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Author : Manu V. Devadevan Publisher : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG Page : 233 pages File Size : 41,7 Mb Release : 2016-01-01 Category : Religion ISBN : 9783110517378
This book is a pioneering attempt to understand the prehistory of Hinduism in South Asia. Exploring religious processes in the Deccan region between the eleventh and the nineteenth century with class relations as its point of focus, it throws new light on the making of religious communities, monastic institutions, legends, lineages, and the ethics that governed them. In the light of this prehistory, a compelling framework is suggested for a revision of existing perspectives on the making of Hinduism in the nineteenth and the twentieth century.
This book surveys the Pre-vedic religion of ancient India. It reflects upon controversies surrounding discoveries at the Indus sites and then takes a dip into the world of Vedas to discover the religion of that age. The book uncovers interesting facts about ancient Hinduism reviewing controversies surrounding the Aryan Invasion (now migrations) theory, the Asuran Indus theory, and the Indigenous theories.
A free ebook version of this title is available through Luminos, University of California Press’s Open Access publishing program. Visit www.luminosoa.org to learn more. In Hindu Pluralism, Elaine M. Fisher complicates the traditional scholarly narrative of the unification of Hinduism. By calling into question the colonial categories implicit in the term “sectarianism,” Fisher’s work excavates the pluralistic textures of precolonial Hinduism in the centuries prior to British intervention. Drawing on previously unpublished sources in Sanskrit, Tamil, and Telugu, Fisher argues that the performance of plural religious identities in public space in Indian early modernity paved the way for the emergence of a distinctively non-Western form of religious pluralism. This work provides a critical resource for understanding how Hinduism developed in the early modern period, a crucial era that set the tenor for religion's role in public life in India through the present day.
This book surveys the Pre-vedic religion of ancient India. It reflects upon controversies surrounding discoveries at the Indus sites and then takes a dip into the world of Vedas to discover the religion of that age. The book uncovers interesting facts about ancient Hinduism reviewing controversies surrounding the Aryan Invasion (now migrations) theory, the Asuran Indus theory, and the Indigenous theories.
A History of Hinduism by R. Ramachandran (retd) Pdf
IS THE HISTORY OF HINDUISM, THE HISTORY OF BRAHMANAS FROM RIGVEDIC TIMES TO THE PRESENT? Or, does the story of Hinduism begin with the descriptions of the ancient roots as revealed by archaeological findings and the evidence from present day tribal, village and regional cultures? This book looks at both. The history of Brahmanas, tracing their lineage to the fifty-odd Rigvedic poets, is dealt with through the chronological ordering of the Sanskrit texts which were first handed down to us as oral narratives from Gurus to shishyas. The circumstances and purposes for which these texts were written is examined, along with events of a true historical nature. This is followed by a sequential treatment of Hinduism as a ‘Rigvedic religion’, the two Mimamsas, Buddhism, Jainism, Dharmasastras, the Epics and the Puranas. The growth of Hindu temples, the role of Adi Sankaracharya and the Bhakti movement is delved into, and the influences of Muslim and British rule of the subcontinent on Hinduism is analysed. The author explores one major reason for the survival of Hinduism—the support of prehistoric tribal and village cultures which were not modified or destroyed by the later-day Brahmanas. Much of tribal and village deities and practices were co-opted into concurrent Hinduism, so-much-so that today these cannot be separated from mainstream Hindu practices and traditions. They exist in all their colourful glory to this date and make Hinduism vibrant. It is these ancient folk religions that provide a stable foundation for the survival of Hinduism, argues author R Ramachandran, presenting in this book an all-encompassing landscape view of Hinduism as it has been for the last five thousand years. Finally, the present status of Hinduism is discussed along with its survival in the future.
Hinduism has two major roots. The more familiar is the religion brought to South Asia in the second millennium BCE by speakers of Aryan or Indo-Iranian languages, a branch of the Indo-European language family. Another, more enigmatic, root is the Indus civilization of the third millennium BCE, which left behind exquisitely carved seals and thousands of short inscriptions in a long-forgotten pictographic script. Discovered in the valley of the Indus River in the early 1920s, the Indus civilization had a population estimated at one million people, in more than 1000 settlements, several of which were cities of some 50,000 inhabitants. With an area of nearly a million square kilometers, the Indus civilization was more extensive than the contemporaneous urban cultures of Mesopotamia and Egypt. Yet, after almost a century of excavation and research the Indus civilization remains little understood. How might we decipher the Indus inscriptions? What language did the Indus people speak? What deities did they worship? Asko Parpola has spent fifty years researching the roots of Hinduism to answer these fundamental questions, which have been debated with increasing animosity since the rise of Hindu nationalist politics in the 1980s. In this pioneering book, he traces the archaeological route of the Indo-Iranian languages from the Aryan homeland north of the Black Sea to Central, West, and South Asia. His new ideas on the formation of the Vedic literature and rites and the great Hindu epics hinge on the profound impact that the invention of the horse-drawn chariot had on Indo-Aryan religion. Parpola's comprehensive assessment of the Indus language and religion is based on all available textual, linguistic and archaeological evidence, including West Asian sources and the Indus script. The results affirm cultural and religious continuity to the present day and, among many other things, shed new light on the prehistory of the key Hindu goddess Durga and her Tantric cult.
The history of the Hindu tradition is captured by Kalus K. Klostermaier in this new survey of a rich and ancient religion. This study moves swiftly but thoroughly through the ages, from early emergence of the Vedic tradition to the developments in contemporary Hinduism. Factual information is balanced with discussion of such problematic areas as the true origins of Hinduism and the controversy of the Aryan invasion. Other features include: full coverage of all the major branches within the religion, and their origins; the role of philosophical reflection in the development of Hinduism; the future of Hinduism; a quick-reference chronology, bibliography and extensive glossary. This guide to the development of a major religion should be of interest to those interested in the subject, from gradates to the curious general reader, and can be used as a companion volume to "Hinduism - a short introduction".
An engrossing and definitive narrative account of history and myth that offers a new way of understanding one of the world's oldest major religions, The Hindus elucidates the relationship between recorded history and imaginary worlds. Hinduism does not lend itself easily to a strictly chronological account: many of its central texts cannot be reliably dated even within a century; its central tenets karma, dharma, to name just two arise at particular moments in Indian history and differ in each era, between genders, and caste to caste; and what is shared among Hindus is overwhelmingly outnumbered by the things that are unique to one group or another. Yet the greatness of Hinduism - its vitality, its earthiness, its vividness - lies precisely in many of those idiosyncratic qualities that continue to inspire debate today. Wendy Doniger is one of the foremost scholars of Hinduism in the world. With her inimitable insight and expertise Doniger illuminates those moments within the tradition that resist forces that would standardize or establish a canon. Without reversing or misrepresenting the historical hierarchies, she reveals how Sanskrit and vernacular sources are rich in knowledge of and compassion toward women and lower castes; how they debate tensions surrounding religion, violence, and tolerance; and how animals are the key to important shifts in attitudes toward different social classes. The Hindus brings a fascinating multiplicity of actors and stories to the stage to show how brilliant and creative thinkers - many of them far removed from Brahmin authors of Sanskrit texts - have kept Hinduism alive in ways that other scholars have not fully explored. In this unique and authoritative account, debates about Hindu traditions become platforms from which to consider the ironies, and overlooked epiphanies, of history.
Hinduism and Its Sense of History by Arvind Sharma Pdf
It has been long taken for granted in the study of Hinduism over the past two centuries that the Hindus lacked a sense of history. This book marshalls evidence to render this assumption, which has had far-reaching consequences, implausible.
Presents historical information about Hinduism, compiled by the Hindu Students Council. Includes ancient, medieval, and modern history, as well as history through comic books. Contains biographies of great Hindus and other Indians, as well as historical maps of India and the Indian national anthem. Discusses the 1971 India Pakistan War. Posts contact information via mailing address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail for the Hindu Students Council, which is located in Boston, Massachusetts.
The History of Hindu India by Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami Pdf
A book for kids, teenagers, parents and teachers, the history of today's Hindus, one-sixth of our human race, extends back beyond recorded history. In this book, we pick up the threads of Hindu practice evident in the Indus-Sarasvati civilization, which was the largest and in many ways the most advanced of the ancient civilizations. From there we trace the development of Hinduism through the early empires of India, a time of great advances in science, architecture, art and literature—during which Europe was experiencing the Middle Ages. Then came the years of trial by invasion, followed by colonization and finally, in the 20th century, independence from the British Crown. Throughout these periods of history, we highlight the people, philosophical ideas and religious practices that are key to the Hindu religion today. While the text is written for sixth grade social studies classes in US schools, it is also suitable for high school classes. It has even been used in college course work, due to its refreshingly accurate, terse but comprehensive presentation of the world's most ancient faith.Review: from amazon.com: 5.0 out of 5 stars Great reference book for travel to India..., October 23, 2011 By MilsP - See all my reviews This review is from: The History of Hindu India (Hardcover) I picked up this book (History of Hindu India) on a whim. I really enjoyed the photographs throughout the book; I would read further and further just to find out what the picture was depicting. The book is true to its title, the authors give us a much better understanding of the Hindu religion from its origins to present day and how the multitude of invaders left their mark on the religion. An aspect of this book that I found surprising and wonderful was the way the authors linked the history of the religious teachings with modern day "heroes" if you will, such has Martin Luther King and Gandhi. Overall I really enjoyed the book and I felt that it is a great reference book and would be very useful to anyone who may be considering a trip to India as well.
Hindu Beginnings by Jai Krishna Ponnappan,Kiran Atma Pdf
Hinduism differs from all of the main global religions in this regard as well as many others. In contrast to Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam, the Hindu tradition cannot be linked to a single historical founder; instead, its origins are shrouded in the mystery of prehistory and, for those who believe in it, in the deeds of supernatural beings. Hinduism's vast and nuanced existence should become clearer to the reader if they get familiar with the germane information provided here, exposing a really complex and comprehensive religion.