modern times. Read more on Wikipedia
3. Ashoka the Great (HPI – 82.44)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Ashoka is ranked 3rd among the most famous Indian people of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 82.44. His biography is available in 150 different languages on Wikipedia.
According to HPI 2022, Ashoka ranks first among the most famous Kings of India, as well as the second most famous Buddhist figure in Indian history.
Ashoka (304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during c. 268 to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, stretching from present-day Afghanistan in the west to present-day Bangladesh in the east, with its capital at Pataliputra. A patron of Buddhism, he is credited with playing an important role in the spread of Buddhism across ancient Asia. He is considered as one of the best rulers in the world. Also many scholars consider him to be the greatest Indian after the Buddha. Read more on Wikipedia
2. Mahatma Gandhi (HPI – 88.49)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), Mahatma Gandhi is ranked 2nd among the most famous Indian people of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 88.49. His biography is available in 193 different languages on Wikipedia.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularity known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian politician, lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist and social reformer. He is widely acknowledged as one of the 20th century’s most influential people, who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India’s independence from British rule, and to later inspire movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.
Gandhi’s birthday, October 2, is celebrated worldwide as the International Day of Non-Violence. Gandhi is generally regarded informally as the Father of the Nation of India. Many people consider Mahatma Gandhi to be the greatest Indian since the Buddha.
According to the Historical Popularity Index 2022, Mahatma Gandhi is the Most Famous Personality in Modern India. He is also the most famous Hindu of all time. Read more on Wikipedia
1. The Buddha (HPI – 90.82)
According to the Historical Popularity Index (HPI), the Buddha is ranked 1st among the most famous Indian people of all time. His Historical Popularity Index (HPI) is 90.82. His biography is available in 201 different languages on Wikipedia.
The Buddha (623/563 BCE – 543/483 BCE), also known as Gautama Buddha and Siddhartha Gautama, was an Indian philosopher, śramaṇa (wandering ascetic), religious teacher and social reformer who lived in ancient India during the 7th or 6th century BCE. He was the founder of Buddhism and is revered by Buddhists as a fully awakened being who taught a path to Nirvana, that is, freedom from ignorance, craving, rebirth and suffering. The Buddha is considered to be the greatest Indian ever. He is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential people of all time. Read more on Wikipedia
See also
- Top 20 Most Famous American People
- Top 20 Most Famous British People
- Top 25 Most Famous Chinese People
- Top 20 Most Famous French People
- Top 20 Most Famous German People
- Top 30 Most Famous Indian People
- Top 20 Most Famous Pakistani People
- Top 20 Most Famous Russian People
About the Historical Popularity Index
As you know, this ranking of the top 30 most famous personalities of India is ordered by Pantheon’s Historical Popularity Index – 2022. Pantheon aggregates information about individuals’ online popularity. HPI is currently made of five components: the “age” of a biography’s character (e.g. The Buddha is more than 2,600 years old), number of Wikipedia language editions in which the biography has a presence (L), the concentration of the pageviews received by a biography across languages (L*), the stability of pageviews over time (CV), and the number of non-English pageviews received by that biography.
Sources
Classifications of the famous Indians
We have seen the ranking of top 30 famous Indians who have got the highest position in Historical Popularity Index 2022, now we will see their classification in different ways.
Era :
Among these 30 famous Indian personalities, maximum 19 persons belong to the 20th century. Among these 19, 1 person Tagore belongs to the first half of the 19th century while 6 people namely Dalai Lama, Shah Rukh, Bachchan, Modi, and Sathya Sai belong to the second half of the 21st century.
5 Indians who lived before Christ (BC) are the Buddha, Ashoka, Chandragupta, Ananda and Chanakya.
There are also four living persons in the list : Dalai Lama, Narendra Modi, Bachchan, and Shah Rukh Khan
Religious Background :
Among the 30 most popular Indian personalities in this list, 15 people (50%) belong to Hinduism. Out of 15 Hindus there are 11 upper castes persons namely 8 Brahmins and 3 Kayasthas. After Hindus, the remaining 15 famous Indian personalities include 7 Buddhists, 5 Muslims, 2 Jains and 1 Christian.
15 Hindus :
- 8 Brahmins : R. Tagore, J. Nehru, Ramkrishna, S. Ramanujan, I. Gandhi, Kalidas, Chanakya, and J. Krishnamurti
- 3 Kayasthas : A. Bacchan, Vivekananda, and SC Bose
- Other Hindus (OBCs) : MK Gandhi, ND Modi, Shivaji, and Sathya Sai
7 Buddhists : The Buddha, Ashoka, Dalai Lama, BR Ambedkar, Nagarjuna, Ananda and Bodhidharma
5 Muslims : Kalam, Akbar, Babar, Shah Jahan and SRK
2 Jains : Osho and Chandragupta Maurya
1 Christian : Mother Teresa
If we consider Osho (Rajneesh) as a Buddhist, the list would be 8 Buddhists and 1 Jain.
Occupations
Mother Teresa and Indira Gandhi are the only 2 women in the list. (See this : top 25 most famous Indian women ever)
Religious leaders (11) : Gautama Buddha, Osho, Mother Teresa, Dalai Lama, Ramakrishna, Nagarjuna, Ananda, Bodhidharma, Vivekananda, Krishnamurti, and Sathya Sai Baba
Political leaders (7) :
- Father of the Constitution : Dr BR Ambedkar
- Father of the nation : Mahatma Gandhi
- The nationalist leader : Subhash Chandra Bose
- Prime Ministers : Jawaharlal Nehru, Narendra Modi and Indira Gandhi
- President : Dr APJ Abdul Kalam*
Rulers (6) :
- Mauryan emperors : Ashoka and Chandragupta
- Mughal emperors : Akbar, Babar and Shah Jahan
- Maratha king : Shivaji
Scientists (2) : Dr APJ Abdul Kalam* and Srinivasa Ramanujan
Writers (3) : Rabindranath Tagore, Kalidas and Chanakya
Actors (2) : Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan
* APJ Abdul Kalam was a politician and scientist.
Table of the top 40 Famous Indians Ever
Rank
HPI
Name
Lifespan
Profession
1
90.82
Gautama Buddha
623 or 563 – 543 or 483 BCE
Philosopher and Founder of Buddhism
2
88.49
Mahatma Gandhi
1869 – 1948
Politician
3
82.44
Ashoka the Great
304 – 232 BCE
3rd Emperor of Maurya Empire
4
81.09
Rajneesh (Osho)
1931 – 1990
Philosopher and Religious leader
5
80.90
Mother Teresa
1910 – 1997
Catholic nun
6
79.98
14th Dalai Lama
1935 – present
Buddhist monk and philosopher
7
79.83
Narendra Modi
1950 – present
Politician
8
79.04
Rabindranath Tagore
1861 – 1941
Poet and writer
9
78.77
Amitabh Bachchan
1942 – present
Actor
10
78.36
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam
1931 – 2015
Scientist and Politician
11
78.33
Akbar the Great
1542 – 1605
3rd Emperor of Mughal Empire
12
78.07
Jawaharlal Nehru
1889 – 1964
Politician
13
76.48
Ramakrishna Paramahansa
1836 – 1886
Hindu mystic and Religious leader
14
75.72
Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar
1891 – 1956
Politician, Jurist and Reformer
15
75.31
Nagarjuna
150 – 250
Buddhist monk and Scholar
16
74.93
Srinivasa Ramanujan
1887 – 1920
Mathematician
17
74.61
Indira Gandhi
1917 – 1984
Politician
18
74.42
Kalidasa
4th – 5th century
Poet and writer
19
74.13
Shivaji Maharaj
1630 – 1680
King
20
73.88
Ananda
5th – 4th century BCE
Buddhist Monk and Buddha's disciple
21
73.87
Babur
1483 – 1530
Founder of Mughal Empire
22
72.92
Bodhidharma
5th - 6th century
Philosopher and Buddhist monk
23
72.34
Shah Jahan
1592 – 1666
5th emperor of Mughal Empire
24
72.11
Chandragupta
350 – 295 BCE
Founder of Maurya Empire
25
71.99
Chanakya
375 – 283 BCE
Philosopher
26
71.89
Swami Vivekananda
1863 – 1902
Hindu monk and Philosopher
27
71.72
Shah Rukh Khan
1965 – present
Actor
28
71.66
Subhas Chandra Bose
1897 –1945
Politician
29
71.26
Jiddu Krishnamurti
1895 – 1986
Philosopher and Writer
30
71.17
Sathya Sai Baba
1926 – 2011
Hindu guru
31
70.60
Kabir
1398 – 1518
Poet and saint
32
70.44
Adi Shankara
700 – 750
Hindu guru
33
70.32
Aryabhata
476 – 550
mathematician & astronomers
34
70.25
Aurangzeb
1618 – 1707
6th emperor of Mughal Empire
35
70.19
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
1888 – 1975
Philosopher and statesman
36
69.92
Padmasambhava
8th century
Buddhist monk and philosopher
37
69.78
Amartya Sen
1933 – present
Economist and philosopher
38
69.23
Mahavira
599 – 527 BCE
Jain tirthankara
39
69.19
Maya Devi
6th century BCE
Queen and Buddha's Mother
40
68.91
Laxmibai
1828 – 1858
Queen of Jhansi
Summary
Tell us how you liked this article? Who else do you think should have been on this list?
If you have any suggestion or want to know Historical Popularity Index (HPI) of any other Indian person then you can ask us by email or in comment box.
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FAQs
Que. 1 : Who is the most famous person in India?
Answer – The Buddha is the most famous person in India.
Que. 2 : Who is the most famous person in India 2022?
Answer – The Dalai Lama or PM Narendra Modi is the most famous person in India in 2022.
Que. 3 : Who is India’s most famous person?
Answer – The Buddha is India’s most famous person.
Que. 4 : Who is the most famous person in India right now?
Answer – The Dalai Lama is the most famous person in India right now.
Que. 5 : Who is the Greatest king of India?
Answer – Ashoka the Great is the greatest king of India.
Que.6 : Who is the greatest person in India?
Answer – The Buddha is the greatest person in India.
Que. 7 : Who is the most admired people in India?
Answer – Dr. B.R. Ambedkar is the most admired people in India.
Que. 8 : Which are the 5 Freedom Fighters of India?
Answer – Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, Subhash Chandra Bose and Indira Gandhi, are the 5 most famous Freedom Fighters of India.
Que. 9 : Who is the most inspirational person in India?
Answer – The Buddha is the most inspirational person in India.
Que. 10 : Who are national leaders of India?
Answer – Mahatma Gandhi, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Jawaharlal Nehru are the national leaders of India.
Que. 11 : Who is the most famous Indian female in India?
Answer – Mother Teresa and Indira Gandhi are the most famous women in india.
Que. 12 : Who is the Greatest Indian of all time?
Answer : Gautama Buddha is the Greatest Indian of all time.
Read also :
- Articles of Famous Buddhist people
- Buddhism related articles
- Dr BR Ambedkar related articles
- Wikipedia : Top 30 World famous Personalities of India
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This is a great article to understand the famous people of our land. The list is sorted by the historical popularity index, which is really cool and surprising. In my opinion, Lord Buddha is the greatest Indian ever, and this article also proved that.
In my opinion, Ashoka the great should have got the second rank.
Thank you for your precious comment. Both Gandhi and Ashoka are greatest Indians.
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Thank you sir ji
I am looking for this information since long time. Do you have any information about “Most popular Female persons in India” if yes please provide the Link, it will really help me .
Yes, I’ve created a article about the Top 25 Most Famous Indian Women of All Time (Read here).