Hindu History

The history of Hinduism spreads over 5,000 years and can be seen in eight phases that telescope into each other. The first is the Indus phase, then come the Vedic phase, the Upanishadic phase, the Buddhist phase, the Puranic phase, the Orientalist phase, and finally the Modern phase. The Indu- Saraswati civilization reveal ancient iconography that is considered sacred in Hinduism even today. But much of the knowledge of that period remains speculative. The subsequent three phasrs constitute Vedic Hinduism, when there were no temples & the idea of God was rather abstract. The final four phases constitute Puranic Hinduism, characterized by the rise temples and beliefs in personal God, either Shiva, Vishnu's avatars or the Goddess, we can go so far as to call Vedic Hinduism pre- Gita Hinduism & Puranic Hinduism post- Gita, to indicate the pivotal role of The Gita of Hindu history.

The Vedic phase began 4,000 years ago, The Upanishads phase 3,000 ago, The Buddhist phase 2,500 years ago, The Puranic phase 2,000 years ago, The Bhakti phase 1,000 years ago and the Orientalist phase only 200 years ago. The modern phase is just emerging, with Indian's questioning the understanding of Hinduism that so far been based on western frameworks.

Dating of Hindu history is always approximate & speculative, and often a range, as orally transmitted scriptures precede the written works by several centuries, and parts of the written work were composed by various scribes over several generations, in different geographies. Everything is complicated by the fact that writing become popular in India only 2,300 year's ago, after Mauryan Emperor Ashoka popularized the Brahmi script through his edicts.

We must keep in mind that the historical approach to Hinduism is not acceptable to all Hindus. The ahistorical school of thought sees all Hindu ideas as timeless. The rather chauvinistic proto- historical school sees all Hindu rituals, stories & symbols, Vedic or Puranic, as having been created simultaneously over 5,000 years ago. These have become political issues, which influence scholarship.

History seeks to be everyone's truth, but is limited by available facts. More often than not, what is passed off as history is mythological, someone's understanding of truth shaped by memory, feelings & desire, available facts notwithstanding. However it is never fantasy or no one's truth.

-Approaches to Hindu History by Devdutt pattanaik.