How Hinduism Was Retained as the Main Religion in India, Research Paper Example

India is one of the most traditional nations around the globe. It could be realized that the attachment of the people towards their culture has a strong impact on how they live their lives, how they handle different challenges and how they answer to the different hard situations they have to encounter every day. Relatively, such condition is connected to how they are able to contend with the changes of time and the impact that these adjustments have on their lives as Indians and as members of the global society.

When it comes to religious beliefs, Indians are strongly connected to Hinduism. The birth of Hinduism in the country between 2000 and 1500 BC later on developed to several adjusted versions of the religion[1]. Reformations have occurred under the conditional representation of Mahatma Gandhi in relation to the lifestyle that the religion suggests to be important and necessary to be followed. Taking into consideration the fact that the people of India take this religion seriously, they have actually utilized the name of the said religion into creating the name of their country under the religion’s name itself. The alternative name of the counter is Hindustan, which means land of the Hindus[2]. From this point, it could be realized how much loyalty the people actually have towards the said religion.

Through the turn of time though, changes occurred and globalization became a principle that the modern society recognizes. Under this particular principle, nations become connected to nations and people from different countries become specifically closely acquainted making it easier for them to pass on culture and traditions between each other. This created the possibility of mixing cultures together and this included religion.

Through the years then, it is relatively necessary to understand that several religious beliefs have had several points of traditions that were connected from one point towards another. These religious conditions have then become obvious especially when it comes to the effect that the said traditions have towards the lifestyle of the said individuals who follow the traditions and culture of the said religious changes. The implication of these matters to the actual living process of the people involved in the said beliefs becomes the foundation of their life.

In different countries, the result of globalization is rather evident especially in the devaluation of original cultures and traditions as well as religions. Notably, these elements that serve as the condition of identify for many nations have slowly become extinct along with the emergence of new ways of living while the delusion of new life becomes the primary goal and keeping traditions intact slowly becomes less cared for. However, when it comes to the Indian culture and tradition, keeping everything in tact was an important consideration that the people embraced.

To be able to embrace new lifestyle along with the challenges of modernization and globalization, Indians have strongly evoked on the continuous establishment of the teachings of Hinduism both within the families, the schools and even in work areas[3]. Understandably, this approach allowed for the teachings of Hinduism to come into a realistic condition even for the new age generation of Indians in the modern society. Along with the need of passing the teaching from one generation to another, the Indian society was able to make a distinctive protection that allowed them to keep their religion’s entity even amidst all the adjustments that happened in the society that they are living in.

From the past towards the present conditions of Indian living, prominent individuals continue promote the living condition of Hinduism even among the young ones. Reformation of the old ways of Hinduism without touching the base teachings such as the established knowledge of living that Gandhi suggests and its other thinkers have become a common ground of development in India. This allowed the younger generation to accept the principles of the said religion without necessarily shunning their ways of youthful living[4]. They still embraced the process of modernity even without necessary completely living the thoughts and beliefs according to Hinduism and living by their groundwork of understanding the basics of life.

What makes Hinduism remain influential in the country is the fact that the people do not only observe it as a mere religious affiliation. Instead, they consider it as a way of life, something that characterizes them as a group of people and a united community. This is the reason why even though some Indians emigrate from their own country towards another, they carry along the conditions of living that Hinduism suggests thus continuing to respect its traditions, its cultures and its assumptions of a good life. Carrying into consideration that even though they are in another country, their being Indian remains intact, retaining their attachment to Hinduism was a crucial part of their remaining Indian even amidst the massive changes in the society that they are living in. For this reason, the Indian society remains as efficiently attached to the said religion even when modernity has actually entered the different communities of Indians and vice versa. For a fact, this Indian culture on Hinduism even grows further influential even to other people from other nations around the globe.

Reference:

Siegel, Paul. The meek and the militant: religion and power across the world. Zed Books, 1987.

Hoiberg, Dale. Students’ Britannica India. Popular Prakashan, 2000.

“India”, Oxford English Dictionary, second edition, 2100a.d. Oxford University Press.

Thompson Platts, John. A dictionary of Urd?, classical Hind?, and English. W.H. Allen & Co., Oxford University 1884.

[1] Thompson Platts, John. A dictionary of Urd?, classical Hind?, and English. W.H. Allen & Co., Oxford University 1884.

[2] “India”, Oxford English Dictionary, second edition, 2100a.d. Oxford University Press.

[3] “India”, Oxford English Dictionary, second edition, 2100a.d. Oxford University Press.

[4] “India”, Oxford English Dictionary, second edition, 2100a.d. Oxford University Press.