Katie Wooton AP World History
Religions have played an important role in shaping culture and history throughout the world. Hinduism and Buddhism emerged in Ancient India, spreading over time. Although the two religions began in different eras, they had a copious amount of similarities.
Hinduism was brought to Ancient India in 1500 B.C. by the Aryans. The beliefs of Hinduism were found in the Upanishads and the Vedas which were also introduced to the people of India by the Aryans. As Hinduism spread, it grew to be the main religion in India. Hinduism was extremely popular in the Ganges River Valley. The Ganges river was believed to wash away sins. This belief was the cause of pollution in the Ganges River because of the abundance of people who bathed in it to rid of their sins. The Hindus were polytheistic but they had three main gods. Brahma was the creator, Vishnu was the preserver, and Siva who was the destroyer.
The Hindus believed in the caste system, which consisted of five social groups in which they were born into. To achieve a higher social status, one's soul had the ability to move up after reincarnation of you have good karma and dharma. The caste system helped maintain social order and good behavior. However, it unfortunately seperated the people and determined what occupation each person had. The Hindu's overal goal was Atman, or when the soul goes to heaven. Hinduism contributed to society and culture in the universe today.
Siddharta Guatama was raised as a Hindu in India in 566 B.C. Being a prince, he was protected from suffering and pain throughout his childhood. When Guatama was exposed to these afflictions, he set out to determine why they occured and how to prevent them. He discovered that in order to...