Origins of Hinduism

Hinduism

• One of the oldest religions of humanity
• Gave birth to other religions: Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism
• Based on a group of sacred texts known as the Vedas

Vedas

• A collection of hymns, rituals, and philosophies
• Explain how the world was created, who the gods are, etc.
• Thought to be the earliest written texts

Four Vedas

• Rig Veda
• Yajurveda
• Samaveda
• Atharvaveda

Rig Veda

• The earliest Veda
• Orally transmitted
• Taught to children from an early age
• Around 1000 BC, written down

Rig Veda

• Established four Varnas: traditional social classes of India

Varnas

• Brahmins (priests)
• Kshatriyas (warriors and officials)
• Vaisyas (farmers, craftspeople, traders)
• Sudras (laborers and non-Aryans)

Brahmins

• Highest ranked
• Only ones allowed to perform rituals for gods
• Established first Aryan religion

Brahmanism

• Religious rituals: Animals, food, drinks offered in sacrifice
• Secret rituals, performed in the forest
• Kshatriyas and Vaisyas paid / Sudras participated

Society highly influenced
by religion

Indian Society divided

• At first: groups based on peoples' occupation
• It became increasingly strict overtime

Caste System

• Varnas further divided
• Based on occupation and birth, wealth
• 3,000 different castes at one point

Caste

• Not permanent in the beginning
• Over time, rigid
• Laws of Manu: guided the caste system

Sutras / shastras

• Established rules for each caste
• What to do, what not to do, e.g. marriage, meals, clothes
• Breaking the rules: banishment

Untitled Slide

Untouchables

Untouchables

• No caste / banned from their caste
• Segregated: no participation in religious rituals, not allowed in temples, schools
• Stuck in their caste/ bad karma

Untouchables

• Polluting touch: Menial jobs
• Anything dealing with death, excrement, blood or dirt: impure
• Things that touch the ground: impure

Perpetuated over the centuries

Modern India

• Until 1920s, government jobs reserved for higher castes
• Slow improvement over the 20th century: Gandhi (Harijan -Children of God), Dalit (depressed)

Declared illegal in the constitutions adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India in 1949 and of Pakistan in 1953
-Scheduled caste

Caste-related violence

• 2 dalits murdered; 3 dalit women victims of sexual violence - every day
• 27,000 crimes against former untouchables/year
• Stronger in rural areas

Advancements

• Dalit men and women occupying leading roles in politics
• Children attending school
• Affirmative action