With the rise of polytheistic Hinduistic ideology beginning in South Asia around 2000 BCE, during a time of hunting and gathering and the start of rice cultivation, the process of envisioning a faith and establishing a solid following proved to be difficult. The Indus River Valley civilization in northern India was populated by a diverse community, one group being Indo-European peoples known as the Aryans, who of which founded Hinduism. Acknowledging the large variety of people and beliefs, Hinduism’s characteristics, like the caste system and Hinduistic gods and goddesses, needed to be readily adaptable to already existing religions and daily activities. Hinduism encourages the following and worshipping of approximately thirty-three million
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Around 3000 BCE, the Indus river civilization had begun to undergo the process of urbanization2 and transitioned from the process of hunting and gathering to a more stable food source of crop cultivation, rice being a primary crop. Religious sects and beliefs had already existed thousands of years before the Aryans had been settled around the Indus river. Most civilizations were centered in the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, both of which are in modern-day Pakistan.3 In Mohenjo-Daro, a large swimming pool-like structure remains, which archaeologists believe represented “a Great Bath,” which was used as a ritualistic site that connected to the characteristics of a god and a goddess in Shiva’s sect of Hinduism.4 A further connection of Hinduism and pre-Aryan settlement of the Harappan culture include a common bull-like god, which displays how Hinduism incorporated ideas and gods into their own religion to make it easier to adapt into …show more content…
The three major schools of Buddhism are Theravada, Dharmaguptaka and Mulasarvastivada, which exist only to satisfy geographical differences.8 The largest religious threat for Buddhism spread were the Brahmans in north India who used the Vedas as a sacred text.9 The sects of Hinduism coexist and incorporate themselves with previously established systems instead of working as their own religion with very limited influence, much like Buddhism had done. Furthermore contrasting, Hinduism had enveloped a variety of deities underneath their religious umbrella while Buddhism had stuck to celebrating Buddha as their one divine
Around 3000 BCE, the Indus river civilization had begun to undergo the process of urbanization2 and transitioned from the process of hunting and gathering to a more stable food source of crop cultivation, rice being a primary crop. Religious sects and beliefs had already existed thousands of years before the Aryans had been settled around the Indus river. Most civilizations were centered in the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, both of which are in modern-day Pakistan.3 In Mohenjo-Daro, a large swimming pool-like structure remains, which archaeologists believe represented “a Great Bath,” which was used as a ritualistic site that connected to the characteristics of a god and a goddess in Shiva’s sect of Hinduism.4 A further connection of Hinduism and pre-Aryan settlement of the Harappan culture include a common bull-like god, which displays how Hinduism incorporated ideas and gods into their own religion to make it easier to adapt into …show more content…
The three major schools of Buddhism are Theravada, Dharmaguptaka and Mulasarvastivada, which exist only to satisfy geographical differences.8 The largest religious threat for Buddhism spread were the Brahmans in north India who used the Vedas as a sacred text.9 The sects of Hinduism coexist and incorporate themselves with previously established systems instead of working as their own religion with very limited influence, much like Buddhism had done. Furthermore contrasting, Hinduism had enveloped a variety of deities underneath their religious umbrella while Buddhism had stuck to celebrating Buddha as their one divine