The recorded civilization of India is one of the longest in the course of world history, and its mythology, linked to its religions and to the development of its civilization, spans an even greater length of time. Unlike the mythology of most countries, particularly Western countries, Indian mythology is still a part of the living culture of the people on all levels of society, from the illiterate masses to the educated elite. Indian mythology is truly a living mythology, evolving as a consequence of historical circumstances like dynastic changes, economic conditions, and the resultant social upheavals experienced by the Indian people. In other words, the mythology changes to explain and record actual historical events.