In some ways Hinduism is the oldest living religion in the world, or at least elements within it stretch back many thousands of years...
Although the early history of Hinduism is difficult to date with certainty, the following list presents a rough chronology.
- Before 2000 BCE: The Indus Valley Civilisation
- 1500 – 500 BCE: The Vedic Period
- 500 BCE – 500 CE: The Epic, Puranic and Classical Age
- 500 – 1500 CE: Medieval Period
- 1500 – 1757 CE: Pre-Modern Period
- 1757 – 1947 CE: British Period
- 1947 CE – the present: Independent India
Hinduism, also known as the Sanatana Dharma, or “Eternal Way” is our planet's original and oldest living religion, with over one billion adherents. Today it has four main denominations: Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism and Smartism, each with hundreds of lineages. They represent a broad range of beliefs, practices and mystic goals, but virtually all concur on certain bedrock concepts...
“[R]eligion ... is concerned with the general order of existence. It is primarily a way of acting in the world, but it also involves a concern for knowing in the world. ...My own problem with definitions of religion, and why I use them only as starting points, is that they too often concern only beliefs. ... But religion is about action...”