Hindu

Hindu
Name	Hindu
Scripture	Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata
Main regions	South Asia, Southeast Asia, diaspora
Languages	Sanskrit, Tamil, Pali, Prakrit, modern Indo-Aryan and Dravidian languages
Founded	antiquity
Sacred sites	Varanasi, Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Rameswaram, Jagannath Puri, Tirupati

Hindu.

Hindu denotes an adherent of a broad tradition originating in South Asia associated with texts such as the Vedas, Upanishads, and epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The designation covers diverse communities linked to deities such as Vishnu, Shiva, and Devi and to institutions including temple complexes at Kanchipuram and Madurai. Over centuries the term has intersected with legal instruments like the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 and movements led by figures such as Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi.

Etymology and Terminology

The ethnonym derives from the Old Persian term for the river Sindhu used in Achaemenid inscriptions and later in Greco-Roman sources such as the writings of Herodotus, whose usage evolved alongside designations in Sanskrit literature. Colonial-era administration in the British Raj systematized the label in censuses and legal codes, a process influenced by debates among scholars like William Jones and reformers including Raja Ram Mohan Roy. Modern constitutional framings in the Constituent Assembly of India and statutes like the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 further fixed its juridical contours.

Historical Origins and Development

Origins trace to prehistoric and early historic interactions among cultures on the Indian subcontinent, including the Indus Valley Civilization and the Vedic society reflected in the Rigveda. The urbanization of the Maurya Empire and patronage under rulers such as Ashoka shaped religious syncretism alongside developments in Patanjali-era systems and classical period institutions in Gupta Empire centers. Medieval transformations occurred under dynasties including the Chola dynasty and the Mughal Empire, with bhakti movements advanced by figures like Ramanuja, Madhva, and Kabir altering devotional practices. Colonial encounters with entities such as the East India Company and intellectual engagements by Max Müller and James Mill precipitated reform currents exemplified by organizations like the Brahmo Samaj and the Arya Samaj.

Beliefs and Practices

Doctrinal variety ranges from monotheistic orientations toward Vishnu and Krishna to non-dual interpretations associated with Adi Shankaracharya and devotional paths of saints such as Mirabai. Canonical sources include the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads; ritual praxis centers on temple worship at sites like Meenakshi Amman Temple and household rites recorded in the Grihya Sutras. Life-cycle samskaras are observed alongside festivals such as Diwali, Holi, Navaratri, and Raksha Bandhan, often involving pilgrimage routes to Haridwar and Amarnath. Philosophical schools, including Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, and Vaisheshika, coexist with tantric traditions found in texts like the Tantras and practices transmitted by monastic institutions such as the Kanchi Math.

Demographics and Distribution

Major concentrations are in the Republic of India, the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, with diasporic communities in nations including the United Kingdom, the United States, Mauritius, Fiji, and Trinidad and Tobago. Census data frameworks developed since the Census of India under the British Raj have tracked population patterns, while migration flows tied to labor regimes of the Indenture system reshaped demographics in colonial territories. Contemporary organizations like the International Society for Krishna Consciousness coordinate transnational networks alongside regional temple trusts at ISKCON centers and institutions such as the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams.

Cultural and Social Roles

Practitioners have been central to artistic traditions represented by classical forms such as Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, and Odissi, and to literary canons in languages like Sanskrit, Tamil, and Bengali with authors including Kalidasa, Thiruvalluvar, and Rabindranath Tagore. Architectural legacies include temple complexes at Khajuraho and urban ecologies of Varanasi; musical systems traceable to treatises like the Natya Shastra inform performances by composers such as Tyagaraja. Social institutions such as ashrams and mathas historically mediated education and charity, while modern NGOs founded by leaders like Annie Besant and Vinoba Bhave engaged in social reform and land redistribution campaigns during periods influenced by the Indian Independence movement.

Identity, Law, and Politics

Legal codification through statutes including the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 and the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 has shaped personal law regimes, often intersecting with constitutional debates in the Supreme Court of India. Political mobilization has occurred through parties and movements invoking religious identity, notably in events centered on sites such as Ayodhya and organizations like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh; landmark litigations and commissions have addressed communal tensions following incidents involving the Babri Masjid demolition. Contemporary public discourse involves scholars and activists including Amartya Sen and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak who analyze secularism, pluralism, and rights frameworks within the Constitution of India.

Category:Religions of India