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Criticism of Hinduism refers to aspects of Hinduism which have been criticised. For prejudice against Hindus, see Anti-Hindu sentiment.

Definition and scope

Hinduism includes a diversity of ideas on spirituality and traditions, but has no ecclesiastical order, no unquestionable religious authorities, no governing body, no prophet(s) nor any binding holy book, meaning Hindu traditions can range from polytheistic to atheistic and everything in between. According to Doniger, "ideas about all the major issues of faith and lifestyle – vegetarianism, nonviolence, belief in rebirth, even caste – are subjects of debate, not dogma."

Because of the wide range of traditions and ideas covered by the term' Hinduism', arriving at a comprehensive definition is difficult. Hinduism has been variously defined as a religion, a religious tradition, a set of religious beliefs, and "a way of life". From a Western lexical standpoint, Hinduism like other faiths is appropriately referred to as a religion. In India, the term dharma is preferred, which is broader than the Western term religion.

Hinduism derives its traditions from a variety of sources. After the Second Urbanization in the 6th century BCE, non-Vedic sramana traditions became dominant, especially in urban areas. To counter this, Brahminism began incorporating extensive sramana influences, indigenous traditions, and new developments such as the Bhakti traditions, giving rise to contemporary Hinduism.

Historical background

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Early opposition

Some of the earliest criticism of Brahminical texts, including the Vedas and especially the Dharmashastras, comes from the sramana traditions like buddhism and jainism roughly 3000 years back. At that time, the upsurge of karmakand mimasa traditions and deviation from basic philosphies resulted in emergence of sacrifices of animals, in yagyas, as per vedas, it was never a part of yajnaas. Often cited medha yagyas had nothing to do with slayings. Yet, the scriptural misinterpretations resulted in the flawed rituals.

Caste system

The "discriminatory and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment" of over 165 million people in India justified on the basis of caste, "a defining feature of Hinduism," has repeatedly been noticed and described by Human Rights Watch and the United Nations, along with criticism of other caste systems worldwide. Hinduism practiced varnas or divisions of society into four as per profession and qualification, which the bhagwat gita, and manusmriti ascertain. Yet, not more than 600 years back, the varna started being used as caste by self obsessed smarta brahmins of that time, who beleived in superiority of race by birth and not profession and personality. This is accounted in several scripts like chaitanya charitamrit and the mughal records. Moreover, this division spread like wild fire, across the subcontinent and got rooted deep into the common minds, despite its non availability in the core culture. This division was further strengthened under colonial rule in india,. Who used it as a strong weapon for oppression of the country.

Saffronisation

Saffronisation refers to right-wing policies which impose a Hindu nationalist agenda onto Indian history. Critics use this political neologism to refer to the policies of right-wing Hindu nationalists (Hindutva) that glorify Hindu fundamentalism and propagate Islamophobia, Christianophobia and xenophobia. The term was applied in particular to the efforts to bring Hindutva influences to school education, against the changes made to the textbooks on history.

Sati

Sati was a historical Hindu practice, in which a widow sacrifices herself by sitting atop her deceased husband's funeral pyre.

Social structure

The caste system in India has frequently been criticised. The caste system in India and Nepal has existed for centuries. It is described as a hierarchical, endogamous and closed system of castes that assigned people different classes in society. Hindu scriptures however state that the caste system is not hierarchical but based on the person's character, knowledge and work. According to Chatterjee, the institutionalization of caste makes Indian society "radically different from the western society." It is also found among Indian Christians, Indian Muslims, Sikhs and others. Systems similar to the Indian caste system can be found in other parts of the world as well, like Songbun of North Korea, and Hukou of China as well as the caste system in Pakistan.

Then the British started to classify castes for the purpose of colonial administration.

Sati

Sati was a historical Hindu practice, in which a widow sacrifices herself by sitting atop her deceased husband's funeral pyre.

Social structure

The caste system in India has frequently been criticised. The caste system in India and Nepal has existed for centuries. It is described as a hierarchical, endogamous and closed system of castes that assigned people different classes in society. Hindu scriptures however state that the caste system is not hierarchical but based on the person's character, knowledge and work. According to Chatterjee, the institutionalization of caste makes Indian society "radically different from the western society." It is also found among Indian Christians, Indian Muslims, Sikhs and others. Systems similar to the Indian caste system can be found in other parts of the world as well, like Songbun of North Korea, and Hukou of China as well as the caste system in Pakistan.

Then the British started to classify castes for the purpose of colonial administration.

See also

• Saffron terror
• Criticism of Hindutva
• Anti-Brahminism
• Anti-Hindu sentiment
• Anti-Indian sentiment
• Persecution of Hindus

References

1. Kurtz, Lester, ed. (2008). Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace and Conflict. Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-12-369503-1.
2. MK Gandhi, The Essence of Hinduism Archived 24 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Editor: VB Kher, Navajivan Publishing, see page 3; According to Gandhi, "a man may not believe in God and still call himself a Hindu."
3. Doniger 2014, p. 3. sfn error: no target: CITEREFDoniger2014 (help)
4. Flood 1996, p. 6. sfn error: no target: CITEREFFlood1996 (help)
5. Sharma, Arvind (2003). The Study of Hinduism. University of South Carolina Press. pp. 12–13.
6. Witzel, Michael (1995), "Early Sanskritization: Origin and Development of the Kuru state" (PDF), Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies, 1 (4): 1–26, archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2007
7. Thapar, Romila (1989). "Imagined Religious Communities? Ancient History and the Modern Search for a Hindu Identity". Modern Asian Studies. 23 (2): 209–231. ISSN 0026-749X.
8. ^ "Hidden Apartheid". Human Rights Watch. 2007-02-12. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
9. ^ "CASTE DISCRIMINATION:". www.hrw.org. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
10. "OHCHR | Caste systems violate human rights and dignity of millions worldwide – New UN expert report". www.ohchr.org. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
11. "UN report slams India for caste discrimination". CBC News. 2 March 2007.
12. "Editorial: Unfit to rule". Frontline. Vol. 15, no. 25. 5 December 1998. Retrieved 2014-11-08.
13. Feminist Spaces: Gender and Geography in a Global Context, Routledge, Ann M. Oberhauser, Jennifer L. Fluri, Risa Whitson, Sharlene Mollett
14. Gilmartin, Sophie (1997). "The Sati, the Bride, and the Widow: Sacrificial Woman in the Nineteenth Century". Victorian Literature and Culture. 25 (1): 141–158. doi:10.1017/S1060150300004678. JSTOR 25058378. Suttee, or sati, is the obsolete Hindu practice in which a widow burns herself upon her husband's funeral pyre...
15. ^ Sharma 2001, pp. 19–21. sfn error: no target: CITEREFSharma2001 (help)
16. ^ On attested Rajput practice of sati during wars, see, for example Leslie, Julia (1993). "Suttee or Sati: Victim or Victor?". In Arnold, David; Robb, Peter (eds.). Institutions and Ideologies: A SOAS South Asia Reader. Vol. 10. London: Routledge. p. 46. ISBN 978-0700702848.
17. "Hinduism: Beliefs and Practices" by Jeaneane Fowler p. 19-20
18. Chatterjee, Partha (1993). The Nation and Its Fragments: Colonial and Post-Colonial Histories. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. p. 173. ISBN 0691019436. If there was one institution that... centrally and essentially characterized the Indian society as radically different from the Western society, it was the institution of caste.
19. ^ Cohen, Stephen P. (2001). India: Emerging Power. Brookings Institution Press. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-8157-9839-2.
20. ^ Chaudhary (2013), p. 149 sfnp error: no target: CITEREFChaudhary2013 (help)
21. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Christian caste-Indian Society". Encyclopædia Britannica. The Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved May 31, 2017. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
22. Barbara Demick, Nothing to Envy: Love, Life and Death in North Korea, Fourth Estate, London, 2010, pp 26-27.
23. "China's New Confucianism: Politics and Everyday Life in a Changing Society" by Daniel A. Bell, p. 186, quote = "From a liberal democratic perspective in other words, the hukou system is the functional equivalent of a caste system that marks a group of people as second-class citizens just because they were unlucky enough to be born in the countryside."
24. "Religion, Caste, and Politics in India", by Christophe Jaffrelot, p. 450
25. Feminist Spaces: Gender and Geography in a Global Context, Routledge, Ann M. Oberhauser, Jennifer L. Fluri, Risa Whitson, Sharlene Mollett
26. Gilmartin, Sophie (1997). "The Sati, the Bride, and the Widow: Sacrificial Woman in the Nineteenth Century". Victorian Literature and Culture. 25 (1): 141–158. doi:10.1017/S1060150300004678. JSTOR 25058378. Suttee, or sati, is the obsolete Hindu practice in which a widow burns herself upon her husband's funeral pyre...
27. "Hinduism: Beliefs and Practices" by Jeaneane Fowler p. 19-20
28. Chatterjee, Partha (1993). The Nation and Its Fragments: Colonial and Post-Colonial Histories. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. p. 173. ISBN 0691019436. If there was one institution that... centrally and essentially characterized the Indian society as radically different from the Western society, it was the institution of caste.
29. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Christian caste-Indian Society". Encyclopædia Britannica. The Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved May 31, 2017. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
30. Barbara Demick, Nothing to Envy: Love, Life and Death in North Korea, Fourth Estate, London, 2010, pp 26-27.
31. "China's New Confucianism: Politics and Everyday Life in a Changing Society" by Daniel A. Bell, p. 186, quote = "From a liberal democratic perspective in other words, the hukou system is the functional equivalent of a caste system that marks a group of people as second-class citizens just because they were unlucky enough to be born in the countryside."
32. "Religion, Caste, and Politics in India", by Christophe Jaffrelot, p. 450

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Philosophy	Concepts Brahman Om Ishvara Atman Maya Karma Saṃsāra Puruṣārthas Dharma Artha Kama Moksha Niti Ahimsa Asteya Aparigraha Brahmacharya Satya Dāna Damah Dayā Akrodha Schools Āstika: Samkhya Yoga Nyaya Vaisheshika Mīmāṃsā Vedanta Dvaita Advaita Vishishtadvaita Nāstika: Charvaka
Texts	Classification Śruti Smṛti Vedas Rigveda Yajurveda Samaveda Atharvaveda Divisions Samhita Brahmana Aranyaka Upanishads Aitareya Kaushitaki Brihadaranyaka Isha Taittiriya Katha Maitrayaniya Shvetashvatara Chandogya Kena Mundaka Mandukya Prashna Upavedas Ayurveda Dhanurveda Natyaveda Sthapatyaveda Vedanga Shiksha Chandas Vyākaraṇa Nirukta Kalpa Jyotisha Other Bhagavad Gita Agamas Itihasas Ramayana Mahabharata Puranas Minor Upanishads Arthashastra Nitisara Dharmaśāstra Manusmriti Nāradasmṛti Yājñavalkya Smṛti Sutras Stotras Subhashita Tantras Yoga Vasistha Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Sangam literature Tirumurai Divya Prabandham Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai Thiruppugal Thirukkural Kamba Ramayanam Five Great Epics Eighteen Greater Texts Eighteen Lesser Texts Athichudi Iraiyanar Akapporul Abhirami Antati Thiruvilaiyadal Puranam Vinayagar Agaval Vedarthasamgraha
Deities	Gods Trimurti Brahma Vishnu Shiva Agni Dattatreya Ganesha Hanuman Indra Kartikeya Krishna Rama Surya Varuna Vayu more Goddesses Tridevi Saraswati Lakshmi Parvati Bhumi Durga Kali Mahavidya Matrika Radha Rukmini Sati Shakti Shashthi Sita more
Practices	Worship Temple Murti Puja Bhakti Japa Bhajan Naivedhya Yajna Homa Tapas Dhyāna Tirthatana Sanskaras Garbhadhana Pumsavana Simantonayana Jatakarma Namakarana Nishkramana Annaprashana Chudakarana Karnavedha Vidyarambha Upanayana Keshanta Ritushuddhi Samavartanam Vivaha Antyeshti Varnashrama Varna Brahmin Kshatriya Vaishya Shudra Ashrama Brahmacharya Grihastha Vanaprastha Sannyasa Festivals Diwali Holi Shivaratri Raksha Bandhan Navaratri Durga Puja Ramlila Vijayadashami Ganesh Chaturthi Rama Navami Janmashtami Onam Pongal Makar Sankranti New Year Bihu Gudi Padwa Pahela Baishakh Puthandu Vaisakhi Vishu Ugadi Kumbh Mela Haridwar Nashik Prayag Ujjain Ratha Yatra Teej Vasant Panchami Others Other Svādhyāya Namaste Bindi Tilaka
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