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| Originally meant to classify the spirituality and occupation of people in the Vedas, the four ''varnas'' caste theory in theological Hinduism was misused as a device to maintain the domination of the upper castes, ] and ] (the ruling order) over the rest of society, using divine doctrine and notions of racial purity. Many modern Hindus feel that the caste of the person should be not determined by birth, but by adult choice or individual tendencies. | Originally meant to classify the spirituality and occupation of people in the Vedas, the four ''varnas'' caste theory in theological Hinduism was misused as a device to maintain the domination of the upper castes, ] and ] (the ruling order) over the rest of society, using divine doctrine and notions of racial purity. Many modern Hindus feel that the caste of the person should be not determined by birth, but by adult choice or individual tendencies. | ||
| ] and all of modern Hindu society almost universally condemns untouchability, even if the caste system debate is open. Untouchability was outlawed after India gained independence in 1947, and people who were formerly identified as untouchables have made considerable economic, social and political progress in India. However, subtle discrimination and isolated acts of violence in the inner parts of India frequently cause political and sectarian tensions. It must be noted that untouchability was derived from the caste system, but is not supported by Hinduism in any of it's scriptures or texts. | ] and all of modern Hindu society almost universally condemns untouchability, even if the caste system debate is open. Untouchability was outlawed after ] in ], and people who were formerly identified as untouchables have made considerable economic, social and political progress in India. However, subtle discrimination and isolated acts of violence in the inner parts of India frequently cause political and sectarian tensions. It must be noted that untouchability was derived from the caste system, but is not supported by Hinduism in any of it's scriptures or texts. | ||
| == Status of Women == | == Status of Women == | ||
Revision as of 03:18, 7 December 2005
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Hinduism is one of the most ancient world religions, tracing its origins back over 5,000 years. Today there are more than 900 million Hindu people worldwide, but mainly in Bharat (India), and the nations of the Indian subcontinent.
As the Hindu religion was born in India, its criticism is irreversibly linked with the broader problems that India's people face today.
Social oppression
Varna System
Main article: CasteThe division of society into four heirachial classes has resulted in much social oppression of the lowest caste, the Shudras. Critics also decry the socio-political fragmentation caused by the caste system. For example, there are over 80 subcastes of brahmins, and the Jat Hindu communities of Punjab and Haryana are considered a separate caste by themselves.
Untouchability
Main article: UntouchabilityOne of the worst products of the caste system was untouchability. The practice of considering members of tribes, those fallen from their original caste and possibly poor immigrants from other lands as untouchable, and that apart from all proper human interaction, the untouchables must continually serve all others gained strength in medieval India, and left millions of people permanently tied down to poverty, ignorance, servitude and victims of physical, social and violent abuse.
Hindu response and reform
Originally meant to classify the spirituality and occupation of people in the Vedas, the four varnas caste theory in theological Hinduism was misused as a device to maintain the domination of the upper castes, brahmins and kshatriyas (the ruling order) over the rest of society, using divine doctrine and notions of racial purity. Many modern Hindus feel that the caste of the person should be not determined by birth, but by adult choice or individual tendencies.
India and all of modern Hindu society almost universally condemns untouchability, even if the caste system debate is open. Untouchability was outlawed after India gained independence in 1947, and people who were formerly identified as untouchables have made considerable economic, social and political progress in India. However, subtle discrimination and isolated acts of violence in the inner parts of India frequently cause political and sectarian tensions. It must be noted that untouchability was derived from the caste system, but is not supported by Hinduism in any of it's scriptures or texts.
Status of Women
Main article: Women in HinduismThe oppression of women through condemned practices like Sati (widow self-immolation), the restrictions against divorce, property rights, child marraige or widow re-marraige were practices that arose in India's Middle Ages.
Hindu response and reform
The Hindu scriptures have provisions for divorce, property rights for women and widow re-marraige. Although, the practices restricting these rights developed within Hindu society in the middle ages, they are not supported by the religion.
Hindu fundamentalism
Several political ideologies subscribing to Hindu Nationalism are considered by a broad range of Indian and foreign critics as in fact fascism.
Political ideologies like Hindutva are considered anti-Muslim, and symbolic of efforts of a small, radical group of Hindus to undertake ethnic and religious cleansing of millions of non-Hindus from India, and re-establishing a caste-based system of apartheid and untouchability, and brahmin domination.
Hindu response
These are considered the extreme reactions to the forcible conversions of Hindus to Islam and Christianity, the Partition of India, increasing criticism of age-old Indian customs and an influx of Western cultural influences.
Hindu renaissance
Hinduism has often proven to have one of the strongest currents of reform and adoption to change than any other world religion. Unlike other systems riveted to a particular set of books or doctrines, Hinduism is constantly evolving.
The first reform and synthesis of modern currents of change came when the ancient Vedic religion was synthesized with the religious practices and philosophies of the Dravidian peoples to form the basis of modern Hinduism.
India's independence movement, and the victory of freedom in 1947 helped the new democratic Government of India to end social, economic and political discrimination against women, children and members of different castes.
It has been the result of a reformist effort by Hindu society, that the evils of customs like untouchability and caste discrimination, tracing back thousands of years, were significantly eliminated from most parts of India from 1947 till today, just around 60 years.
Hindu women have today unprecedented access to higher education, and have rights to divorce, inherit property, run businesses and choose their own professions and are considered with respect and dignity in all Hindu religious activities.
Reform Leaders: Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Dayananda Saraswati, Adi Shankaracharya, Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo
See also
- Hinduism, Hindu
- Contemporary Hindu movements
- Vedic religion, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism
- Hindu Nationalism, Hindutva
- Criticism of Religion