HINDUISM
ARYAN’S MIGRATE INTO INDIA
~2000 B.C. Aryan
people migrated
across Europe and
Asia and arrived in
the Indian
subcontinent.
 The religion of
Hinduism developed
gradually out of the
ancient traditions of
the Aryan people.

THE CASTE SYSTEM
 One
important
element of Hinduism
has been the rigid
class system, also
called the Caste
system.
THE CASTE SYSTEM
Brahmins
• Priests
Kshatriyas
• Warriors
Vaisyas
•Herders, farmers, artisans and
merchants
Sudras
• Farm workers, servants and other
laborers.
DALITS (UNTOUCHABLES)
A fifth group of people were completely excluded
from the Hindu Caste System.
 Untouchables were considered impure and
unclean.
 They did the jobs such as digging graves,
cleaning streets, or turning animal hides into
leather.

THE VEDAS AND BRAHMAN
 The
main Hindu religious text
is called the Vedas
 Brahman:



the idea that all living souls are
connected to each other.
One force underlies everything
Hindus worship a variety of
gods but all are part of the
unchanging, all-powerful
spiritual force called Brahman.
REINCARNATION

Hindus believe that a soul may live many
lifetimes through a cycle of reincarnation
KARMA AND DHARMA

To improve a soul’s status from one lifetime to
the next, a Hindu must do their duty (dharma) so
that they can improve their karma


a record of all the good, and bad conduct throughout
a soul’s existence.
People who live virtuously earn good karma and
are reborn at a higher level of existence. Those
who do evil are reborn into a lower level.
MOKSHA
 The
ultimate goal of
Hindus is to achieve
Moksha which is the
ending of the
reincarnation cycle.