Interesting piece of Hinduism and Hindutva
Here is the link to an interesting piece on origin of Hinduism and fascist ideology Hindutva, professed by the ruling BJP party in India. Slight corrections are however necessary for our readers:
1. While the name Hindu was given by the Persians who lived on the west side of the Hindukush mountain range, the meaning of Hindu in old language of the Persian people meant savages. Because of living in a highly cultured society the ancient Persian scholars considered the people living on the other side of the Hindukush mountain as less 'culturally' developed people or simply as savages. That is what Hindu meant. The mountain that separated Persia, accordingly, was also called Hindukush since the ancient times, way before Islam came into the scene. The river that flew through was also called Sindhu or Hindu River.
Interestingly, the Hindustani people, i.e., people of the land of Hind, took the same cultural arrogance as they moved east. So, for instance the places east of Brahmin dominated or ruled areas were also looked down upon as lands of less civilized or savage people or Yam or Rakkhas (in Bengali) or Rakshas (in Sanskrit).
The other point to make is that like many Hindus of our times, a new terminology is now used in greater frequency to describe Hinduism - the religion of the Hindus - that is Sanatan Dharma (ancient religion). The peoples of the monotheistic religious traditions would have serious problem accepting this late-found assertion since according to them the religion of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, surely was not worship of idols, as practiced by Hindus. The first parents of humanity worshipped one True God, which Muslims call by the name Allah. The Qur'an clearly mentions that the ancient religion of all the prophets was Islam, which is submission to the will of One God, Allah.
1. While the name Hindu was given by the Persians who lived on the west side of the Hindukush mountain range, the meaning of Hindu in old language of the Persian people meant savages. Because of living in a highly cultured society the ancient Persian scholars considered the people living on the other side of the Hindukush mountain as less 'culturally' developed people or simply as savages. That is what Hindu meant. The mountain that separated Persia, accordingly, was also called Hindukush since the ancient times, way before Islam came into the scene. The river that flew through was also called Sindhu or Hindu River.
Interestingly, the Hindustani people, i.e., people of the land of Hind, took the same cultural arrogance as they moved east. So, for instance the places east of Brahmin dominated or ruled areas were also looked down upon as lands of less civilized or savage people or Yam or Rakkhas (in Bengali) or Rakshas (in Sanskrit).
The other point to make is that like many Hindus of our times, a new terminology is now used in greater frequency to describe Hinduism - the religion of the Hindus - that is Sanatan Dharma (ancient religion). The peoples of the monotheistic religious traditions would have serious problem accepting this late-found assertion since according to them the religion of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, surely was not worship of idols, as practiced by Hindus. The first parents of humanity worshipped one True God, which Muslims call by the name Allah. The Qur'an clearly mentions that the ancient religion of all the prophets was Islam, which is submission to the will of One God, Allah.
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