Hinduism Basics

What percentage of Indians practice Hinduism?

Where did Hinduism begin?

What was found by archaeologists in the Indus Valley region?

With which people did Indians begin trading in the first century CE?

What was built by Indian merchants to make trade easier?

Where is the oldest Hindu community in Southeast Asia located?

How long did the Hindu kingdom of Langkasuka last?

What languages did the people of Southeast Asia learn from the Indians?

What was the approximate size of Angkor Wat, the largest Hindu temple in the world?

According to the caste system, what determined a person's place in society?

How many castes did the Aryan people originally have?

What was the name of the lowest class in the Hindu caste system?

What percentage of Hindus in India did not belong to the traditional caste system?

What was a consequence of the caste system?

What was not allowed in the traditional Hindu caste system?

What was the original belief about the caste system in Hinduism?

Hinduism is the largest religion in India and the third largest in the world, with 80% of Indians practicing it.
It developed over many centuries, starting with the people of the Indus Valley, and branched out into various forms.
Hinduism has spread throughout Asia and the world, and has had a significant impact on the region.

Hinduism began with the Aryan people of the Indus Valley, who left behind evidence of their religion, including clay and stone figures of gods and goddesses.
The Aryans spread their language and religion to the Dravidian people of India, and later to Southeast Asia through trade routes.
Hindus built cities and temples in Southeast Asia, leading to the spread of Hinduism in the region.
The oldest Hindu community in Southeast Asia is Langkasuka, a Hindu kingdom founded on the Malay Peninsula in the 2nd century CE.
The largest Hindu temple in the world, Angkor Wat, was built in Cambodia in the 12th century and took over 600 years to complete.

The caste system is a social structure in Hinduism where a person's place in society is determined by their job and birth.
The caste system originated with the Aryan people and was divided into thousands of castes, each with its own role.
The four main categories of the caste system are:
- Brahmin: priests and academics
- Kshatriya: warriors and kings
- Vaishya: landowners, farmers, and merchants
- Shudra: commoners, peasants, and servants
About 20% of Hindus did not belong to the caste system and were known as Untouchables, the lowest class in society.
The caste system was oppressive, with restrictions on eating, speaking, and marrying outside of one's caste.