1. HAFSITE.ORG

2. Promoting Dignity Mutual Respect & Pluralism
Ancient India
Promoting Dignity Mutual Respect & Pluralism

3. Origins of Hinduism & Ancient India

4. Hinduism’s Diversity owes greatly to its development over
thousands of years,
reflecting the various
PHILOSOPHIES,
PRACTICES,
EVOLUTIONS
that shaped the religion.

5. Hinduism
doesn’t have a single founder nor a single point in history that can be pinpointed as its start.
The ideas and practices emerged in the ancient Indian subcontinent, firmly tied to early civilization. Over time, they spread to places such as Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Africa, and the Western world.

6. The Harappan Era

7. In 1924,
British archaeologists found evidence of great ancient cities – MOHENJO-DARO and HARAPPA – in Sindh, Pakistan.
What is known about ancient India is based on the theoretical proposition that all people speaking the same language must belong to a single race.
The study of Sanskrit is central to this assumption.

8. The discovery…
revealed a community of ~30,000 people who enjoyed a municipal sewer system, indoor plumbing, standardized trade, and many other signs of an advanced society.
Harappa
Mohenjo -Daro

9. Further excavation revealed artifacts such as faïence beads, seals depicting swastikas and other religious imagery, and a ritual bathing site.
These are the millenia-old remains of what is now known as the Indus Valley, Indus-Saraswati, Sindhu-Saraswati, and Harappan civilization.

10. The precise origin and decline of these cities and of the Indus Valley Civilization is unknown. Earlier historians speculated that the decline may have been due to invading Aryan bands. This theory has since been debunked. Contemporary discussions posit a drought as the likely cause.
*Both the Vedic and Harappan civilizations are contemporary and the nucleus of these civilizations is located in the same geographical region formed by the Indus and its tributaries.

11. Contested Origins of the Vedic Age
Aryan Invasion
Theory
Aryan Migration
Theory
Out of India
Theory

12. The Aryan Invasion Theory

13. This theory was later debunked by archaeological findings.
The Aryan Invasion Theory
A nomadic race called the Aryans supplanted a native population referred to commonly as Dravidians, and through force, co-option, and intermingling, created what became Indian civilization and Hinduism.
In addition to the linguistic evidence, much of Aryan Invasion Theory in the 19th century was based upon the European Christian idea that the earth was 4,000 years old.
This theory was later debunked by archaeological findings.

14. The Aryan Migration Theory

15. The Aryan Migration Theory (or Indo-European Migration Theory)
Migrating central Asian people, later called Aryans, settled in the Indus Valley starting around 1800 BCE, after the cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa were established.
The “Aryan” group label was derived from the Sanskrit word Arya (noble) found throughout Hindu texts.

16. Much of this theory relied upon…
Aryans used iron and horses, which were not considered native to India
Similarities between ancient Persian and Indian culture
Interpretations of the Vedas that refer to Arya and Dasa, presumed to indicate two races 1 2 3

17. Scholars thought
the confluence of local philosophies and those of the newcomers led to the emergence of Hinduism.
They now believe the migrations took place from Central Asia, and cite similarities between ancient Persian religions like ZOROASTRIANISM and VEDIC HINDUISM.

18. This theory is disputed…
DNA evidence points to genetic consistency within the Indian
subcontinent over a longer period 1
The questionable premise of language being a marker of race 2
Archaeological evidence suggests continuity and a fluid transition from the Harappan Age to the Vedic Period 3
trade and migration patterns could have brought both iron and horses to the region 4

19. Out of India

20. Out of India
The Vedic people (Aryans) were indigenous to the Indus-Saraswati region and built the Indus Valley cities. Archaeologists and historians began to embrace what was known originally as the Out of India theory because evidence suggested that a collection of groups lived along the major waterways of the Indian subcontinent.
* Vedic literature refers to the Saptasindhu (Indus river and its tributaries) as the primary land of residence.

21. DNA analysis tracing thousands of years
The evidence includes
Archaeological findings, including satellite imagery of the Saraswati River which was believed to have dried up around 2700 BCE.
(The river’s presence corresponds to numerous references in the Vedas.)
Mingling among different populations would have yielded the type of development seen in ancient India.
DNA analysis tracing thousands of years

22. Arguments against the theory include
that the river found in satellite imagery is the Saraswati River mentioned in the Vedas
No definitive evidence…
suggesting a stable evolution from the Harappan to later Vedic periods
Not enough evidence…

23. Key Beliefs of Early Hindus

24. The Basis of Hinduism
The beliefs of the people inhabiting the ancient Indus region formed the basis of Hinduism.
An emphasis on sacrificial rituals (yajna)
A reverence for
deities personifying
virtues, concepts, and natural forces

25. Early Deity Personifications
Indra
God of Thunder
Varuna
God of Water
Surya
The Sun God
Agni
God of Fire

26. Early Hindu Concepts
Dharma and Brahman /Atman underwent development in this period, and cremation became common.

27. Early Hindu Scripture
All of these early ideas are contained in the four Vedas, the primary scriptures composed during this period.
Perhaps the most influential philosophical idea from this period was encapsulated in the Rig Veda verse:
Ekam Sat Viprah Bahudha Vadanti
The Truth is One; The Wise Call It Many Names

28. Key takEaways its early development is tied to the rise of ancient
The origins of Hinduism are unknown, the primary focus of
its early development is tied to the rise of ancient
Indian civilization
Whether two populations
or one, beliefs of
the people in the ancient Indus region formed the
basis of Hinduism
The three main theories are based on
archaeological, scriptural, and cultural evidence

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