Ancient India – Religion Essay, Research Paper

India has long been known as a very spiritual, religious heavy area of the world. In India, religion is a way of life. It is an integral part of the entire Indian tradition. For the majority of Indians, religion permeates every aspect of life, from common-place daily chores to education and politics. Secular India is home to Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and other innumerable religious traditions. Hinduism is the dominant faith, practised by over 80% of the population. Besides Hindus, Muslims are the most prominent religious group and are an integral part of Indian society. In fact India has the second largest population of Muslims in the world after Indonesia. Common practices have crept into most religious faiths in India and many of the festivals that mark each year with music, dance and feasting are shared by all communities. Each has its own pilgrimage sites, heroes, legends and even culinary specialties, mingling in a unique diversity that is the very pulse of society.

In 600 B.C., around the time of the birth of Siddhartha Guatama, better known as the Buddha, India was comprised of many small communities under different rulers, some organized in to kingdoms but for the most part, in to small city states. Long had been in the process of the caste system which still exists today. The noble class, Priestly Class, the Merchant class, the Worker class and the Slave class still exist in India in some form or another currently. The current area takes what it can from the known history of the people of India, and incorporates some of the legends from their religious texts, The Rig Veda and the Bhagavad Gita. The current area is also comprised of two small villages, the Island of Ceylon (currently known as Sri Lanka) and the city of Bhimbhetka which is in relatively close proximity to current-day Bengal.