Hinduism is a term, for a wide variety of related religious traditions native to India. Historically, it encompasses the development of Religion in India since the Iron Age traditions, which in turn hark back to prehistoric religions such as that of the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilization followed by the Vedic religion.
Hindu philosophy had six branches, evolving from about the 2nd century BCE to the 6th century CE, viz. Samkhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa, and Vedanta. Monotheistic religions like Shaivism and Vaishnavism developed during this same period through the Bhakti movement.
Classical Pauranic Hinduism is established in the Middle Ages, as was Adi Shankara's Advaita Vedanta which reconciled the Vaishna and Shaiva sects, and gave rise to Smartism, while initiating the decline of the non-Vedantic schools of philosophy Vedism was the sacrificial religion of the early Indo-European-speaking peoples who entered India from about 1500 BC from the Iranian plateau via the Hindukush and mixed up with the local populations.
The earliest literature of Hinduism is made up of the four Vedas: the Rig-Veda, Sama-Veda, Yajur-Veda and the Atharva-Veda. Of these, the Rig-Veda is the oldest surviving work. These texts were composed between ca. 1500 and 800 BC, and were transmitted by oral tradition alone until the advent of the Pallava and Gupta period and by a combination of written and oral tradition since then.
3000 BCE Writing is invented in Sumer, it is first used for accounting but is later used to record myth. 2494-2345 The Pyramid Texts arguably the oldest known religious texts in the world are composed. 2300 Earliest Confucian writing, Shu Ching incorporates ideas of harmony and heaven.[dubious – discuss] 2200 Minoan Civilization in Crete develops. Citizens worship a variety of Goddesses. 1850 Abraham is thought to have lived. Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh is written. 1500 Earliest Vedas are composed. 1367 Reign of Akhenaton in Ancient Egypt. He is credited with introducing Monotheism to religion 1250 Moses is thought to have led the Hebrews out of Egypt. The first books of the Torah are composed. 1200 Olmecs build earliest pyramids and temples in Central America. 950 Pentateuch is written. 877 Parsva, the penultimate (23rd) Tirthankara of Jainism is born. Axial Age 800-200 BCE 800 Early Brahmanas are composed. 628 Zoroaster, founder of Zoroastrianism is thought to have been born 599 Mahavira, the final (24th) Tirthankara of Jainism is born. 563 Gautama Buddha, founder of Buddhism is born. 551 Confucius, founder of Confucianism, is born.[6] 200 BCE-1500 CE 7-2 Jesus Christ is thought to have been born. 250-900 Classic Mayan civilization, Stepped pyramids are constructed. 405 St. Jerome completes the Vulgate, the first latin translation of the bible.
Re: Timeline of religions.
by siddharth on Mar 28, 2009 01:31 AM
8000 BCE Lord Rama(7th incarnation) is believed to have existed according to the celestial calculations by the large number of astrologers(events recorded based on nakshatra in ramayan has been calculated astronomically)
5000 BCE Lord Krishna (8th incarnation) is thought to have lived based on the events and its celestial recordings in mahabharatha as been calculated by astrologers.
563 BCE Lord Buddha (8th incarnation) was born. He preached Love and mercy
Hinduism is the oldest and the richest religion in the world! The knowledge and wealth of information contained in the hundreds of Hindu scriptures is unparalleled! All other religions are much "younger" and an offshoot of Hinduism.
It is in the fitness of things that a US univ has decided to host Hinduism week. This will no doubt be followed by many such events in other parts of the world.
It is intersting to see that the NRIs are more Hindu than the Hindus in India, in many ways! Hinduism Ki Jai!
wonder how long will it take the secular los*rs oops i meant leaders from india to start trash talking princeton??? As the country having given birth to which has the largest number of hindus, should I expect the Indian ambassador to show up there???