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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. | |||
| Critics decry the socio-political fragmentation of the caste system. For example, there are over 80 subcastes of ], and the ] Hindu communities of ] and ] are considered a separate caste by themselves. | Critics decry the socio-political fragmentation of the caste system. For example, there are over 80 subcastes of ], and the ] Hindu communities of ] and ] are considered a separate caste by themselves. | ||
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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.
Theological criticism
Criticism of Hindus
Social oppression
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.
Critics decry the socio-political fragmentation of 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.
One of the worst products of the caste system was untouchability. The practice of considering members of tribes, native Indian communities and 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.
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.
The oppression of women through condemned practices like suttee, or widow-burning, the inability of women to obtain divorce, inherit property or widows to re-marry were practices that arose in India's Middle Ages. The purdah, child marriage, the burning of brides by their mother-in-laws and the reluctance to provide access to elementary and higher education were all grave social problems linked with Hindu society.
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.
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.
Conversions from Hinduism
Some prominent Indian social and political leaders working against the problems in Hindu society have often ended up staging a conversion to another religion to condemn the Hindu religion as a whole. Notably, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in 1956-57 embraced Buddhism, and vowed to condemn the entire Hindu religion. Kanshi Ram and Udit Raj are similar political activists against untouchability and casteism who've staged mass conversions of their supporters to Buddhism.
While these may be politically-motivated, conversions to religions such as Islam, Christianity and Buddhism has often been the result of the reluctance and resistance to change in some quarters of Hindu society.
The evolution of Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism in India are partly but importantly the result of a need for reform felt by large numbers of Hindus, that was resisted by orthodox Hindus.
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.
It was the result of reform movements and the rise of Jainism and Buddhism that most Hindus came to adopt vegetarianism and ahimsa into their way of life and theological doctrines, abandoning the consumption of red meat and the killing of many animals, different forms of violence within and between communities.
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 spectacular 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