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How has Hinduism impacted culture?
During the Maurya and Gupta empires, the Indian culture and way of life were deeply influenced by Hinduism. Hinduism reinforced a strict social hierarchy called a caste system that made it nearly impossible for people to move outside of their social station.
Where is Hinduism most important?
Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years. Today, with about 900 million followers, Hinduism is the third-largest religion behind Christianity and Islam. Roughly 95 percent of the world’s Hindus live in India.
When and where did Hinduism become popular?
From about the 4th century ce, Hinduism had a dominant presence in Southeast Asia, one that would last for more than 1,000 years. In the early 21st century, Hinduism had nearly one billion adherents worldwide and was the religion of about 80 percent of India’s population.
How did Hinduism impact societies in South and Southeast Asia?
Only in Bihar and Bengal, because of the patronage of the Pala dynasty and some lesser kings and chiefs, did Buddhist monasteries continue to flourish. Buddhism in eastern India, however, was well on the way to being absorbed into Hinduism when the Muslims invaded the Ganges valley in the 12th century.
How has Hinduism impacted the world today?
Hinduism has done more than influence the non-religious side of society; it has influenced other religions as well. Many of the beliefs in Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism, such as the chakra system, reincarnation and karma all coincide with and originate from Hinduism.
How has Hinduism affected modern Indian society?
The caste system limits job choices for Indians. Families offer food to deities along with their prayers. Women must wear scarves over their hair.
What is Hinduism like in today’s society?
Hinduism preaches peace and calmness. Their afterlife is a state of calmness and tranquility. Many of their prayers include meditation and yoga and other arts of tranquility. There have not been many wars in India, but there are some hate crimes against Muslims and Christians.
How did the Vedas impact Indian society?
Vedic ritualism heavily influenced the rise of Hinduism, which rose to prominence after c. 400 BCE. The Vedas—the oldest texts of the Hindu religion—describe deities, mythology, and instructions for religious rituals.
How has Hinduism influenced American culture?
Outside traditional forms of home altars, temple worship, and festivals, there are many ways in which Hinduism has influenced American culture. The guru movements that flourished in the countercultural spiritual experimentation of the long decade of the 1960s continue to draw followers today.
How did Indian religion and culture spread to Central and Southeast Asia?
Hindu priests and Buddhist monks accompanied mercantile class and assumed a leading role in spreading the message of Indian thought and culture to the entire Southeast Asian region. Since they had no political ambitions and were living in hermitages and ashrams, the local people welcomed them.
Where can we still see the impact of Hindu culture in Southeast Asia?
Today, vibrant Hindu communities remain in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Medan (Indonesia) and the Philippines mainly due to the presence of Indians, such as Tamil people, who migrated from the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia in past centuries.