1A Origins of Hinduism Flashcards
where does the term Hinduism come from?
it was not a term used by Hindus themselves, but adopted by a British colonial administration in India, to describe the various religious beliefs and practices of the majority of the Indian population
why is it difficult to determine how Hinduism began?
it has no founder and claims to have no beginning so is timeless
what quote can you use to support why is it difficult to determine how Hinduism began?
“overtime, apparent misunderstandings have arisen over the origins of Hinduism”
what type of culture was the IVC and taken when?
the IVC was a Bronze Age culture taken from 2500-1500 BCE
what are the 2 main competing discourses on the origins of Hinduism?
The Indus Valley Civilisation and those who say Hinduism was brought by the Aryans from Central Asia
why is the IVC a potential place where the origins of Hinduism can be found?
there is some evidence showing beliefs similar to the Hindu religion
how did the IVC get its name?
the civilisation’s first sites excavated was along the river Indus
what was the first town excavated called?
Harappa, it can be called the Harappan culture
in the 1920’s a team of archaeologists excavated the IVC area, what did they find?
found remains of buildings and streets that made up these cities; they named them Mohenjo Daro and Harappa
what features did the IVC have?
the civilisation had a centralised government and highly advanced urban culture with towns and cities designed on grid systems and platforms to protect them from floods
what features of the IVC suggested that they were highly advanced?
their houses usually had 2 storeys and baths that drained into the city sewers. they also had separate drainage systems for water and rainwater
what quote supports that the IVC was highly advanced?
“the inhabitants of Indus Valley were of a very advanced nature. they were a wealthy middle class with a centralised government”
finish the sentence: Similar to Hinduism, Indus religious beliefs shown evidence in the belief of…
life after death
what do the seals from the Indus Valley show?
- a divine being which resembles the Hindu God shiva, which has been named proto-shiva
- female figurines that suggest worship of the Mother Goddess, which in modern Hinduism could be linked to Shakti
why are there problems in confirming whether or not the IVC is where Hinduism began?
despite their being a lot of scriptures, they cannot be deciphered. the lack of evidence here prevents us from confirming this link as information is based on little archeological evidence
