What Is Hinduism?

A Hindu, as per modern definition, is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, the religious, philosophical and cultural system that originated in the Indian sub-continent. But such a definition does not really explain its origin and history.

Every word has its origin and meaning. The word Hindu is a misnomer, in the sense who is a Hindu and what constitutes Hinduism?

Before proceeding further, let us get the meaning of the word 'Hindu' and the term 'Hinduism' clarified. We the (east) Indians, Pakistanis and Sri Lankans from the Indian subcontinent know that the subcontinent's original name was Jambudweep and also Bharatvarsha or simply Bharat. The inhabitants of Bharat are Bharatiya.

Thousands of years ago, the outsiders gave our ancestors the name Hindu. They called the subcontinent Hindustan (place of Hindus) and also Indo or India. For them, the faiths and practices of the 'Hindus' was Hinduism.

In the Hebrew and Pashto (Pushtu) languages, Bharat is called Hanth - a glorified country. Thus, her inhabitants are Hanthu - in modification Hindu. In Zenth, the languages of the Avestha (middle Persian or Pahlavi), it is Hindav. In Greek, it is Hanthkosh (from which we have 'Hindukush'), Indikos, and Indios (which became India).

The present Pakistan, east Afghanistan and east Punjab area was known to the Persians (Iranians) as Hindustan thousands of years ago. In Persian language, 'S' is pronounced as 'H' in some parts of Bharat and Bangladesh too, 'S' is uttered as 'H'. The Persians called the Sindhu, now in Pakistan, as Hindu. To them, the inhabitants of the Sindhu river banks (called Indus in English) and beyond in the Indian subcontinent were, and are, Hindus.

From them, all the western countries, including the middle east and beyond, learnt to call the inhabitants of the whole Indian sub-continent, Hindus.