Hindus live with a legacy of domination by muslim and christian rulers that stretches back many centuriesin northern india, to the delhi sultanate established at the beginning of the th century. The true history and the religion of india is a concise encyclopedia of authentic hinduism that reveals the true theme of our scriptures and describes the history of india and the religion of india bharatvarsh of 155. This website is for people of various faiths who seek to understand islam and muslims. This religion has influenced indians from every walk of life. The word hindu comes from the word sindhu meaning the river. There are four vedic books, of which the rigveda is the oldest. The earliest of the hindu scriptures, the rig veda, was composed well before 6500 b. It contains a lot of brief, yet informative articles about different aspects of islam. However, there are some beliefs common to nearly all forms of hinduism that can be identified, and these basic beliefs are generally regarded as boundaries outside of which lies either heresy or nonhindu religion. Jan 20, 2006 the holy book of hindu religion paperback january 20, 2006.
All are available for purchase on click book images for details. It is intended for students of religion, ideas, social sciences and history, and for the interested lay person. List here any books that deal with or touch on the hindu religion in a positive and significant way. A brief outline of hinduism practical philosophy and. No one can deal with india, or understand the social and cultural life of its people, without coming to grips with hinduism.
Hinduism is thought to have gotten its name from the persian word hindu, meaning river, used by outsiders to describe the people of the indus river valley. Among the earliest known records of hindu with connotations of religion may be in the 7thcentury ce chinese text record of the western regions by xuanzang, 41 and 14thcentury persian text futuhussalatin by abd al. Egyptian religion left behind number religious monuments and writings, as well as significant influence on cultures both ancient and modern. Like all other categorization or classification systems the world religions paradigm has a history. Hinduism a brief overview of the development of hinduism there. We do hope that all serious students of hindu religion and philosophy will find the book useful and. Western orientalists, working under the aegis of a judaeochristian religious paradigm, looked for and found an ecclesiastical authority akin to wester models of an ecclesiastical hierarchy the sanskritic brahmanization of hindu religion was filtered through colonial. Among the earliest known records of hindu with connotations of religion may be in the 7thcentury ce chinese text record of the western regions by xuanzang, 41 and 14thcentury persian text futuhussalatin by abd almalik isami. The word hinduism is not to be found anywhere in the scriptures, and the term hindu was introduced by foreigners referring to people living across. Chaplains will need to develop their own contacts with hindu religious leaders. The hindu american foundation haf was represented in a delegation of hindu spiritual and lay leaders that visited israel last week to attend the second international hindujewish summit organized by the world council of religious leaders wcorl in conjunction with the.
Hindu relations with islam and christianity are in some ways quite different from the ties and tensions that bind together religions of indian origin. Roughly 95 percent of the worlds hindus live in india. The book, which was first published in 1947, has now been rearranged in a more convenient form, with useful additions here and there, and is now released in its fifth edition. The hindu religion is filled with traditions and beliefs closely linked with other practices such as meditation and yoga. Introduction to hinduism for beginners learn religions.
The documentary is based on the first chapter of the textbook, the history of hindu india, published in 2011. The most ancient sacred texts of the hindu religion are written in sanskrit and called the vedas vedah means knowledge. The history of any nation or individual is an important part of its selfidentity, and this is especially true of india, which so recently gained independence after centuries of colonial rule. The earliest hindu scriptures, the vedas, veda knowledge are a collection of hymns of praise to the gods of nature. Unlike islam or christianity, hinduism s origins cannot be traced to any one individual. In this way the series brings out the multidisciplinary nature of the study of religion. Hinduism is a syncretic religion, welcoming and incorporating a variety of outside influences. Hindu nationalism came to world attention in 1998, when the hindu nationalist bharatiya janata party bjp won national elections in india. A comprehensive survey of the hindu tradition, the book deals with the history of hinduism, the sacred writings, the hindu worldview, and the specifics of the major branches of hinduism vaisnavism, saivism, and saktism. Although the bjp was defeated nationally in 2004, it continues to govern large indian states, and the movement it represents remains a major force in. Religionfacts does not necessarily endorse the contents of these books. Because of the importance it gives to the values ingrained in all religions, it is along with buddhism often referred to as the most secular religion in the world. However, vedic religion is treatable as a predecessor of hinduism.
Hindus call their religion sanatama dharma, eternal religion or eternal truth. Hinduism download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf e. He published many studies on hinduism, south asian cultu. The history of hinduism is unique among the world religions in that it has no founder or date of origin. The earliest literary source for the history of hinduism is the rigveda, consisting of hymns that were composed chiefly during the last two or three centuries of. Mar 17, 2015 the history of any nation or individual is an important part of its selfidentity, and this is especially true of india, which so recently gained independence after centuries of colonial rule. The history of hinduism in india can be traced to about 1500 bce. Hinduism is a religion and yet its a practice in diversity. The term hindu in these ancient records is a geographical term and did not refer to a religion.
History of hinduism denotes a wide variety of related religious traditions native to the indian subcontinent. Evidence of hinduisms early antecedents is derived from archaeology, comparative philology, and comparative religion. History hinduism, the religion followed by 800 million people in india and 100 million in the rest of the world, encompasses a wide variety of beliefs and rituals. Hindus themselves refer to their religion as sanatama dharma, eternal religion, and varnasramadharma, a word emphasizing the fulfillment of duties.
The hindu religion is the oldest religion of the five major religions, which are islam, christianity, judaism, buddhism, and hinduism major world religions, 2006. Although the name hinduism is relatively new, having been coined by british writers in the first decades of the 19th century, it refers to a rich cumulative tradition of texts and practices, some of which date to the 2nd millennium bce or possibly. Score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. To hindus, hinduism is not just a religion but a way of life. In ways vitally important to hindus to this day, the hindu faith was advanced by temple building, the bhakti movement, holy texts and great philosophers, saints and sages. A classical dictionary of hindu mythology and religion. The earliest evidence of hinduism is found in the indus valley civilization 33001700 bc.
Hinduism is also known by the names sanatanadharmaand vaidikadharma. In that spiritual field, he went on to say, truth is the sovereign principle, and. History hinduism, the religion followed by 800 million people in india and 100 million in the rest of the. The hindu religion is filled with traditions and beliefs closely linked with other practices such as. Hindu religious traditions and the co 1cept of religion knaw.
The controversy over indias history centers on the origin of the aryan culture, as we shall see in more detail below. He has earned soulful friendship of maha periyavar h. Hinduism is an ancient belief, one developed in the caste systems of india, and one that believes in karma, predestination and reincarnation. Guru faith in the mata amritanandamayi missionabingdon, uk.
Today, with about 900 million followers, hinduism is the third. Is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the punjab region, by guru nanak, and continued to progress with ten successive sikh gurus punjab of india is the only region in the world with a majority sikh population sikhs are expected to embody the qualities of a sant. Pdf of the various religions that came up through ages in human. It is intended to provide an authentic presentation of the history of india and hinduism for use in american 6th grade social study classes, as well as hindu temple study groups and general presentations on the hindu religion and history. The holy book of hindu religion paperback january 20, 2006. Hinduism is a religion that originated in the indian subcontinent. The beginnings of hinduism the modern archaeological record for south asia indicates a cultural history of continuity rather than the earlier 18th through 20th century scholarly interpretation of discontinuity and south asian dependence upon western influences. Summary of hinduism beliefs meaning of name hinduism, from the persian hindu sanskrit sindhu, literally river.
It is the oldest practised religion in the world and has the third largest following after christianity and islam. Portions of the hindu beliefs have found their way into other countries, and are the foundation of other religions such as transcendental meditation and buddhism. Over the centuries this religious tradition has slowly evolved to be practiced and understood in many different ways, but it is. Hinduism middle school world history and world geography. The partition of india in 1947, and the resultant bloodshed reinforced nationalistic tendencies and specifically notions of india as a hindu country, and of hinduism as an indian religion. The evolution of the individual mind and personality is more important in the hindu value system than the faith or religion one adheres to. She is the author of hindu selves in a modern world. Hinduism religious literacy project harvard university.
Her research interests lie in the areas of contemporary and popular hinduism. The hindu religion has branched out and now encompasses a wide variety of religious beliefs and organizations. Aug 24, 2009 the partition of india in 1947, and the resultant bloodshed reinforced nationalistic tendencies and specifically notions of india as a hindu country, and of hinduism as an indian religion. The paper concludes that religion does provide a theory for human rights and, as an examination of hinduism makes clear, this foundation. Probably the most wellknown hindu saying about religion is. The earliest evidence for prehistoric religion in india date back to the late neolithic in the early harappan period 5500. Hindu philosophytheology influenced the ancient greeks since the time alexander the great conquered parts of north india. Such power as i possess for working in the political field has derived from my experiments in the spiritual field. The history of hinduism essay 8 words 6 pages the word hindu has evolved from being the word the persians used for the indus river in 500 bc to the accepted name for the primary religion of india this name was originally given by foreign rulers and ultimately used by europeans in the 1500s as the official name of the religion.
There is a huge pantheon of hindu gods and goddesses, although the educated hindus with whom i spoke generally viewed the hindu deities as representing different aspects of one supreme. Ambathkar and argued to earn a special status for hindu religion in the independent india. The hindus define their community as those who believe in the vedas or those who follow the way of the four classes and stages of life. Its history overlaps or coincides with the development of religion in indian subcontinent since the iron age, with some of its traditions tracing back to prehistoric religions such as those of the bronze age indus valley civilization. Because of the importance it gives to the values ingrained in all religions, it is along with buddhism often referred to as. Hinduism is the worlds oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years. Science and hindu religion madhuri bapat eastern arizona college, thatcher, az, 85552 july 29, 2014 aapt conference at university of minnesota, minneapolis. Out of this rich history developed the hindu religion, today. The main gods and goddesses in hinduism arly hinduism was a form of nature worship. A collection of handselected books on hinduism, chosen on the basis of apparent usefulness and quality. The religion has created a set of rules for good living on this earth.
Hinduism, major world religion originating on the indian subcontinent and comprising several and varied systems of philosophy, belief, and ritual. Vedic hinduism is a contradiction in terminis since vedic religion is very different from what we generally call hindu religion, at least as much old hebrew religion is from medieval and modern christian religion. Because the religion has no specific founder, its difficult to trace its origins and history. Drawing from various layers of its long history, hinduism today includes many diverse. Pdf on jan 1, 2014, ashok vohra and others published. Search the history of over 431 billion web pages on the internet. Hinduism a brief overview of the development of hinduism. Purists refer to it more as sanatana dharma the eternal pathlaw rather than a religion, as it is believed to be a virtuous way of life. A remarkable similarity has also been demonstrated between the religion and mythology of the ancient scandinavian people and that of the people of india.