Top 100 Greatest IndiansA list of the greatest Indians. There are so many great Indians it is hard to draw up a list of the greatest 100. It is even harder to compare.

Top 10 Indians

1. Lord Buddha - Founder of Buddhism. Gave up the comforts of being a Prince in a palace to seek enlightenment in the forests. After gaining the experience of Nirvana, Lord Buddha spent many years travelling India teaching his philosophy of enlightenment and peace.

2. Sri Aurobindo - One of the key figures in the early Indian Independence movement, Aurobindo argued for nothing less than full independence. He retired from politics to devote the remainder of his life to spirituality in the French enclave of Pondicherry. Become one of the greatest poets, philosophers and Spiritual Masters of the twentieth century.

3. Swami Vivekananda - The indomitable spirit of Swami Vivekananda awoke in his fellow Indians a renewed sense of pride and self-belief. Vivekananda embodied both the spirituality of ancient India and the dynamism of the West. He became renowned in the West after his inspirational message of Religious tolerance was heard at the World Parliament of Religions 1983.

4. Mahatma Gandhi - The foremost political leader of the Indian independence movement. For over two decades, Gandhi strove for a peaceful overthrow of British rule. Inspired millions with his philosophy, resolve and commitment to independence and also to alleviating the plight of women and the 'untouchable' caste.

5. Sri Krishna - The hero of India's classic - the Bhagavad Gita. It was Sri Krishna who taught to Arjuna the sublime philosophy of yoga contained in the Gita. It was Sri Krishna who brought religion and spirituality to everyone. Sri Krishna also developed a new path of yoga - bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion.

6. Akbar - The Great Moghul Emperor who united India and became a beacon for religious tolerance. Akbar took great interest in all aspects of his government and introduced laws which were very enlightened and progressive for his time.

7. Jawaharlal Nehru - The first Prime Minister of an Independent India 1947. Nehru became a very well respected international statesman who steered his country through the difficult period following independence.

8. Radindranath Tagore . The Seer-Poet of modern India. Tagore, was the first Indian to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. A consummate poet, composer and artist. Returned his knighthood in protest at mistreatment of Indians by the British.

9. Mother Teresa . Mother Teresa was born in Albania, but, she made her home in the slums of Calcutta. Her compassion and selfless service to the underprivileged of India and the whole world, slowly won the hearts of a her fellow Indians.

10. Ashoka - One of the greatest Indian rulers of all time. Ashoka the Great ruled from 269 BC to 232 BC he embraced Buddhism after a bloody battle and became known for his philanthropism, and adherence to the principles of non-violence, love, truth and tolerance.

11. King Janaka 12. Sri Ramachandra13. Chitta Ranjan Das14. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose15. Sri Ramakrishna16. Sri Jagadish Chandra Bose17. Rishi Rajnarayan Bose18. Vidyasagar19. Sister Nivedita 20. Rishi Bankim21. Kabir 22. Lord Gauranga / Sri Chaitanya23. Mirabai24. Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray25. The Vedic Seers 26. Guru Nanak 27. Vasishtha 28. Maitreyi 29. Dhruva 30. Bhrigu 31. Agastya 32. Radha 33. Maharana Pratap34. Lord Mahavira 35. Sri Chinmoy 36. Shankaracharya 37. Ramanuja 38. Aryabhata39. Kalidasa 40. Swami Dayananda 41. Debendranath Tagore 42. Sarada Devi 43. Michael Madhusudan Dutt44. Troilanga Swami 45. Shyama Charan Lahiri 46. Devadas Maharaj 47. Ramdas Kathiya Baba 48. Sita 49. Paramhansa Yogananda50. Ali Akbar Khan - Sitar Player 1922-200951. Ramana Maharshi 52. Anandamayee Ma 53. Pir Vilayat Khan 54. Valmiki 55. Vyasa 56. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee

57. Sarat Chandra Chatterjee 58. Girish Chandra Ghosh 59. Dwijendra Lal Roy 60. Dilip Kumar Roy 61. Sarojini Naidu 62. Bharati 63. Dr Sisir Kumar Ghose 64. Ustad Ali Akbar Khan 65. Raja Rammohun Roy 66. Lala Lajpat Rai 67. Bal Gangadhar Tilak 68. Bipin Chandra Pal 69. Dr S. Radhakrishnan70. Rishi Rajnarayan Bose 71. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel 72. Amartya Sen - Nobel Prize Economics 199873. Surya Sen 74. Sarat Chandra Bose 75. Lord Mountbatten 76. Arjuna 77. Kunti 78. Muhammad Yunus - Nobel Peace Prize 200679. Sardar Patel 80. Babar 81. Humayan 82. Shah Jahan 83. Aurangzeb 84. Shivaji 85. Sri Jagadish Chandra Bose 86. Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray 87. Vidyasagar 88. Babur 89. Indira Ghandi 90. Gorakshanath 91. Sachin Tendulkar 92. President R Venkataraman 93. Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman - Nobel Prize Physics 1930 94. Dr Satyendranath Bose 95. Kaji Mohammad Maharshin 96. Max Müller 97. Margaret Wilson 98. C.Narasimhan 99. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar100. Siddhartha Shankar Ray