Hinduism And Its Impact On Society

Hinduism is one of the main religions in South Asia that focuses on one’s soul and eternity of themselves. This religion has shaped into a patriarchal society in India with a caste system that affected gender. In addition, Hinduism has impacted some of the aspects in United States politics. As the Aryans brought this religion to India around 1500 BC, its system and practices spread and evolved around the world into a primary belief. Hinduism has impacted the world socially, politically and even economically.

Hinduism is almost like a lifestyle in India. Hinduism has had a great societal impact on Indian culture. One of the more interesting impacts Hinduism had on society was the position of women. They ultimately were given a slightly higher position in society than they previously had. Hinduism has also impacted India through the caste system. The caste system was originally created to form a society where all people took on important roles based on their abilities. However, in later years they became assigned based on status. Buddhism made a unique impact on India because it practiced complete equality and rejected the caste system.

The word Hindu has evolved from being the word the Persians used for the Indus River in 500 BC to the accepted name for the primary religion of India this name was originally given by foreign rulers and ultimately used by Europeans in the 1500's as the official name of the religion. History plays an important part of Hinduism because new developments reinterpret an update past practices rather than end them. The Hindu religion is broke down into three periods the Vedic period, the Upanishadic period, the classical period, and the devotional period.

Hinduism is known as the world's oldest religion. According to ISKCON Educational Services (2004), it is hard to construct a timeline because Hinduism has no identifiable human founder or specific origin in history. It is so old that its past goes into pre-history. It is extremely diverse with the Hindu people being more interested in the meaning of events than in providing first hand records. There is also no clear-cut divide between history and myth.

Both traditions have almost similar backgrounds. However, Hinduism began earlier as compared to Buddhism. They were both traditions of native Indians. The traditions were therefore influenced and developed by the nature, culture, and surroundings of the Indian people. Hinduism began with the Vedic civilization about 3000 years ago. Scholars believe that the beginning of Hinduism was influenced by fusion of tradition and cultures from all Indian subtribes. The tradition encouraged running life through the gods’ specifications, devotion to different gods and goddesses and finding one’s souls. However, Buddhism was influenced by the life of

Scholars have traced the earliest origins of Hinduism to two distinct sources. The first being the Indus Valley civilisation. This civilisation dates back to the third millennium b.c.e. Postulates were made, indicating that certain features of Hinduism may have made their earliest foundations in the Indus Valley Civilisation. These include ritual purity and the worship of goddess deity for the purpose of fertility.

The question of origin- In order for us to completely understand Hinduism, we must first understand that this a philosophical system of beliefs. To give a definite origin of Hinduism would be very hard to address because there are no known origins. There are no beginning points or a name of a founder. Hinduism can be traced all the way back to around 1500 B.C in what we now call India and has a lot of different beliefs, philosophies and views that contradict each other. All Hindus believe in one God, a supreme being known as Brahma. Brahma is an entity believed to live in every single facet of reality and existence throughout the whole universe. Brahma is both impersonal and unknowable and is often believed to exist in three separate forms: Brahma, the Creator, Vishnu, the Preserver, and Shiva, the Destroyer.

Since the beginning of civilization many religions and cultures have come and gone. One of the few that has stood the test of time is Hinduism. Hinduisms base flourishes from the practical view of human life, belief in eternal truth and it’s ability to make small adaptations to it without compromising its core values. Hinduism is the oldest known religion in the world and also the third largest in the world. Most of its one billion followers live in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Even with its immense amount of followers and lengthy existence, many non followers are unaware of its history, beliefs, and practices.

Hinduism first started in India around 1500 BC. The word Hindu comes from the Sanskrit word sindhu, or river. The Hindu community define themselves as "those who believe in the Vedas", or also "those who follow the way, or dharma, of the four classes and the stages of life. The four classes being the varnas and the stages of life being the ashramas.

Hinduism is a religion that is difficult to define. No one can say who the founder is, or connect it to a certain place or time. So in order to understand Hinduism, we follow a coherent set of assumptions upon which people base their lives; otherwise defined as the Indian Worldview.

In some ways Hinduism is the oldest living religion since some elements of it date back thousands of years; Hinduism has no single founder, no single scripture, and no commonly agreed set of teachings despite many key figures and numerous holy books that might indicate otherwise. Hence why Hinduism is often referred to as a “way of life” and why it makes sense that the religion was informed by so many external conditions around its “birth” (BBC Religion Profile,

In Indian society Hinduism plays a vital role in shaping Indian society. Hinduism plays a vital role in Indian society whether it be through Dharma, the caste system or Hindu rituals. To further explain how Hinduism plays a role in Indian society we need to explain what is Hinduism.

Hinduism, currently the world’s oldest practicing religion, can be considered both mystical and numinous in nature. The history of Hinduism is divided into periods of development, with the earliest period being the Vedic religion. The exact date is unknown, but it ranges from anywhere between 2,500 BC and 1500 BC. The subsequent period, between 600 BCE to 200 BCE was a turning point for the Vedic and Hindu religions and a formative period for Buddhism.

Hinduism is described as a major religious and cultural tradition of South Asia, developed from Vedic religion. One of the oldest religions in the world, Hinduism is most diverse, originating from multiple religions. The religion is polytheistic, meaning the people of Hinduism believe in millions of gods who control different aspects of their life. Prior to visiting the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan mandir, I had minimal information on Hindu’s and their way of life, despite having countless Hindu friends. Going in as an anthropologist, I objectively observed the customs and traditions they followed in an attempt to learn more about their community.

Hinduism originated in India over four thousand years ago. The India-based religion lacks an individual founder. In the beginning, the term “Sanatana Dharma” erupted; but Sanatana Dharma soon transformed to “Hindu” after Islamic invasions occurred: “the Muslim invaders pronounced H for I” (Patheos), thus, the inhabitants along the Indus River were called “Hindus” as a result. The primary goal Hindus hope to achieve is to become reincarnated – thus reaching closer and closer to the state of nirvana every Hindu is called to with each transformation after death.