Hinduism

A product of many cultures and traditions, Hinduism has generated and assimilated the religious movements of India over 5,000 years. This book provides an invaluable introduction to its diverse schools of thought and practice.



K. M. Sen recounts the history of Hinduism from the Indus Valley civilization and the Vedic age in the third and second millennia BCE, and the births of Buddhism, Jainism and ancient agnosticism. Along with the influence of other religions that came to India, such as the establishment of Christianity by the fourth century, the book looks in detail at the arrival of Islam and its impact on Hinduism. Sen also examines customs, festivals and rituals; the caste system and its exponents as well as detractors and the spread of Hinduism and outside India, as in Indonesia and Indo-China.



In a new foreword, the author's grandson Amartya Sen discusses the intellectual background of the book and the interactive nature of Hinduism in a multicultural India.



Accessible and enlightening Hinduism is an essential guide for anyone wishing to learn about one of the oldest and most vibrant religions in the world.