Hinduism
(1500 BCE-1900 CE)
The World’s Third Largest Religion
By: Lauren Pinion, James
Pitman, and Amanda Shaw
Maps and Sacred Texts
http://www.worldreligions.psu.edu/maps-hinduism.htm
http://www.worldreligions.psu.edu/maps-hinduism.htm
The Spread of Hunduism
The Vedas
(Sacred
Texts) Sacred Hindu Sites
http://listverse.com/2007/09/19/10-religious-scriptures-explained/
Hindu Gods and Goddesses
http://www.indianetzone.com/39/hindu_gods.htm
http://www.ebhagwan.com/
Hanuman
Jayanti
Durga
Santhoshi
Ganesha
http://www.eso-garden.com/index.php?/weblog/C36/P30/
http://hindudevotionalpower.blogspot.com/2010/04/santoshi.html
Chronology
1500 BCE: Aryan invaders bring velidic religion, which is a sacred literature and collection of hymns in the Hinduism
religion.
1200 BCE: Aryans, whom are followers of the Hinduism religion, migrate into Southern Asia.
900-600 BCE: The first phase of Hinduism known as Brahmanism develops, and this brings attention to social and ritual
obligation.
800 BCE: Buddhism and Jainism affect Hinduism because they took away the followers of Hinduism, and they made
Hinduism more moderate and not as extreme.
700 BCE: Vaishnavism develops around the cult of Vishnu, which is a god in the Hinduism religion. Vaishnavas are
communities that are divided into smaller parts, which focus on one form of Vishnu.
600 BCE: The first form of the caste system is recognized, which consists of
Brahmins- which are religious leaders
Kshatriyas-which are nobles and warriors
Vaisyas-which are artisans and formers
Shudras-also known as unskilled laborers
500 BCE: Upanishads are written and sutras emerge as complete scriptures. The Upanishads reflect the ideas of
karma, as well as reincarnation and dharma.
400 BCE: Ramayana is written, which is a very important book in the Hinduism religion. Gandhi referred to it as the
greatest book in the world.
Chronology
326-184 BCE: Mauryan Dynasty founded, which Chandragupta ruled from 324 BCE to 301 BCE.
320-185 BCE: Chandragupta founded the Mauryan dynasty during this time period.
100 CE: The religion of Hinduism spreads to Southeast Asia most likely because of war and trade.
200 CE: This is the beginning of the Vedanta system, which is a Brahmanical system where all the power resides
in the priest.
320-500 CE: Gupta Empire, also known as the Golden Age of Indian culture, is founded in this time frame.
500-650 CE: The Gupta Empire separates into several kingdoms.
600-1600 CE: The rise of devotional movements, such as Puja which is basically reverence to a god or spirit
through rituals and prayers.
1720 CE: The Mughal Empire falls and the British begin to take power over India.
1857 CE: National Independence War between the British and India occurs during this time frame.
1895 CE: The society of Vedanta states that Hinduism is a world religion and the country of India is a single nation.
1947 CE: Independence is given back to India, but there are some conflicts that arise between the Muslims,
Hindus, and Sikhs.
Regional Impact (India)
Politics
-Hindus were to only marriage within their caste, and to neither marry
above nor below their own caste.
-The lowest caste wasforced to perform the most menial and degrading
jobs with virtually no chance of escape from their fate.
-The structure of the Indian government sets up for confrontation
between Hindus and Muslums. These confrontations are the basis for
power in government.
Intellectual Innovations
-Dharma keeps the people in check with ethical conduct, caste
rules, and civil and criminal law.
-Karma is the concept of "action" or "deed” which keeps the Hindu
Indian people in check.
Religion
-The most dominant religion in India today is Hinduism.
-About 80% of Indians are Hindus.
-Indians generally participate in cultural festivals such as “Phagwah”
and “Diwali”, regardless of their religious beliefs.
-Hindu cultural and religious traditions are almost synonymous with
Indian identity.
Art
-The walls of many Hindu temples and other public buildings are
oftencovered in large murals of deities and potrayals of the three goals
of life (dharma, karma, arthra)
-Deities are frequently portrayed with multiple arms because this
emphasizes the immense power of the deity and his or her ability to
perform several feats at the same time.
Technology
-In the wars depicted in the holy books, many characters had weapons
similar to modern day war weapons. These included aircrafts that could
surpass the speed of light and arrows that could carry bombs.
Architecture
-Most Hindu homes have a small shrine called a “puja room.”
-The architecture of Hindu temples evolved over a period of more than
2,000 years and there is a great variety in this architecture.
-Hindu temples are of different shapes and sizes – rectangular,
octagonal, semicircular – with different types of domes and gates.
Society
-There are four castes in society arranged in a hierarchy. These are
priests, warriors, businessmen, and peasants. Below these four castes
there are casteless, also known as the untouchables.
-Evidence of this social structure still exists today.
-Religiously, people are born in a caste and it cannot be changed.
Economy
-The caste system affected Indian economic development because it
was used to determine the economic status of all Hindus within the
country.
-There has however been a great deal of debate as to whether the
caste system still has a legacy that continues to affect the economic
development of India.
Regional Impact (Africa)
Political
-Has received opposition from the entrenched Christian elites and
Muslim minorities of these countries.
Religion
It has mostly been confined to practice by the Indo-African
communities of these countries.
-Home to over 25,000 Hindus, mostly local converts and more recent,
post-independence Indian immigrants.
-Hinduism has been cited as possessing many parallels to African
spirituality.
Intellectual
-Dharma keeps the people in check with ethical conduct, caste
rules, and civil and criminal law.
-Karma is the concept of "action" or "deed” which keeps the Hindu
Indian people in check.
Art
-The walls of many Hindu temples and other public buildings are
oftencovered in large murals of deities and potrayals of the three goals
of life (dharma, karma, arthra)
-Deities are frequently portrayed with multiple arms because this
emphasizes the immense power of the deity and his or her ability to
perform several feats at the same time.
Architecture
-Several temples belonging to the faith have been built in Kenya,
Technology
Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.
-In the wars depicted in the holy books, many characters had weapons -Most Hindu homes have a small shrine called a “puja room.”
similar to modern day war weapons. These included aircrafts that could -The architecture of Hindu temples evolved over a period of more than
surpass the speed of light and arrows that could carry bombs.
2,000 years and there is a great variety in this architecture.
-Hindu temples are of different shapes and sizes – rectangular,
octagonal, semicircular – with different types of domes and gates.
Society
-There are four castes in society arranged in a hierarchy. These are
priests, warriors, businessmen, and peasants. Below these four castes
there are casteless, also known as the untouchables.
-Evidence of this social structure still exists today.
-Religiously, people are born in a caste and it cannot be changed
Economy
-Many Indians left their homeland to seek their fortunes as
soldiers, civil servicemen, and indentured servants throughout the
British Empire, settling mainly in the British colonies of Southern
and Eastern Africa. Their descendants eventually gained middleclass status in these countries, a position which has changed
little.
Regional Impact (Southeast Asia)
Political
-Hindu kings began to make forays into Sri Lanka and parts of
southeast Asia as early as the 7th century C.E.
-Appears to have originated in the region of the Indus Valley in what is
today Pakistan perhaps as much as 4000 years ago.
-Spread into Southeast Asia before the advent of Christianity.
Intellectual
-Dharma keeps the people in check with ethical conduct, caste
rules, and civil and criminal law.
-Karma is the concept of "action" or "deed” which keeps the Hindu
Indian people in check.
Art
Religion
-The walls of many Hindu temples and other public buildings are
-The earliest material evidence of Hinduism in Southeast Asia comes
oftencovered in large murals of deities and potrayals of the three goals
from Borneo.
of life (dharma, karma, arthra)
Hinduism has remained essentially a cultural religion of South Asia and -Deities are frequently portrayed with multiple arms because this
is more than a faith; it is a way of life.
emphasizes the immense power of the deity and his or her ability to
perform several feats at the same time.
Architecture
Technology
Most Hindu homes have a small shrine called a “puja room.”
-In the wars depicted in the holy books, many characters had weapons -The architecture of Hindu temples evolved over a period of more than
similar to modern day war weapons. These included aircrafts that could 2,000 years and there is a great variety in this architecture.
surpass the speed of light and arrows that could carry bombs.
-Hindu temples are of different shapes and sizes – rectangular,
octagonal, semicircular – with different types of domes and gates.
Society
Economy
-Temples and shrines, holy animals by the tens of millions, and the -Many Hindus searching for a better life have moved from rural villages
sights and sounds of endless processions and rituals all
towards larger cities. This has added to the economy of these large
contribute to a unique atmosphere in these lands.
cities merchants and traders as well as cheaper labor.
Regional Impact (Caribbean)
Political
-Britain was in control of most Caribbean nations. They brought over
Indian slaves. These slaves brought and spread the Hindu religion in
these parts.
Religion
-Evolved from main stream Hinduism into a Caribbean style
Hinduism. This has different social and religious practices than
most forms of Hinduism.
Intellectual
-Dharma keeps the people in check with ethical conduct, caste
rules, and civil and criminal law.
-Karma is the concept of "action" or "deed” which keeps the Hindu
Indian people in check.
Art
-The walls of many Hindu temples and other public buildings are often
covered in large murals of deities and portrayals of the three goals of
life (dharma, karma, arthra)
-Deities are frequently portrayed with multiple arms because this
emphasizes the immense power of the deity and his or her ability to
perform several feats at the same time.
Architecture
Technology
-Most Hindu homes have a small shrine called a “puja room.”
-In the wars depicted in the holy books, many characters had weapons -The architecture of Hindu temples evolved over a period of more than
similar to modern day war weapons. These included aircrafts that could 2,000 years and there is a great variety in this architecture.
surpass the speed of light and arrows that could carry bombs.
-Hindu temples are of different shapes and sizes – rectangular,
octagonal, semicircular – with different types of domes and gates.
Society
-There are four castes in society arranged in a hierarchy. These are
priests, warriors, businessmen, and peasants. Below these four castes
there are casteless, also known as the untouchables.
-Evidence of this social structure still exists today.
-Religiously, people are born in a caste and it cannot be changed
Economy
-European ships set sail for Caribbean colonies. They had items for
African slave traders. The slaves were captured and shipped from
Africa to the islands. Sugar and rum were exported from the Caribbean
back to Europe.
Change Over Time
In the beiginning of Hinduism, people were mainly ritualistic. Over the years, teachers like Adi Sankara and
Ramanuja initiated the knowledge part, and the arrival of Swami Vivekananda marked a changed perception of
Hinduism as less of a ritualistic religion.
Followers of the Bhakti movement moved away from the abstract concept of Brahman, which the philosopher Adi
Shankara consolidated a few centuries before, with emotional, passionate devotion towards the more accessible
avatars, especially Krishna and Rama.
The Arya Society, founded in 1875 by Swami Dayananda which went back to the Vedas as the ultimate revealed
source of truth and attempted to purge Hinduism of more recent accretions that had no basis in the scriptures.
The Arya Society is a small society that still works to purify Hindu rituals, convert tribal people, and run centers
throughout India.
The spread of Hindu religous sentiment parallels a similar rise in religious biased devotion among religious
minorities, including Muslims and Sikhs.
there have been major nonviolent changes, as new sectarian movements continue to grow and as established
movements change.
The dominant tendency of the more modern Hindu religion is following the example of the great teachers of the
past, to be nonviolent towards all living beings, and to accept the remarkable diversity of Indian religion.. This is
reiterated by Mahatma Gandhi and most modern gurus.
Brahman, the ultimate reality for the Hindu, is a hard term to define in history because its meaning has
changedsignificantly over a period of time.
Change Over Time
Activist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh emerged to protect Hinduism through the RSS. The RSS had been
founded in 1925 by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar and was based of the concern that Hinduism was in danger of
extinction from its external foes and needed a strong, militant force of devotees to protect it.
The VHP organization demolished a mosque in Ayodhya during a huge demonstration in 1992. As a result, the
Ministry of Home Affairs imposed a two-year ban on the Vishwa Hindu Parishad under the Unlawful Activities Act.
When the ban expired in December 1994, the government reimposed it for two additional years.
Hindu rituals, called upacharass, change with time. For example, in the past few hundred years some rituals,
such as sacred dance and music offerings in the standard Sodasa Upacharas set prescribed by the Agama
Shastraa, were replaced by the offerings of rice and sweets.
The many festivals of Hinduism change throughout the year because they typically celebrate events from Hindu
mythology. Therefore, they often coinciding with seasonal changes.
Hinduism started out very small and has grown to become the world's third largest religion, after Christianity and
Islam.
The linkage of religion, the national government, and nationalism led to a degeneration of the separation of
church and state in India. This, in turn, had decreased the level of religious tolerance in that country.
The Aryan conquerors lived side by side with the indigenous inhabitants of the subcontinent, and many features
of Hinduism may have been adapted from the religions of the non-Aryan peoples of India.
Comparisons
Hinduism developed in India and spread through southeast Asia ,Africa and the Caribbean
The people of the Caribbean were introduced to Hinduism as being brought there as labor this was also
how Hinduism was brought to Africa however Hinduism spread in southeast Asia through trade
Hinduism in the Caribbean was very similar however the reduction in practice of the traditional Hindu
caste system is similar in modes of worship and celebrations, the establishment of Hindu temples and
the practice of Hindu ‘bamboo’ marriage. Since Indians were allowed to practice their religion in their
new environment, to a large extent, Hinduism is very much alive in the Caribbean
Hinduism was very similar in Africa because they were introduced in the same manor
In south east Asia however it moved through conquest of many of the Asian empires
Uses in the World Today
About 900 million people in the world practice Hinduism today.
Hinduism is practiced mainly all over the world, but it is mainly and mostly practiced in India.
Many aspects of Hinduism, such as: karma, dharma, and reincarnation are noticed and believed all
around the world, and not only by Hindus.
Hinduism is the third largest religion in the entire world.
There are many songs of and about karma and dharma in the new age music of today’s society.
Hindu studies are now offered as a major in many colleges and universities in today’s society.
There are Hindu temples in almost every country of the world today.
Many science theories in today’s society come from the Vedas in the Hinduism religion.
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Who Did What?
Amanda Shaw: Chronology & Change Over
Time
Lauren Pinion: PIRATES & Uses in Today’s
World
James Pitman: Comparison &
Maps/Pictures