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Richard H. Davis, “Introduction: A Brief History of Religions in India,” in Religions of India
in Practice, Donald S. Lopez, Jr., ed. (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1995), pp.
3-52.
STUDY QUESTIONS
1. What is the point of the story with which Davis begins his introduction?
2. What are some of the terms in the shared religious vocabulary of India?
THE QUESTION OF HINDUISM
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What is the place of Hinduism among the religions of India?
What integrating characteristics of other “world religions” does Hinduism lack?
In what senses is Hinduism both the oldest and the youngest religion?
What is the history of the word, “Hinduism,” among Indo-Aryans, Persians, Muslims,
British, and Indians?
5. What are the “centralist” and “pluralist” views of Hinduism?
6. What have been the paradigmatic formulations of Hinduism?
7. What have been the most serious challenges to these paradigmatic formulations?
THE INDO-ARYANS AND THE VEDAS – 2000-600 BCE
1. Who were the Aryans? Where did they come from? What technological innovations
enabled them to conquer indigenous peoples? For what languages did they provide the
basis? Distinguish the Indo-Europeans and the Indo-Aryans.
2. Trace the movement of the Indo-Aryans into northern India.
The Rg Veda – 2000-1200 BCE
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What are some of the meanings of “Veda” and what is its status among its proponents?
Describe the contents of the Rg Veda.
Who was Indra?
Who/what was/were the dasas, the Indus Valley civilization, the Dravidians, and what
was their influence in the development of later Indian religion?
Who was Agni?
Who or what was Soma?
Sacrifice and Society – 1200-600 BCE
1, What social changes took place during this period?
2. What religious changes took place during this period? In the purpose of sacrifice? In the
status of the gods?
3. How did the priestly caste emerge? What was its status?
4. What was the varna system?
The Upanishads and the Renunciatory Model – 900-600 BCE
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What does “Upanishad” mean and why are they called vendanta?
How do the concepts of transmigration, samsara, karman, and moksa fit together?
How do these concepts change the nature of sacrifice? What is asceticism?
How do the Vedas come to define, and not define, Hindu orthodoxy?
THE NEW RELIGIONS OF THE SIXTH CENTURY BCE
1. What did the new religions of the sixth century agree on?
2. What did they disagree on?
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3. What is the purpose of yoga?
4. What were the later developments of yoga?
5. What were the similarities between Jainism and Buddhism in their beginning?
Jainism
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How did Jainism begin?
Why is Mahavira considered more than human?
What are the life style and devotional practices of a Jain lay follower?
How is a Jain renouncer initiated?
What are the five “great vows” undertaken by a Jain renouncer?
How did the Jain community divide into two communities?
How did the public role of Jainism change in the medieval period?
Buddhism
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How did Buddhism begin?
How did Buddhism spread?
Why did monastic cells become the institutional form of Buddhism?
How did Buddhism critique the Vedas?
What was Asoka’s role in the rise of Buddhism?
How did Buddhism decline in power and influence?
How has Buddhism been revived in India since the 1950’s?
HINDUISM REDEFINED – 600-300 BCE
The Epics – assumed final form around 300 CE
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What is an epic?
What was the audience and content of these epics?
Who is Vishnu? Krsna? Rama?
What is avatara? What advantages did it offer in expanding the community of Vishnu
worshipers?
5. What is the story line of the Bhagavad Gita? How does it lead to bhakti?
The Puranas and Hindu Theism – 300-700 CE
1. How have Indian rulers tried to integrate the multiple religious communities in their
kingdom?
2. What is the most significant aspect of the Puranas?
3. What are Vilshnu’s essential attributes?
4. How does Siva evolve from Rudra?
5. Describe Siva’s character.
6. Who is Brahma?
7. What is the “Hindu trinity”?
8. Identify Laksmi, Parvarti, Durga, the Great Goddess. How does the Great Goddess
evolve from other female deities?
9. What has been and continues to be the role of the Puranas in Hindu culture?
TEMPLE HINDUISM - 700-1200 CE
1. How did Indian rulers change their patronage?
2. What are the three functions of a Hindu temple?
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How does temple puja develop and how is it related to the Vedic tradition?
What is bhakti?
What was the role of poets in spreading bhakti movements?
What was the paradox inherent in the Bhakti conceptualization of the gods?
How did Indian diversity increase during this period?
ISLAM IN INDIA – 1200-1700 CE
1. When, where, and how did Islam originate?
2. How and why did Islam spread so rapidly?
3. Identify the stages of Islamic expansion in relation to India in the 8th C, 11th C, 12th C, and 16th
C.
4. Describe “both sides” of Islam in India.
Orthodox Islam and Political Authority
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How do Islam and Hinduism differ in their understanding of the Divine?
How do Muslim mosques differ from Hindu temples?
How did temples become indices of political control?
How do Muslims categorize religions?
Sufism
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How do Sufis differ from more conservative Muslims?
What is the most basic relationship among Sufis?
How did Muslim worship change during the medieval period?
How did Sufi religious practice become more like yoga and bhakti?
How did Sufism contribute to making Islam an indigenous Indian religion?
HINDUISM UNDER ISLAM – 1200-1700 CE
1. How did Islam in India change the political situation in India, and how did Hindus respond to
this situation?
Devotional movements
1. What is common and what is different among bhakti movements?
2. How did bhakti deities change during the medieval period?
3. According to Rupa Gosvami, what are the five predominant relationships between humans
and God?
4. What was the most characteristic pattern of medieval bhakti?
5. In what ways did medieval bhakti become critical of temple Hinduism?
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Tantra
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When did tantrism develop and from what sources did it develop?
What are the two ways that historians of Indian religions use the word tantra?
What is the highest goal of tantra?
How is tantra promulgated?
Why is tantra considered by some to be a degenerate form of Hinduism?
What is the role of the Goddess in tantra?
How do tantric groups view the erotic?
Why does tantra take a skeptical view of social definitions of right and wrong?
Guru Nanak and Sikhism
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How and when did Sikhism begin?
What did Nanak teach about God, God’s worship, and orthodox religion?
How did Nanak organize his followers?
What is the status of Sikhs today?
THE BRITISH PERIOD – 1757-1948 CE
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What aspect of the British worldview particularly challenged South Asian religions?
What forms of Christianity had been in India prior to the coming of the British?
What was the primary effect of British missionaries in India?
How did the Orientalists view Indian religions?
How did James Mill view Indians and Hinduism?
What were the views of the following Indian reformers:
a. Rammohan Roy
b. Svami Dayananda
c. Nirankari movement
d. Syed Ahmed Khan
e. Mohamed Ali
f. Svami Vivekananda?
7. What British practices contributed to the hardening of religious community boundaries in India?
RELIGIONS OF HOME AND VILLAGE
1. Why do scholars frequently overlook domestic religious traditions?
2. What are the common themes of domestic religious traditions?
3. What precautions should be observed in speaking of “great” and “little” traditions?
THE CONTEMPORARY SCENE
1. What are the major controversies about the nature and role of religion in contemporary Indian society?
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