TFIPOST हिन्दी
TFIPOST Global
Tfipost.com
Tfipost.com
No Result
View All Result
  • Premium
  • Politics
    • All
    • Analysis
    • Opinions
    • Trending
    Udit Raj Wants Astronauts Chosen by Caste

    Congress Leader Udit Raj’s ‘Dalit Astronaut’ Comment Reduces Space Mission to Caste Politics

    Is Congress Using 'Rohith Vemula Bill' to Smuggle Muslims into SC Quota?

    Is Congress Using ‘Rohith Vemula Bill’ to Sneak Muslims into SC Quota At the Cost of Hindu Dalits?

    Kerala Nurse’s Life in Balance: Can Yemen Accept India’s Blood Money Offer?

    Nimisha Priya’s Execution Put on Hold amid ongoing negotiations in Yemen

    gujarat plane crash

    Air India Crash Report Prompts Reckless Speculation, Undermining Credibility of Pilots: Claims Pilots Body

    • Analysis
    • Opinions
    • Trending
  • Economy
    • All
    • Business
    • Economy1
    • Finance
    India Achieves 50% Non-Fossil Fuel Power Capacity

    India Achieves 50 pc Non-Fossil Fuel Power Capacity, Five Years Ahead of Schedule

    Advantages of Using an EMI Calculator Before Applying for a Personal Loan

    Advantages of Using an EMI Calculator Before Applying for a Personal Loan

    WiseProfitWay.com reviews – Trading Times

    WiseProfitWay.com reviews – Trading Times

    TheGenInfinity.com reviews – Account Types

    TheGenInfinity.com reviews – Account Types

    • Business
    • Finance
  • Defense
    • All
    • Defence
    • Strategy
    • Weaponry
    India Set to Test ET-LDHCM: Hypersonic Missile

    India Tests Hypersonic Missile Aimed at Covering All of Pakistan and Key Chinese Military Zones

    India Conducts Successful Trial of Astra Missile

    India Conducts Successful Trial of Astra Missile BVRAAM Featuring Indigenous RF Seeker

    India Must Stay Vigilant as Turkey-Pakistan Axis Grows

    Pakistan and Turkey Deepen Anti-India Axis Through Defence, Radicalization Nexus

    14+ Nations Want BrahMos After Watching India’s Might in Operation Sindoor, Says Rajnath Singh

    BrahMos Missile Shines in Op Sindoor ;15 Countries Eye Deal, Reveals Rajnath Singh

    • Defence
    • Strategy
    • Weaponry
  • Geopolitics
    • All
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Europe
    • South Asia
    • West Asia
    Non-veg milk a red line in India-US trade talks. Here's why

    No Dairy Deal with US if Cows Are Fed Meat: India Stands Firm

    Half of Bangladeshi Girls Forced Into Child Marriage, UN Report

    Half of Bangladeshi Girls Forced Into Child Marriage, UN Report

    Hindu Faith Targeted Again in Canada: Eggs Thrown at Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra

    Hindu Faith Targeted Again in Canada: Eggs Thrown at Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra

    Pahalgam Terror Attack Backed by Pakistan’s Political and Military Leadership, Comparable to 26/11, Says Report

    Pahalgam Terror Attack Backed by Pakistan’s Political, Military Leadership, Comparable to 26/11, Says Report

    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Europe
    • South Asia
    • West Asia
  • Knowledge
    • All
    • Culture
    • Education
    • History
    • Indology
    Revisiting the MANUSMRITI: Why India’s Youth Must Study This Ancient Epic

    Revisiting the MANUSMRITI: Why India’s Youth Must Study This Ancient Epic

    Echoes of the Cholas in Today’s Bharat

    Conqueror of the Seas: Rajendra Chola and the Rise of Naval Bharat

    The Pride of Maratha Power Gets UNESCO Tag

    From Raigad to Suvarnadurg: The Pride of Maratha Power Gets UNESCO Tag

    Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Suspends Senior Official for Attending Church Services

    Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Suspends Senior Official for Attending Church Services

    • Culture
    • History
    • Indology
  • Law
  • Lounge
    • All
    • Books
    • Cinema
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Games
    • Health
    • Lifestyle
    • Satire
    • Sports
    • technology
    • Travel
    resh Nipah Death in Kerala’s Palakkad Raises Statewide Alarm

    Nipah Scare Returns to Kerala: Second Death Leads to High Alert in Six Districts

    Revisiting the MANUSMRITI: Why India’s Youth Must Study This Ancient Epic

    Revisiting the MANUSMRITI: Why India’s Youth Must Study This Ancient Epic

    5 Places in India to Deepen Your Yoga Journey

    Discover Inner Peace: 5 Places in India to Deepen Your Yoga Journey

    Khalistani Terrorist Pannun Threatens Kapil Sharma

    Khalistani Terrorist Pannun Threatens Kapil Sharma: ‘Why Are You Investing In Canada?’

    • Books
    • Cinema
    • Food
    • Health
    • Sports
    • technology
    • Travel
    • Satire
Tfipost.com
  • Premium
  • Politics
    • All
    • Analysis
    • Opinions
    • Trending
    Udit Raj Wants Astronauts Chosen by Caste

    Congress Leader Udit Raj’s ‘Dalit Astronaut’ Comment Reduces Space Mission to Caste Politics

    Is Congress Using 'Rohith Vemula Bill' to Smuggle Muslims into SC Quota?

    Is Congress Using ‘Rohith Vemula Bill’ to Sneak Muslims into SC Quota At the Cost of Hindu Dalits?

    Kerala Nurse’s Life in Balance: Can Yemen Accept India’s Blood Money Offer?

    Nimisha Priya’s Execution Put on Hold amid ongoing negotiations in Yemen

    gujarat plane crash

    Air India Crash Report Prompts Reckless Speculation, Undermining Credibility of Pilots: Claims Pilots Body

    • Analysis
    • Opinions
    • Trending
  • Economy
    • All
    • Business
    • Economy1
    • Finance
    India Achieves 50% Non-Fossil Fuel Power Capacity

    India Achieves 50 pc Non-Fossil Fuel Power Capacity, Five Years Ahead of Schedule

    Advantages of Using an EMI Calculator Before Applying for a Personal Loan

    Advantages of Using an EMI Calculator Before Applying for a Personal Loan

    WiseProfitWay.com reviews – Trading Times

    WiseProfitWay.com reviews – Trading Times

    TheGenInfinity.com reviews – Account Types

    TheGenInfinity.com reviews – Account Types

    • Business
    • Finance
  • Defense
    • All
    • Defence
    • Strategy
    • Weaponry
    India Set to Test ET-LDHCM: Hypersonic Missile

    India Tests Hypersonic Missile Aimed at Covering All of Pakistan and Key Chinese Military Zones

    India Conducts Successful Trial of Astra Missile

    India Conducts Successful Trial of Astra Missile BVRAAM Featuring Indigenous RF Seeker

    India Must Stay Vigilant as Turkey-Pakistan Axis Grows

    Pakistan and Turkey Deepen Anti-India Axis Through Defence, Radicalization Nexus

    14+ Nations Want BrahMos After Watching India’s Might in Operation Sindoor, Says Rajnath Singh

    BrahMos Missile Shines in Op Sindoor ;15 Countries Eye Deal, Reveals Rajnath Singh

    • Defence
    • Strategy
    • Weaponry
  • Geopolitics
    • All
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Europe
    • South Asia
    • West Asia
    Non-veg milk a red line in India-US trade talks. Here's why

    No Dairy Deal with US if Cows Are Fed Meat: India Stands Firm

    Half of Bangladeshi Girls Forced Into Child Marriage, UN Report

    Half of Bangladeshi Girls Forced Into Child Marriage, UN Report

    Hindu Faith Targeted Again in Canada: Eggs Thrown at Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra

    Hindu Faith Targeted Again in Canada: Eggs Thrown at Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra

    Pahalgam Terror Attack Backed by Pakistan’s Political and Military Leadership, Comparable to 26/11, Says Report

    Pahalgam Terror Attack Backed by Pakistan’s Political, Military Leadership, Comparable to 26/11, Says Report

    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Europe
    • South Asia
    • West Asia
  • Knowledge
    • All
    • Culture
    • Education
    • History
    • Indology
    Revisiting the MANUSMRITI: Why India’s Youth Must Study This Ancient Epic

    Revisiting the MANUSMRITI: Why India’s Youth Must Study This Ancient Epic

    Echoes of the Cholas in Today’s Bharat

    Conqueror of the Seas: Rajendra Chola and the Rise of Naval Bharat

    The Pride of Maratha Power Gets UNESCO Tag

    From Raigad to Suvarnadurg: The Pride of Maratha Power Gets UNESCO Tag

    Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Suspends Senior Official for Attending Church Services

    Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Suspends Senior Official for Attending Church Services

    • Culture
    • History
    • Indology
  • Law
  • Lounge
    • All
    • Books
    • Cinema
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Games
    • Health
    • Lifestyle
    • Satire
    • Sports
    • technology
    • Travel
    resh Nipah Death in Kerala’s Palakkad Raises Statewide Alarm

    Nipah Scare Returns to Kerala: Second Death Leads to High Alert in Six Districts

    Revisiting the MANUSMRITI: Why India’s Youth Must Study This Ancient Epic

    Revisiting the MANUSMRITI: Why India’s Youth Must Study This Ancient Epic

    5 Places in India to Deepen Your Yoga Journey

    Discover Inner Peace: 5 Places in India to Deepen Your Yoga Journey

    Khalistani Terrorist Pannun Threatens Kapil Sharma

    Khalistani Terrorist Pannun Threatens Kapil Sharma: ‘Why Are You Investing In Canada?’

    • Books
    • Cinema
    • Food
    • Health
    • Sports
    • technology
    • Travel
    • Satire
No Result
View All Result
Tfipost.com
Tfipost.com
No Result
View All Result
  • Premium
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Defense
  • Geopolitics
  • Knowledge
  • Law
  • Lounge

Are Hindus inherently communal?- Part 1

Frustmanoos by Frustmanoos
16 October 2015
in History
Hindu communal
Share on FacebookShare on X


In the past couple of decades, India has been rocked by communal disturbances which have claimed the lives of people from different religious communities. While disturbances between religious minorities are not unknown, most of such communal incidents take place between Hindus and one of the religious minorities in the country. How is it that even 7 decades after independence and even after rapid political, social and economic strides that the nation has made, India continues to grapple with the threat of communal violence. How is it that Sikh pogrom, Bombay riots, Gujarat riots, Muzaffarnagar riots and countless other communal flare ups still happen unabated. Is it that the Hindu majority of India is inherently communal and it is this intolerance that exhibits itself from time to time, most recently in the savage attack in Bisada village?
This multi-part series will track the history behind Hindu communalism. Part 1 of this series talks about Hindu Communalism in ancient India i.e. from its inception till about 1000 CE.

1. The Rise of Hinduism
Ancient India had no concept of Hinduism in the sense that we know today. Indus Valley civilization, in some ways may be considered as the bedrock from which Hinduism emerged. The traditions of Indus valley culture, were fused with the existing Dravidian, tribal and animist cultures that were present in the subcontinent, to which the migrant Aryans added their own cultural thoughts. Over a period of several millennia, authoritative works such as the four vedas (Rig, Yajur, Atharv and Sam), Upanishads, commentary in the form of Brahmanas etc. came to be written. The caste system, initially created for the sake of economic expediency was also born sometime during this era. Over a period of time, Hinduism became more formalized with specific rituals, modes and methods of propitiating the deities. This period also saw increasing urbanization of India. Thus emerged the first challenges to Hinduism

RelatedPosts

Monasteries Beneath Temples? The Truth Behind Leftist propaganda of Hindu-Buddhist Divide

How India, largest economy of the world once, got sudden decline and rise?

Maharaja Kharavela: Perhaps the greatest Indian King ever

Load More

2. The Emergence of Buddhism and Jainism
The urbanization of India resulted the first challenges to the Hindu orthodoxy in the form of Jainism and Buddhism. Both had several common features with Hinduism, but varied vastly in several ways. For starters, both despised the intricate rituals followed in Hinduism. Both Buddhism and Jainism were also opposed to the system of Vedic sacrifices. They also differed with Hinduism in their approach to salvation. Lastly, both repudiated the concept of castes, which by then was well entrenched in Hinduism. While Jainism had a significant impact on Indian thought, it remained a minor player in terms of its outreach. Buddhism on the other hand, became the religion of the Kings, starting from Ashoka and spread out far and wide. This was also a time, when several schools of thought emerged within Hinduism, at times, vastly at odds with each other.

3. Hindu philosophy
By the beginning of the common era, broadly two schools of thought were already in place. One school of thought recognized the primacy of Vedas and was hence called Astika, the other rejected Vedas as the source of knowledge and was hence called Nastika. Buddhism and Jainism came under the Nastika school. The Astika school was sub divided into Samkhya (rationalist), Yoga (believed in the concept of personal God), Vaisheshika (Atomist), Nyaya (realist), Mimansa (orthopraxy) and Vedanta (Knowledge based). These schools were sub divided into several sub-groups. Each of these schools had their own set of adherents, their own set of practices and their unique belief in God, often at variance with each other. The rise of Puranic Hinduism 500CE onwards which replaced rituals with devotion, saw the rise of Shaivaite and Vaishnavite schools, whose adherents worshipped Shiv/Vishnu as their prime deities.

To put it succinctly, the scope for communal conflict in Ancient India, existed between Hindus, Jains and Buddhists and among various schools of Hindu thoughts. We will now examine historical incidents highlighting this conflict.

1. Hindu-Buddhist conflict
Buddhism was never seen as an alien religion in India. Even though it enjoyed royal patronage for a substantial time, the Kings were equally favorably disposed towards both Hinduism and Buddhism. There are many examples to show how Hindu Kings built Buddhist temples and Buddhist Kings built Hindu temples. The name of Pushyamitra Sunga is often quoted to show the intolerance of Hindus towards Buddhists. Pushyamitra (185-149 BC) was a Hindu King from the Sunga dynasty, who is alleged to have destroyed Buddhist stupas and slaughtered Buddhist monks. There is considerable academic debate on this, primarily due to the lack of archaeological evidence. Modern day research points to Pushyamitra’s attack on Mauryas, reflecting merely the decline of Buddhism in Sunga imperial court. This is believed to have forced Buddhists to seek help from Pushyamitra’s enemies, which might have resulted in an attack on Buddhists to secure political power. Even if one were to accept this story, it would appear that the attack on Buddhists by Hindus was an exception rather than the norm. It seems more likely that this was a battle between political powers with Buddhists on the wrong side. Another case of persecution of Buddhists is by the Hun King Mihirakula (502-530 AD), who had become Hinduised and who severely persecuted Buddhists across Northern India. Apparently, Mihirakula’s blood lust didn’t end with the destruction of Buddhist temples. He is believed to have destroyed Hindu temples as well. Persecution of Buddhists appears to have abated after Mihirakula’s death.Kumarila Bhatta was a Hindu philosopher from the Mimamsa school who challenged and defeated Buddhists in philosophical debates. He is believed to have played a major role in hastening the decline of Buddhism in the subcontinent.

2. Hindu-Jain conflict
The conflict between Hindu and Jains in ancient India, seems to be more academic rather than physical. Jains rejected Vedas as they were anonymously written . They rejected Vedic sacrifices, questioning how killing could lead to enlightenment. For every Hindu epic, a counter Jain epic was in place. There are apocryphal tales of the massacre of Jains at the hands of Shaivites or Buddhists, however, none of these are found in Jain literature and are believed to be Hindu/Buddhist propaganda at embellishing their strength. However, it is widely believed that Jainism held sway in the Southern parts of India, before being swept aside by a resurgent Hinduism.

3. Philosophical intolerance
There is a tradition of debates between philosophers from different schools within Hinduism and also with those from the Nastika School of thought. Adi Shankara (788-820 AD) is believed to have travelled widely and participated in philosophical debates with different schools. Shastrath, which institutionalized debates between different philosophers was also prevalent. In fact, there was a free flow of ideas and principles between Astika Schools and between Astika and Nastika schools due to these debates. The level of diffusion was such that many have claimed that Adi Shankara was a crypto-Mahayana Buddhist. There was also a great deal of debate between the adherents of Shaiva and Vaishnava schools which was relatively free from violence at this time.
In light of the above, it will be difficult to believe that Hindu society in ancient India was communal in the sense we define Communalism today. Religion based violence does not seem to be prevalent in general. Isolated incidents are also of doubtful authenticity. There is no doubt that Hindu society was not perfect, that there were several glaring shortfalls (e.g. caste system) that made it difficult from realizing its full potential, but on the whole, ancient India seems to be a place of Communal harmony, in part due to the fact that Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism were all native religions that had sprouted from the same source. Hindus looked at Buddhists and Jains, not as enemies but as people with a different approach to God. It was this tolerance that made diffusion of ideas between them possible.

The next part of the series will cover the period between 1000 AD- 1500 AD.

References:

http://autarmota.blogspot.in/2012/09/huns-mihirkula-and-kashmir.html

Were Buddhists Persecuted By Hindus?


Wendy Doniger- The Hindus- An alternative history
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madurai_massacre
http://koenraadelst.bharatvani.org/articles/ayodhya/pushyamitra.html

Tags: Ancient IndiaBuddhismHindu CommunalismJainism
ShareTweetSend
Previous Post

National Media – Aren’t Sanjiv Bhatt and CoffinGate news worthy? Why the stoic silence then?

Next Post

Story of Last honorary doctorate degree of Dr. Abdul Kalam

Related Posts

Revisiting the MANUSMRITI: Why India’s Youth Must Study This Ancient Epic
Books

Revisiting the MANUSMRITI: Why India’s Youth Must Study This Ancient Epic

14 July 2025

In the vast ocean of India’s civilizational treasures, few texts evoke as much passion, controversy, and confusion as the...

The Vedic Ethos: A Civilization of Knowledge and Inquiry
Culture

From Rigvedic Wisdom to Modern Decay: How Islamisation Crushed a Knowledge Civilization

10 June 2025

The Rigveda, one of the oldest surviving texts of human civilization, was composed millennia ago in the Indus-Saraswati region,...

Mughals, Delhi Sultans Out, Fresh Chapters on Indian Rulers, Mahakumbh Introduced: NCERT revises Class 7 books
Education

Mughals, Delhi Sultans Out, Fresh Chapters on Indian Rulers, Mahakumbh Introduced: NCERT revises Class 7 books

28 April 2025

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has made major changes to the Class 7 Social Science...

Load More

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms of use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Currently Playing

Congress’s Rohith Vemula Bill: Caste Polarization Masquerading as Reform

Congress’s Rohith Vemula Bill: Caste Polarization Masquerading as Reform

00:07:33

Bhima Koregaon Won’t Be Repeated; Maharashtra’s Special Act to Wipe Out Urban Naxals.

00:06:06

Conqueror of the Seas: Rajendra Chola and the Rise of Naval Bharat

00:07:47

How UPI went global? Why Namibia Adopted It?

00:07:20

Stalin’s DMK Faces Heat Over Brutal Custodial Killings in Tamil Nadu

00:08:06
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube
tfipostTfipost.com
Right Wing | News Analysis | Indian Opinion
  • About us
  • Careers
  • Brand Partnerships
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
MASHABLE IS A GLOBAL, MULTI-PLATFORM MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY. FOR MORE QUERIES AND NEWS, CONTACT US AT info@mashablepartners.com


©2025 TFI Media Private Limited

No Result
View All Result
  • Premium
  • Politics
    • Analysis
    • Opinions
    • Trending
  • Economy
    • Business
    • Finance
  • Defense
    • Defence
    • Strategy
    • Weaponry
  • Geopolitics
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Europe
    • South Asia
    • West Asia
  • Knowledge
    • Culture
    • History
    • Indology
  • Law
  • Lounge
    • Books
    • Cinema
    • Food
    • Health
    • Sports
    • technology
    • Travel
    • Satire
TFIPOST हिन्दी
TFIPOST Global

©2025 TFI Media Private Limited