Indian religions

Indian religions, often called Dharmic religions, are a group of faiths that originated in the Indian subcontinent.

These traditions include Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. They are also frequently classified as Eastern religions. While these faiths share deep historical connections, they represent a vast range of diverse religious communities. They are not limited to India but are practiced globally. Today, these traditions account for a massive portion of the world's population.

To understand the scale of these faiths, we can look at recent population data. According to a 2020 survey, Hindus make up approximately 1.25 billion followers. Buddhists follow with about 320 million people. Sikhism has roughly 30 million adherents, while Jainism includes about 6 million people. Other related faiths account for an additional 4 million followers. In total, these Indian religions represent about 1.61 billion people. This demonstrates the immense global influence of these belief systems.

The earliest evidence of religion in this region comes from prehistoric times. Mesolithic rock paintings, such as those found at Bhimbetka, depict rituals and dances.

The Indus Valley Civilisation existed from 3300 to 1300 BCE. This urban culture predates the Vedic religion. Archaeologists study Indus Valley artifacts to find precursors to later deities. One famous item is the Pashupati seal, which shows a seated figure surrounded by animals. Some scholars, like John Marshall, suggested this figure was an early form of the god Shiva. However, others suggest it might represent a Jain Tirthankara or an early Buddha. Because the Indus script remains undeciphered, these interpretations remain a subject of debate.

Documented history begins with the Vedic period, lasting from roughly 1750 to 500 BCE. This era involved the religious practices of early Indo-Aryan peoples. Their traditions were collected into the Vedas, which are canonical collections of hymns and mantras. These texts are central to the Hindu faith as revealed scripture, or shruti. Later, the philosophical ideas of the Vedas were summarized in the Upanishads. These texts are sometimes called Vedānta, meaning the "highest purpose of the Veda." The Upanishads contain some of the earliest mentions of yoga and the concept of moksha.

A major turning point occurred during the Shramana period between 800 and 200 BCE. This movement was parallel to, but separate from, the Vedic tradition. The Shramana movement matured into the established faiths of Jainism and Buddhism in the 6th century BCE. This era caused a philosophical split into two main branches. The astika branch venerates the Vedas, such as the six orthodox schools of Hinduism. The nastika branch includes groups like Buddhism and Jainism that do not venerate the Vedas. Despite these differences, both branches share concepts like yoga, saṃsāra (the cycle of birth and death), and moksha (liberation from that cycle).

As history progressed, new religious configurations emerged during the Puranic and medieval periods. Between 200 BCE and 500 CE, the Puranic period saw new developments in Hinduism. This included movements like bhakti, Shaivism, Shaktism, and Vaishnavism. The early Islamic period, from 1100 to 1500 CE, also brought about new religious movements. Later, in the 15th century, Sikhism was founded in Northern India.

It was based on the teachings of Guru Nanak and nine successive Sikh Gurus. Most Sikh followers today originate from the Punjab region.

Historians have different ways of organizing this long history. Some use the periods of Hindu, Muslim, and British rule. However, scholars like Romila Thapar criticize this because it focuses too much on ruling dynasties. Thapar suggests looking at social and economic changes instead. Another way to divide history is into ancient, classical, medieval, and modern periods. An elaborate timeline includes the Indus Valley Civilisation, the Iron Age, and the "Golden Age" of the Gupta Empire. These different frameworks help us understand how these religions have evolved over thousands of years.