Questions About Hindu History
Question: Who founded Hinduism?
Answer: God founded the religion we now call Hinduism. There is no human founder for Hinduism. The spiritual truths of life were first revealed to spiritually enlightened seekers or rishis by God while they were meditating. These rishis then taught their disciples these truths. For many centuries these teachings were orally passed on from guru to disciple as Sanatana Dharma. Later these teachings were written on parchment and compiled to form the Vedas. Later still, followers of the teachings of Sanatana Dharma came to be known as Hindus.
Question: What is Sanatana Dharma?
Answer: Sanatana Dharma is the original name of Hinduism. Sanatana Dharma means, ‘Eternal Truths of Life.’ The word Hindu was created by the Persians around 600 years ago to describe the people who lived around the valley of the Indus river and lands to the East of the valley which is the Indian subcontinent. During the British administration of India, the word Hindu was formalized to name the teachings and followers of Sanatana Dharma. Thus the words Hindu and Hinduism replaced Sanatana Dharma in common usage.
Question: Is Hinduism the oldest religion in the world?
Answer: Yes. Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world. The Indus valley ruins of Mohenjodaro and Harrappa are the world’s most ancient civilizations. Modern techniques of carbon dating has proven these towns to be around 5,000 years old. Images of God Shiva as the Shivalingam and Goddess Shakti were found in the ruins of the temples in these civilizations. Images of God Shiva as Pasupati, Lord of Animals, were also imprinted in their ancient coins. Recent excavations (in 1998) in the state of Maharashtra in India claim to have found an older Hindu town dating back over 8,000 years.
Question: How many Hindus are there in the world today?
Answer: There are about one billion Hindus in the world. They represent about one sixth of the world’s human population. While majority of Hindus live in India, Hinduism is now a global religion. There are Hindus in almost every country in the world. These global Hindus are mainly Indian immigrants who have resided in foreign lands. However there are also a growing number of Hindus who are converts from other religions. Hindus represent the longest and oldest surviving religious heritage in the world. An achievement every Hindu should be proud of.
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