– Belief systems developed with the earliest
humans, who saw the world as being full of
spirits.
– With the development of civilization, more
complex belief systems developed
– Hinduism developed in India
– What type of jobs did untouchables perform
under the caste system in India
The Caste System
Brahmins
(priests)
Kshatriyas
(warriors)
Vaishyas
(herders, farmers, merchants,
craftspeople)
NonAryans
Sudras
(servants, laborers)
Untouchables
Hinduism
Hinduism
• One of the world’s oldest religions
– Over 3,000 years old
• No single founder
– Formed from the beliefs of the diverse
groups who settled in India
• Original people of the Indus valley
• Aryans
Origins
• Developed from the Vedas
– 3500 – 2500 years ago
– Polytheism
• rituals and many gods
– Sacred texts
– The Caste System
Brahman
• One universal spirit
• Appears as many different gods
– This gave people a concrete way to
worship and understand an impersonal god
Atman
• The individual soul
of human beings
Moksha
• Ultimate goal of
Hinduism
• Union with the
universal spiritual
force (Brahman)
– Release from worldly
cares and difficulties
• Atman + Brahman = Moksha
Reincarnation
• Sometimes called
Samsara
• Atman is reborn
into the world
after death
• Continues until
union with the
Brahman
Dharma
• Spiritual and
moral duties that
must be followed
Karma
• All of the deeds of a
person’s life
• Allows people to continue
towards Brahman
• Goods deeds
– Reincarnated into a higher
castes
• Bad deeds
– Reincarnated into a lower
caste or stuck in the same
level
Sacred Texts
• Vedas
• Upanishads
– Nature of the
world and meaning
of life
• Ramayana and
Mahabharata
– Epic poems
– Discuss importance
of following dharma
Hindu Gods
• Brahma
– The god of creation
Hindu Gods
• Vishnu
– The preserver god
• Appears as ten
different avatars
Krishna with his consort Radha ;
appears in the Mahabharata
Shiva
• God of destruction
• Constructive
destruction
Shiva with his wife, Parvati, and his
son Ganesha
How Ganesha got his Elephant
Head
• Parvati (Ganesha’s mom) told him to
stay outside her bath and allow no one
to enter
• Shiva arrived, and because he had
been away for a long time, Ganesha
didn’t recognize his dad
• When Ganesha refused to allow Shiva
to enter, Shiva cut off his head
• Parvati refused to allow Shiva into her
bedroom unless Ganesha was returned
to life
• Shiva took the head from the next
animal to appear, and restored
Ganesha to life with an elephant’s
head
All of the many Hindu
deities are
manifestations of the
spirit Brahman
Closure
• What is the ultimate goal of
Hinduism?
• What is the connection between
reincarnation and the caste system?
• Identify one sacred Hindu text.