Introduction
OVERVIEW: The history of today’s Hindus, one-sixth of our human race, extends back beyond recorded history. In The History of Hindu India, we pick up the threads of Hindu practice evident in the Indus-Sarasvati civilization, which was the largest and in many ways the most advanced of the ancient civilizations. From there we trace the development of Hinduism through the early empires of India, a time of great advances in science, architecture, art and literature–during which Europe was experiencing the Middle Ages. Then came the years of trial by invasion, followed by colonization and finally, in the 20th century, independence. Throughout these periods of history, we highlight the people, philosophical ideas and religious practices that are key to the Hindu religion today.
The History of Hindu India is written for sixth or seventh grade world history and social studies classes in US schools. It is intended to correct the highly deficient presentation of India and the Hindu religion in the existing books, all of which reduce Hinduism to a single concept: caste. As it covers Hinduism and Indian history right up to the present day, it is also suitable for high-school world religions and Advanced Placement history classes. The History of Hindu India has even been used in college course work, due to its refreshingly authentic, terse but comprehensive presentation of the world’s most ancient faith. Click here for the entire book in print, PDF or ePub.
Included below are links to the various chapters of the book, suggested lesson plans for teachers, a video illustrating each chapter as well as songs hitting key points. Additional supplemental materials are video student tours of Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh temples in LA and videos for each of Hinduism’s five main festivals.
Teaching Resources:
Chapter One:
History Lesson Chapter One in PDF
Teacher’s Lesson Plan for Chapter One in PDF
22-Minute Video for Chapter One
Songs: “Let’s Go Back 6,000 Years” • “That’s What Hindus Believe” • “Hindus Love Celebrations”
Chapter Two:
History Lesson Chapter Two in PDF
Teacher’s Lesson Plan for Chapter Two
17-Minute Video Chapter Two
Songs: “Ten Centuries of Progress” • “City and Village Life” • “Sanskrit Culture Blossomed”
Chapter Three:
History Lesson Chapter Three in PDF
Teacher’s Lesson Plan for Chapter Three
20-Minute Video Chapter Three
Songs: “Hard Times Fell Upon India” • “The Devotional Bhakti Movement” • “India’s Musical Tradition”
Chapter Four:
History Lesson Chapter Four in PDF
Teacher’s Lesson Plan for Chapter Four
18-Minute Video Chapter Four
Songs: “Swami Vivekananda” • “The British Raj” • “India’s Fight for Freedom”
Chapter Five
History Lesson Chapter Five in PDF
Teacher’s Lesson Plan for Chapter Five
19-Minute Video Chapter Five
Songs: “India Awakes to Life and Freedom” • “Six Key Hindu Concepts” •
“Indians Love Pilgrimage” • “India’s Popular Impact Today”
Student Tours of Hindu, Jain, Buddhist
and Sikh Temples of Los Angeles
Malibu Hindu Temple
Jain Center of Southern California
Los Angeles Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple
Hollywood Sikh Temple
Five Hindu Festivals
Mahasivaratri
Holi
Ganesh Chaturthi
Diwali
Navaratri
Chapter Summaries
Chapter One, Hinduism from Ancient Times
The largest civilization in the ancient world developed in the Indus Valley of India over 5,000 years ago. In the thousands of years that followed, India produced many great empires under which science, art and philosophy flourished. Out of this rich history developed the Hindu religion, today the third largest in the world.
Chapter Two, Hindu India: 300 to 1100 ce
During these eight centuries, empires, religion, commerce, science, technology, literature and art flourished in India. In ways vitally important to Hindus to this day, the Hindu faith was advanced by temple building, the Bhakti Movement, holy texts and great philosophers, saints and sages.
Chapter Three, Hinduism Endures: 1100 to 1850
By both armed resistance and spiritual resolve, India responded to centuries of Muslim invasion and rule and later British colonization. The country remained overwhelming Hindu despite foreign domination and religious oppression. India is one of very few ancient societies to survive into modern times with its religion and social structure largely intact.
Chapter Four, India as Colony: 1850 to 1947
The British Crown took over direct control of India from the East India Company in 1858. Economic exploitation increased. A determined and mostly nonviolent freedom movement emerged and finally succeeded, resulting in the formation of modern India and Muslim Pakistan in 1947.
Chapter Five, 21st Century India
India was suppressed by centuries of Muslim and British foreign rule. But after independence in 1947, its founders succeeded in welding together the ancient land into a strong, united, modern nation. The Hindu religion survived intact and thrives today in the world’s largest democracy.
Endorsements
The late Dr. Shiva Bajpai was a renowned Indologist, foremost expert on medieval India in the USA, professor at California State University of Northridge and co-author of the monumental work A Historical Atlas of South Asia. The California State Board of Education hired him as a historian advisor on their 2005 textbook controversy: “I have been closely involved with the production of the Hinduism Today’s Hindu History book. I have read the manuscript twice and of my additions, suggestions and corrections have been incorporated. While others might do some topics or themes some what differently, it would be extremely difficult to make any significant improvements within the limitations of space and targeted sixth grade audience. The entire book is both correct and authentic and definitely the best that I have seen for any school textbook.”
Koenraad Elst, Belgium-based independent researcher and prolific publisher on Indian history: “Among social studies textbooks, this book is now the best introduction to Hinduism.”
Hindu Mandir Executives’ Conference is an annual initiative seeking development of network between the executives of all Hindu mandirs of America. Resolution 3 of their HMEC 2007 conference reads: “We, the Hindu Mandirs of America: Agree to adopt and promote within the US school system the Hindu history supplement published by Hinduism Today. An action committee shall be constituted to enhance the dissemination and sustenance of this effort.”
Dr. Klaus Klostermeier, University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Religion at the University of Manitoba (Canada), where he is also the founder and director of the Asian Studies Center: “I believe it to be a vast improvement over what I have seen so far in this genre. I welcome the idea of presenting Hinduism in a positive and uplifting manner from the perspective of a practicing Hindu scholar.”
C.K. Hiranya Gowda, M.D., key founding member of the Nashville Ganesha Temple. He is a practicing otolaryngologist and on the faculty of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “I recommend it both to supplement the teaching of Hinduism in our public schools and as a stand-alone lesson for temple classes.”
Dr. Jeffrey D. Long is Associate Professor of Religion and Asian Studies and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Elizabethtown College, Pennsylvania. “Hinduism Today has performed an important public service by providing a clear and accessible text which presents Hinduism from a Hindu perspective, a needed counterbalance.”
The Hindu American Foundation is a human rights group whose purpose is to provide a voice for the two-million-strong Hindu American community. “This book presents the essence of Hindu thought and history in a scholarly, sensitive and age-appropriate manner.”
The Hindu Students Council is America’s foremost organization of Hindu students with chapters on dozens of university and college campuses. “The book is full of explanations of academic vocabulary as well as Hindu symbols, enabling a young mind to navigate through the material with ease.”
Dr. Arvind Sharma is Birks Professor of Comparative Religion at McGill University, Montreal, Canada. “This attempt to bridge the gap between the academic and the Hindu community’s perception and portrayal of Hinduism must be warmly welcomed.”
Dr. G.V. Raghu is of the Hindu Temple of Atlanta. “Reading this material not only makes any Hindu child proud of his/her heritage but it also gives the right facts on one of the major religions in the world. I strongly recommend it as a teaching material for ten-year-olds on Hinduism in schools in all states.”
Swami Chidanand Saraswati, Muniji, is president and spiritual head of Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh, one of India’s largest and most renowned spiritual institutions. “A clear, lucid, authentic and easily-understandable picture of the Hindu history, tradition and practices. The team of Hinduism Today has prepared the most comprehensive summary of Hinduism’s multi-faceted tradition that I have seen to date.”
Jay Lakhani is the president of Vivekananda Centre UK, part of the Ramakrishna Order. “This lesson is a very clear introduction to Hinduism. It is in line with the requirements of a history lesson and yet manages to put across some of the more subtle ideas inherent in Hinduism in an eloquent and effective manner.”