Nowadays, we hear a lot of talk about Britain being a liberal, tolerant and pluralistic society, after the July 7 bombings. True, it has been. But when did it start being so? London is truly a cosmopolitan city. The rest of the country too is more or less similar. You have people who come from a wide variety of cultures from around the world.

But all along, it was a predominantly Christian nation, where the Church had considerable influence in matters of law and politics. After all, it is the nation which had Joan d'Arc burned alive at the stake on charges of heresy. It has its own share of heroes who fought in the Crusades for possession of the Holy Land in the name of Christianity. Remember Richard the Lionhearted?

Any activity in Britain, which contradicted Christian beliefs, risked facing charges of heresy. In India, one of the main causes for the 1857 Revolt was the disrespect of religious customs of soldiers of Indian origin, by British officers. Elsewhere during their stay in India, the British were constantly accused of religious disrespect.

Most democratic nations are liberal, tolerant and pluralistic but there are exceptions. Last year, the French government legislated and enforced a strict ban on forms of religious expression through costumes, headwear etc., inviting an uproar from the ethnic minorities. Sikhs weren't allowed to wear their turbans. Muslim women weren't allowed to wear burkhas.

So I was wondering when the British actually started this tradition of liberalism. Maybe they resolved to develop a liberal, tolerant and pluralistic society when they enacted their Constitution. Just curious.