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Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia Britannica
Hinduism, major world religion originating on the Indian subcontinent and comprising several and varied systems of philosophy, belief, and ritual. Although the name Hinduism is relatively new, having been coined by British writers in the first decades of the 19th century, it refers to a rich cumulative tradition of texts and practices, some of which date to the 2nd millennium bce or possibly earlier. If the Indus valley civilization (3rd–2nd millennium bce) was the earliest source of these traditions, as some scholars hold, then Hinduism is the oldest living religion on Earth. Its many sacred texts in Sanskrit and vernacular languages served as a vehicle for spreading the religion to other parts of the world, though ritual and the visual and performing arts also played a significant role in its transmission. From about the 4th century ce, Hinduism had a dominant presence in Southeast Asia, one that would last for more than 1,000 years. Introduction The term Hinduism Doctrine

Early Civilization in the Indus Valley Aryans probably used the Khyber Pass to cross the mountains during their Indian invasion. Located in present day Pakistan, the pass is about 16 yards wide at its narrowest point. The phrase "early civilizations" usually conjures up images of Egypt and Mesopotamia, and their pyramids, mummies, and golden tombs. But in the 1920s, a huge discovery in South Asia proved that Egypt and Mesopotamia were not the only "early civilizations." The people of this Indus Valley civilization did not build massive monuments like their contemporaries, nor did they bury riches among their dead in golden tombs. Remarkably, the lack of all these is what makes the Indus Valley civilization so exciting and unique. Copyright J.M. The "Great Bath" of Mohenjo-Daro is the earliest known public water tank of the ancient world. Amazingly, the Indus Valley civilization appears to have been a peaceful one. Excavated human bones reveal no signs of violence, and building remains show no indication of battle.

Swastika - Hindu Symbols 157Google + Swastika symbol. The swastika (Sanskrit svastika, "all is well") is a cross with four arms of equal length, with the ends of each arm bent at a right angle. The swastika is an ancient symbol that has been found worldwide, but it is especially common in India. The swastika is most commonly used as a charm to bring good fortune (in which case the arms are bent clockwise), but it has a variety of religious meanings as well, which are described below. Religious symbolism Swastika banner being hung for an Indian wedding, Mumbai. Indian man's swastika ring. Swastika rangoli (decoration welcoming visitors to a home). Bricks carved with a swastika and script, India. Graffiti in Jamalpur, India. The right-hand swastika is one of the 108 symbols of the Hindu god Vishnu as well as a symbol of the sun and of the Hindu sun god, Surya. The left-hand swastika (called a sauvastika) usually represents the terrifying Hindu goddess Kali, night and magic. Use by the Nazis Recommended: Sources

Mehluha: the Indus Valley Civilizations In the vast plains of the Indus and Sarasvati valleys of northwest India and Pakistan, a great urban civilization arose between about 2500 and 2000 BC. While the civilization is known to archaeologists as Harappan or Indus Valley or Sarasvati-Sindhu civilizations, the only known contemporary name is "Mehluha", the Mesopotamian word for the people who came to trade and live in the great Akkadian period port cities. The great cities of the Mehluha were built along a precise grid-plan of streets and contained a sophisticated drainage system. Two of the most important urban centers, Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, four hundred miles apart, have been excavated since the early 20th century; the others, including Ganweriwala, Chanhu-daro, Lothal, Dholavira, and Kalibangan, have not been as extensively investigated to date. Writing was used in Mehluha, and was perhaps invented in the Indus Valley. What happened to the Mehluha peoples?

Swastika - Meaning of the Swastika Today in the West, the swastika is identified almost exclusively with Nazi anti-Semitism. This makes it difficult for other groups to use the symbol to represent more benevolent concepts, which the symbol has frequently embodied for thousands of years. Hinduism The swastika remains a major symbol of Hinduism, representing eternity, particularly the eternal and ever-present force of the Brahman. It is also a symbol of the present of goodness, as well as representing strength and protection. The message of eternity in the swastika is also widely used by Buddhists. Some of the oldest examples of swastikas in the world can be found in India. The symbol commonly shows up in religious texts, as well as the thresholds of buildings. Jainism The swastika is a symbol of rebirth and the four types of beings that one can be born into: heavenly, human, animal or hellish. Not only does the swastika show up in holy books and doorways, like that of the Hindus, but it is commonly used within ritual as well.

Mysteries of the Indus Valley Mysteries of the Indus Valley The Indus Civilization by Irfan Habib; Tulika Books; pages 110; Rs.225. REPRESENTING a particularly high watermark of ancient history, the Indus Valley Civilisation has never failed to stoke the curiosity and capture the imagination of historian and lay person alike. This is not surprising. The Indus Civilisation flourished between 2500 B.C. and 2000 B.C. DESPITE these limitations and setbacks, serious Indus scholarship has moved painstakingly ahead, uncovering new evidence, while reinterpreting and even challenging old theories. Archaeologists, like investigative journalists, deal with data or information, often disparate and apparently unconnected. If the Indus Civilisation diffused from a small core area, which Habib believes it must have done given the remarkable uniformity of its cultural features, this area has not been firmly established, although it could possibly have been in the Kot-Diji culture area of the Punjab, and northern and central Sindh.

The Ancient Indus Valley Civilization When 19th century explorers and 20th century archaeologists rediscovered the ancient Indus Valley civilization, the history of the Indian sub-continent had to be rewritten.* Many questions remain unanswered. The Indus Valley civilization is an ancient one, on the same order as Mesopotamia, Egypt, or China. All these areas relied on important rivers: Egypt relying on the annually flooding Nile, China on the Yellow River, the ancient Indus Valley civilization (aka Harappan, Indus-Sarasvati, or Sarasvati) on the Sarasvati and Indus rivers, and Mesopotamia outlined by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Like the people of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China, the people of the Indus civilization were culturally rich and share a claim to the earliest writing. However, there is a problem with the Indus Valley that doesn't exist in such pronounced form elsewhere. Mohenjo-Daro - From Archaeology at About.com Indus Housing Indus Economy and Subsistence Writing References

Introduction to Indus Valley Civilization and Vedic Period Indus Valley Civilization Indus Valley Civilization sometimes referred as the Harappan Civilization flourished in the Indus River basin in modern-day Pakistan and northwestern India between 2500 to 1700 BC. Today’s knowledge about the Civilization almost exclusively bases on archeological finds. Unfortunately, a lot remains unknown including both origin and collapse of the Indus Valley Civilization. The existence of Indus Valley Civilization as one of the earliest world’s civilizations was confirmed in the 20th century although the ruins of Harappa were already described in the 19th century. The northern and northwestern Indian subcontinent went through a major change in the middle of the 2nd millennium BC.

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