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History of Hinduism

By Manas,

Matt, Chris

Before 2000 BCE: The Indus Valley Civilization

Located in the basin of the river Indus, which flows through present day
Pakistan
Ended about 1500 BCE
Two major cities have been uncovered, Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, which
has given us the alternative name of Harappan culture
cities housed about 40,000 people with sophisticated water systems; most
houses having drainage systems, wells, and trash chutes
Grain was the basis of the economy
collected grain as tax.
Religion in the Indus valley involved temple rituals and ritual bathing in the
'great bath'
There is some evidence of animal sacrifice

1500500 BCE: The Vedic Period

Two major theories about the development of early south Asian traditions

Indus Valley groups self named 'Aryans' migrated and became the
dominant cultural force and Hinduism was a mix of indigenous traditions
they encountered

No migration and Hinduism was created in the region


The language of vedic culture is called vedic Sanskrit, which is related to other
languages in the Indo-European language group

Early vedic religion centred around the sacrifice to their many gods
who lived in the realms of Earth, atmosphere, and sky
Earth contains the plant god Soma, the fire god Agni, and the god
of priestly power, Brhaspati.
The Atmosphere contains the warrior Indra, the wind Vayu, the
storm gods or Maruts and the terrible Rudra
The Sky contains the sky god Dyaus (from the same root as Zeus),
the Lord of cosmic law (or rta) Varuna, his friend the god of night
Mitra, the nourisher Pushan, and the pervader Vishnu.

500 CE1500 CE: Medieval Period

There was a rise in the devotion to major deities, such as


Vishnu, Shiva, and Devi.
Great regional temples rose, such as Jagannatha and
Shiva Temple.
Religious literature was developed in Vernacular.
Vaishnavism philosophers, such as Ramanuja and Madhva
began writing scriptural commentaries, introducing new
theologies and ideas to the religion

500 BCE500 CE: The Epic, Puranic and Classical


Age

The beginning of this period saw the life of Buddha.


Many of todays popular Hindu texts, such as Dharma Sutras,
Shastras, the two epics, and many other famous texts were
written during this period.
Dharma, the idea of law, duty, and truth was expressed
through many texts of this period.
Vedic fire sacrifices diminished, and from these ancient ideas,
devotional worship to images of deities and temples arose.
Traditions from the Gupta empire, such as temple worshipping
became popular during this period, and are still seen in modern
Hindu practices.

15001757 CE: Pre-Modern Period

Islam grew to be a popular religion in the north


of India, alongside Hinduism, popular in the
south.
Islam became not only a religious competitor,
but also a political competitor with Hinduism
While some liberal Islamic powers allowed free
practice of Hinduism, some leaders, like
Aurangzeb destroyed temples and oppressed
Hindu practice.
Hinduism was further developed through
literature, new implications of gods, and new
traditions.

1757-1947 CE: British Period


Robert Clive's victory at the Battle of Plassey heralded the end of the Mughal Empire and
the start of British rule.
Gradually, Christian missionaries arrived and began a mass conversion of the Indian
people.
Important Figures

Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833): presented Hinduism as rational and founded the
Brahmo Samaj.
Dayananda Sarasvati (1824-1883): Wanted a return to vedic religion, emphasized
an eternal and omnipotent god.
Paramahamsa Ramakrishna (1836-1886): wanted unity in all religions
Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948): Politician who helped to negotiate independence
from the British Raj; followed the ideals of ahimsa (non-violence) and suggested
open-minded patriotism. He was assassinated in 1948.

Hindutva is a term that means hindu-ness that was coined in order to act a socioeconomic force to unite the Indian people.

1947 CEthe present: Independent India

The extreme bloodshed, the result of Indian partition in 1947, reinforced


nationalistic religious attitudes.
Communal violence erupts frequently as a result of any event that creates
tension between the religions.

Progression of the Hindu Diaspora

Many Hindus began a movement to the west, to places such as Britain and
North America. Missionaries also began to spread Hinduism.
By the late 1960s, Transcendental Meditation began to gain popularity and
was practiced by celebrities. Eg: The Beatles
Another movement spread quickly, called the Hare Krishna, where followers
sported shaved heads and saffron robes.
Many new Hindus were attracted to the non-sectarian spiritual aspects of
Hinduism, such as yoga. Many avoided the political aspects.
By the turn of the millennium, many Hindu communities had been
established and prospered in society.
Many Hindus are now turning their attention to major issues such as castes
and women's rights in their societies.

Works Cited
"Corruption Leads to Grain, Gas Shortfall in Ukraine Economy Minister." Corruption Leads to Grain,Gas.
Shortfall in Ukraine Economy Minister. N.p., 8 Feb. 2015. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.
Flood, Gavin. "History of Hinduism." BBC. BBC, 24 Aug. 2009. Web. 7 Apr. 2016.
Guruprasad. "The Story of Airport Road Shiva Temple." Guruprasad's Portal. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2016.
The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2003. Print.
"Puri Jagannath Temple | Char Dham | Myoksha." Myoksha. N.p., 16 Dec. 2015. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.
Sarbatoare, Octavian. "Yajna - Vedic Sacrifices in Hinduism." Yajna - Vedic Sacrifices in Hinduism. N.p.,
2002. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.
"Unsolved Mysteries India." Indus Valley Civilization of Harappa ~. N.p., 2016. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.

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