World Week 8

Hinduism
Introduction
Hinduism is the world's third largest
religion with around 15% of the
entire population practicing the
Hindu faith. Hindu followers in India
comprise the major bulk with
almost 80% of the country's
population adhering to the religion.
Other Asian countries with
considerable Hindu faithful include
Nepal (23 million), Bangladesh (15
million), and Indonesia (3.9 million
in Bali).
Hinduism was never a missionary
religion unlike Christianity or Islam.
Three other religions that sprung in
India have their origins in Hinduism.
• Around sixth century B.C.E.,

Jainism and Buddhism appeared
to challenge traditional Indian
beliefs and practices.
• In the fifteenth century C.E.,
Sikhism arose that featured
Hindu and Islamic influences
HISTORICAL
BACKGROUND
According to Jose and Ong (2016)
Hinduism is oftentimes
considered as the oldest and
most complex of all world
religions. While the most active
religions of the modern times
may have started around the
sixth century B.C.E. onward,
elements and themes of Hindu
belief may have begun around
the third millennium B.C.E. In
The term Hindu originated from the Persian
word hindu (in Sanskrit sindhu) which means
"river." It also refers to the people of the Indus
Valley the Indians (Bowker 1997). The name
Hinduism was given in the nineteenth century
to describe the wide array of belief systems in
India. Hinduism was originally known as "Arya
Dharma" or the Aryan Way."
As early as 3000 B.C.E., there were
already thriving civilizations in India,
such as those discovered in the
ancient Punjab city of Harappa and in
Mohenjo-Daro along the Indus.
Historically, the formations of
Hinduism may have originated from
the customs of the early people of the
Indus valley around 2500 B.C.E. to
1500 B.C.E., in the more advanced
culture of the Dravidians, and from
the Aryans who invaded northwest
India around 1500 B.CE.
In the 1920s, archaeological excavations in
the two pre- Aryan cities Harappa and
Mohenjo-Daro revealed that the natives
already had a flourishing civilization with
their agricultural cities characterized by
well-planed streets with drainage systems.
Unfortunately, despite having a written
language, it has not yet been deciphered.
As a result, vital information concerning the
pre-Aryan like and religious beliefs has
been elusive.
Between 1750 B.C.E. and 1200 B.C.E., Aryan conquerors moved to the Indus Valley and brought with them their own set of beliefs
that eventually mingled with Conclusion the religion of the natives. Classical Hinduism resulted in the consolidation of their faiths.
Around sixth century B.C.B., they began to settle into cities while local leaders started organizing small kingdoms for themselves.
Aryans brought with them their set of beliefs
based on oral texts known as Vedas. This Vedic
literature, however, was chiefly composed at the
time the Aryans had already settled in India and
blended with the natives. Admittedly, there is
much difficulty in identifying elements in the
Vedas that are genuinely pre-Aryan or Aryan
influenced. However, certain fundamental
assumptions about the Aryan religion can be
stated here. Firstly, the Aryans brought with
them a polytheistic religion like that of other
Indo-European people.
The sun, the moon and storms, are
personified in reference to the pantheon of
gods and goddesses worshipped by the
Aryans. Secondly, sacrifice was the
principal form of worship to the Aryan
gods. Offerings to gods include animals
and dairy products performed on altars in
open spaces. Since Aryans later were
nomadic, they had no temples In general,
Hinduism has pre-Aryan and Aryan
elements that date back to ancient times.
(Jose and Ong, 2016)
Key people
Choose three leaders for Black History Month using Bing.com and discuss their lives and
accomplishments. Here are some examples:
Bayard Rustin was a close advisor Jesse Owens was an American Zora Neale Hurston was an
to Martin Luther King and an track and field athlete and four-time American author, anthropologist,
American leader of the civil rights gold medalist in the 1936 Olympic and filmmaker. In 1937, she
movement. Rustin organized and led Games in Germany. Owens published her famous novel, Their
several protests, including the 1963 specialized in the sprints and the Eyes Were Watching God.
March on Washington. long jump.

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Hinduism

• Around sixth century B.C.E.,

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