Hinduism is one of a few ancient religions to survive into modern times. The collection of traditions that compose modern-day Hinduism have developed over at least the past years, beginning in the Indus Valley region in the nations of modern India and Pakistan , in what was the largest civilization of the ancient world.
Initially it did not have a specific religious connotation. The religious meaning of the term did not develop for roughly another years. Hinduism does not have a single holy book that guides religious practice.
Instead, Hinduism has a large body of spiritual texts that guide devotees. The Vedas, considered to be realized revealed eternal truths, were passed down via an oral tradition for thousands of years before being written down.
Hindu philosophy was further developed in the Upanishads. Countless life stories, devotional poetry, and commentaries by sages and scholars have also contributed to the spiritual understanding and practice of Hindus. The Dharma traditions share a broadly similar worldview, and share many spiritual concepts, such as dharma, karma, samsara, and moksha —though each religion understands and interprets them differently.
This divine reality, or its essential nature, is present in all living beings, eternal, and full of bliss. Brahman is understood as the cause of creation, as well as its preservation, and dissolution and transformation, all done in a constant, repeating cycle. Within Hinduism there is a broad spectrum of understandings about the nature of Brahman. Around B. Rituals, such as sacrifices and chanting, were common in the Vedic Period.
Hindus began to emphasize the worship of deities, especially Vishnu, Shiva and Devi. The concept of dharma was introduced in new texts, and other faiths, such as Buddhism and Jainism, spread rapidly. Hinduism and Buddhism have many similarities.
Buddhism, in fact, arose out of Hinduism, and both believe in reincarnation, karma and that a life of devotion and honor is a path to salvation and enlightenment. But some key differences exist between the two religions: Buddhism rejects the caste system of Hinduism, and does away with the rituals, the priesthood and the gods that are integral to the Hindu faith.
The Medieval Period of Hinduism lasted from about to A. New texts emerged, and poet-saints recorded their spiritual sentiments during this time. In the 7th century, Muslim Arabs began invading areas in India.
During parts of the Muslim Period, which lasted from about to , Islamic rulers prevented Hindus from worshipping their deities, and some temples were destroyed. Indian statesman and activist Mahatma Gandhi, Between and , the British controlled India. At first, the new rulers allowed Hindus to practice their religion without interference. But later, Christian missionaries sought to convert and westernize the people.
Many reformers emerged during the British Period. The partition of India occurred in , and Gandhi was assassinated in British India was split into what are now the independent nations of India and Pakistan , and Hinduism became the major religion of India. Starting in the s, many Hindus migrated to North America and Britain, spreading their faith and philosophies to the western world. An early 18th century depiction of Devi revered by Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.
From CE we have the rise of devotion bhakti to the major deities , particularly Vishnu, Shiva and Devi. With the collapse of the Gupta empire, regional kingdoms developed which patronised different religions. For example, the Cholas in the South supported Shaivism. This period saw the development of the great regional temples such as Jagganatha in Puri in Orissa, the Shiva temple in Cidambaram in Tamilnadu, and the Shiva temple in Tanjavur, also in Tamilnadu. All of these temples had a major deity installed there and were centres of religious and political power.
During this time not only religious literature in Sanskrit developed but also in vernacular languages, particularly Tamil. Here poet-saints recorded their devotional sentiments. Most notable are the twelve Vaishnava Alvars 6th—9th centuries , including one famous female poet-saint called Andal, and the sixty-three Shaiva Nayanars 8th—10th centuries.
Subsequent key thinkers and teachers acharyas or gurus consolidated these teachings. They formulated new theologies, perpetuated by their own disciplic successions sampradaya. Shankara — travelled widely, defeating scholars of the unorthodox movements, Buddhism and Jainism, which around the turn of the millennium had established prominent seats of learning throughout India. He re-established the authority of the Vedic canon, propagated advaita monism and laid foundations for the further development of the tradition known as the Vedanta.
The Vaishnava philosophers Ramanuja c. Ramanuja qualified Shankara's impersonal philosophy, and Madhva more strongly propounded the existence of a personal God. Shaivism similarly developed during this period with important philosophers such as Abhinavagupta c. The Tantras became revered as a revelation that fulfilled or superseded the Veda. Some of these texts advocated ritually polluting practices such as offering alcohol, meat and ritualised sex to ferocious deities but most of these texts are simply concerned with daily and occasional rituals, temple building, cosmology and so on.
Alongside the development of Hindu traditions, most widespread in the South, was the rise of Islam in the North as a religious and political force in India. The new religion of Islam reached Indian shores around the 8th century, via traders plying the Arabian Sea and the Muslim armies which conquered the northwest provinces.
Akbar — was a liberal emperor and allowed Hindus to practice freely. However, his great grandson, Aurangzeb — , destroyed many temples and restricted Hindu practice. During this period we have further developments in devotional religion bhakti. The Sant tradition in the North, mainly in Maharashtra and the Panjab, expressed devotion in poetry to both a god without qualities nirguna and to a god with qualities saguna such as parental love of his devotees. The Sant tradition combines elements of bhakti, meditation or yoga, and Islamic mysticism.
Even today the poetry of the princess Mirabai, and other saints such as Tukaram, Surdas and Dadu are popular. At first, the British did not interfere with the religion and culture of the Indian people, allowing Hindus to practice their religion unimpeded.
Later, however, missionaries arrived preaching Christianity. Shortly after, the first scholars stepped ashore, and though initially sympathetic, were often motivated by a desire to westernise the local population.
Chairs of Indology were established in Oxford and other universities in Europe. The nineteenth century saw the development of the 'Hindu Renaissance' with reformers such as Ram Mohan Roy — presenting Hinduism as a rational, ethical religion and founding the Brahmo Samaj to promote these ideas. Another reformer, Dayananda Sarasvati —83 , advocated a return to vedic religion which emphasised an eternal, omnipotent and impersonal God.
He wanted to return to the 'eternal law' or sanatana dharma of Hinduism before the Puranas and Epics through his society, the Arya Samaj.
Both of these reformers wished to rid Hinduism of what they regarded as superstition. These groups were instrumental in sowing the seeds of Indian nationalism and Hindu missionary movements that later journeyed to the West. Another important figure was Paramahamsa Ramakrishna , who declared the unity of all religions. His disciple Vivekananda — developed his ideas and linked them to a political vision of a united India. The Indian government has enacted a favourable affirmative action policy, including the representation of Dalits in public posts and some employment rights.
Upper-caste organizations have been outspoken in their opposition to this approach. The caste system is technically prohibited under current Indian legislation. Nonetheless, many of the lowest castes are unable to access the possibilities afforded to the higher castes. In some regions, Hindu fundamentalists have fought for a more Hindu-centered social framework and resisted any changes. In rural places, where the caste system is more officially observed, traditional socioeconomic rank is often more relevant.
If you live in a large community with millions of people, caste affiliations are usually irrelevant; however, in a smaller, more rural community, these relationships and the status they confer can be critical, significantly because many of the castes are associated with traditional village tasks such as religious leaders, politicians, farmers, leather workers, or other occupations.
Assistant editor by profession in a research publication house. Akshay G Paraskar. Gyanendra Shravan. Gaargi Tomar. Abinaya Suresh. Maharshi Ghosh. Sai Prabhas Mallidi. Daily Life In contemporary India, Hinduism continues to grow. The caste system In various places of Asia, the caste system is structured independently. Hindi Diwas !
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