Hinduism in India explained

Population:1.15 billion
Scriptures:Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads, Mahabharata (incl. Bhagavad Gita), Ramayana, and others
Pop7:68,000,000
Region7:Tamil Nadu
Region6:West Bengal
Pop6:70,500,000
Group:Hinduism in India
Pop5:71,500,000
Region5:Rajasthan
Pop4:78,000,000
Region4:Madhya Pradesh
Pop3:101,000,000
Region3:Maharashtra
Pop2:107,000,000
Region2:Bihar
Region1:Uttar Pradesh
Pop1:192,000,000

Hinduism is the largest and most practised religion in India.[1] [2] About 80% of the country's population identified as Hindu in the last census. India contains 94% of the global Hindu population.[3] [4] The vast majority of Indian Hindus belong to Shaivite, Vaishnavite and Shakta denominations.[5] India is one of the three countries in the world (Nepal (81%) and Mauritius (48%) being the other two) where Hinduism is the dominant religion.

History of Hinduism

See main article: History of Hinduism and History of India. The Vedic culture developed in India in and .[6] After this period, the Vedic religion merged with local traditions and the renouncer traditions, resulting in the emergence of Hinduism,[7] which has had a profound impact on India's history, culture and philosophy. The name India itself is derived from Sanskrit Sindhu, the historic local appellation for the Indus River.[8]

India saw the rule of both Hindu and Muslim rulers from to .[9] The fall of Vijayanagara Empire to Muslim sultans had marked the end of Hindu dominance in the Deccan. Hinduism once again rose to political prestige, under the Maratha Empire.[10] [11]

Partition of India

The 1947 Partition of India gave rise to bloody rioting and indiscriminate inter-communal killing of Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs across the Indian subcontinent, specially in Punjab region. An estimated 7.3 million Hindus and Sikhs moved to India and 7.2 million Muslims moved to Pakistan permanently, leading to demographic change of both the nations to a certain extent. As a result of this, India's Hindu population have increased exponentially from 74.8% in 1941 to 84.1% in 1951 Census respectively.[12] [13]

Hindu population decline in South Asia

Hinduism dropped from 72% in British Raj of 1891[14] to 69% in 1921.[15] In 1941 British census, Hindus comprised 69.5% of Undivided India.[16] It further declined to just 66% in Undivided India since Muslims would make up 32% of Undivided India's population in 2024, if not partitioned, respectively.[17]

Demographics

The Hindu population has tripled from 303,675,084 in 1951 to 966,257,353 in 2011, but the Hindu percentage share of total population has declined from 84.1% in 1951 to 79.8% in 2011.[18] [19] [20] When India achieved independence in 1947, Hindus formed roughly 85% of the total population and pre-Partition British India had about 73% of Hindus.[21]

Projections

According to a report by the Pew Research Center (PRC), the Hindu population in India is projected to reach almost 1.3 billion by 2050, within a total population nearing 1.7 billion. Despite this growth, the community proportion within the nation's population is anticipated to decrease by 2.8 percent, declining from 79.5 percent in 2010 to 76.7 percent in 2050, owing to low fertility rate, high mortality rate and emigration, respectively.[22]

Fertility rates

The latest round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), conducted from 2019-2021, has shown a notable change in fertility trends in India. The Total Fertility Rate (TFR), which measures the average number of children per woman, has dropped below the replacement level of 2.1 respectively. Specifically, among Hindus, the TFR stands at 1.9, indicating that on average, each Hindu woman is having fewer than two children in her reproductive lifespan. This trend suggests a significant shift towards smaller family sizes within the Hindu community, reflecting broader demographic changes in the country.[23]

Emigration

A report published in a major Pakistani newspaper indicates that over 5,000 Pakistani Hindus migrate to India annually as refugees.[24] Dr. Abul Barkat, a highly esteemed academic figure affiliated with Dhaka University, has provided insights indicating that an estimated 230,000 Bangladeshi Hindus undertake migration to India annually, with the primary motive of seeking asylum and ensuring personal safety. This migration pattern underscores a notable trend contributing to a substantial influx of refugees from Bangladesh to India.[25]

Population by state and territory

See also: Hindus by district in India.

Hindu population by state / UT, according to the 2011 census
RegionHindusTotal% Hindus
Himachal Pradesh6,532,7656,864,602
Dadra and Nagar Haveli322,857343,709
Odisha39,300,34141,974,218
Chhattisgarh23,819,78925,545,198
Madhya Pradesh66,007,12172,626,809
Daman and Diu220,150243,247
Gujarat53,533,98860,439,692
Rajasthan60,657,10368,548,437
Andhra Pradesh(Undivided)74,824,14984,580,777
Tamil Nadu63,188,16872,147,030
Haryana22,171,12825,351,462
Puducherry1,089,4091,247,953
Karnataka51,317,47261,095,297
Tripura3,063,9033,673,917
Uttarakhand8,368,63610,086,292
Bihar86,078,686104,099,452
Delhi13,712,10016,787,941
Chandigarh852,5741,055,450
Maharashtra89,703,056112,374,333
Uttar Pradesh159,312,654199,812,341
West Bengal64,385,54691,276,115
Andaman and Nicobar Islands264,296380,581
Jharkhand22,376,05132,988,134
Goa963,8771,458,545
Assam19,180,75931,205,576
Sikkim352,662610,577
Kerala18,282,49233,406,061
Manipur1,181,8762,855,794
Punjab10,678,13827,743,338
Arunachal Pradesh401,8761,383,727
Jammu and Kashmir3,566,67412,541,302
Meghalaya342,0782,966,889
Nagaland173,0541,978,502
Lakshadweep1,78864,473
Mizoram30,1361,097,206
All of India966,257,3531,210,854,977

Hindu ethnicities

Hinduism in states

Law and politics

Demand for Hindu state

See main article: article, Hindu nationalism and Hindutva.

Although the Constitution of India has declared the nation as a secular state with no state religion, it has been argued several times that the Indian state privileges Hinduism as state sponsored religion constitutionally, legislatively and culturally.[26] [27]

Some right-wing Hindu organisations like Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Hindu Mahasabha, Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad etc. have demanded that India should be declared a Hindu nation by constitution to safeguard the rights and life of Hindus in this largest democracy.[32] [33] [34] As of 28 July 2020, there were pleas going on Supreme Court of India to remove the words secular and socialist from the Preamble to the Constitution of India.[35] As far as citizens are concerned, only 7 out of 20 Indian Hindus are in favor of making India a Hindu Nation.[36] Nearly two-thirds of Indian Hindus, constituting 64% of the population, believe that it is very important to be Hindu to be considered truly Indian or a citizen of India respectively.[37]

Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019

See also: Indian nationality law.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 is a law passed in India in December 2019. Under the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, it provides a fast-track to Indian citizenship for undocumented immigrants from neighbouring countries, namely Hindus and five other specific communities: Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, and Jains, who arrived in India before December 31, 2014. The law has reduced the residency requirement for undocumented immigrants from select religious minorities, including Hindus, from 11 years to 5 years for acquiring Indian citizenship through naturalization. This provision aims to expedite the citizenship process for these specific persecuted minority groups of neighbouring nations of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.[38]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Major Religions In India. 2021-07-28. WorldAtlas. 20 September 2020. en-US. 24 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210224003418/https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/major-religions-in-modern-india.html. live.
  2. Web site: Indian Culture – Religion. 2021-07-28. Cultural Atlas. January 2018 . en. 19 July 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210719221400/https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/indian-culture/indian-culture-religion. live.
  3. Web site: Hindus . 18 December 2012 . 17 March 2023 . 17 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240417210735/https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2012/12/18/global-religious-landscape-hindu/ . live .
  4. Web site: By 2050, India to have world's largest populations of Hindus and Muslims. 2020-11-17. Pew Research Center. 21 April 2015 . en-US. 22 April 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150422192233/https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/04/21/by-2050-india-to-have-worlds-largest-populations-of-hindus-and-muslims/. live.
  5. Web site: Major Branches of Religions. https://web.archive.org/web/19990819112057/http://adherents.com/adh_branches.html#Hinduism. usurped. 19 August 1999. www.adherents.com. 13 August 2017.
  6. Book: N. Siegel, Paul . The meek and the militant: religion and power across the world . 1986 . Zed Books, 1987 . 9780862323493.
  7. Book: Hoiberg, Dale . Students' Britannica India . 2000 . Popular Prakashan, 2000 . 9780852297605.
  8. "India", Oxford English Dictionary, second edition, 2100a.d. Oxford University Press.
  9. Book: Neusner, Jacob. World Religions in America, Fourth Edition. 189. Westminster John Knox Press. 9781611640472. 7 October 2009. 11 October 2017. 24 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210824113513/https://books.google.com/books?id=34vGv_HDGG8C&pg=PA189. live.
  10. Book: Tinker, Hugh. South Asia: A Short History. 18. University of Hawaii Press. 9780824812874. 1966. 11 October 2017. 24 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210824113503/https://books.google.com/books?id=n5uU2UteUpEC&pg=PA18. live.
  11. https://books.google.com/books?id=9ukQMwCJsr8C Ganesha on the Dashboard
  12. Book: Population Redistribution and Development in South Asia . Springer Science & Business Media . 2012 . 978-9400953093 . 6 . 7 September 2017.
  13. Book: Talbot. Ian. The Partition of India. Singh. Gurharpal. 2009-07-23. Cambridge University Press. 978-0-521-85661-4. 2. en. 3 September 2021. 13 December 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161213073754/https://books.google.com/books?id=utKmPQAACAAJ. live.
  14. Web site: Commissioner. . India. Census . General report on the census of India, 1891: Census Reports - 1891 . English . 1893-01-01 . saoa.crl.25352825 . 6 July 2023 . 2 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230402075818/https://www.jstor.org/stable/saoa.crl.25352825 . live .
  15. Web site: Daily Consular and Trade Reports . Department of Commerce and Labor, Bureau of Manufactures . en . 1924.
  16. Web site: Ispahani . Farahnaz . Modi critics decry India mistreating minorities but mustn't whitewash Pakistan's Islamisation . ThePrint . 30 January 2020.
  17. Web site: Service . Statesman News . Partition & Hindus . The Statesman . 9 September 2019 . 6 July 2023 . 7 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230707161729/https://www.thestatesman.com/opinion/partition-hindus-1502797911.html . live .
  18. News: 2024-05-09 . Share of Hindu population down by 7.82% in India: Highlights from EAC-PM report . 2024-07-23 . The Times of India . 0971-8257.
  19. Web site: Key findings about the religious composition of India . 21 September 2021 . 1 November 2021 . 1 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211101195603/https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/21/key-findings-about-the-religious-composition-of-india/ . live .
  20. Web site: 24 January 2015 . Census: Hindu share dips below 80%, Muslim share grows but slower . 2 November 2021 . 2 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211102050058/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/census-hindu-share-dips-below-80-muslim-share-grows-but-slower/ . live .
  21. Web site: Census: Hindu share dips below 80%, Muslim share grows but slower . 24 January 2015 . 2 November 2021 . 2 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211102050058/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/census-hindu-share-dips-below-80-muslim-share-grows-but-slower/ . live .
  22. Web site: By 2050, Hindus' share of India's population to fall by 2.8 percent: Study . 2024-07-23.
  23. Web site: Hindu-Muslim fertility differentials in India: An update . 2024-04-11 . Ideas For India . en.
  24. Web site: Haider . Irfan . 2014-05-13 . 5,000 Hindus migrating to India every year, NA told . 2024-04-11 . DAWN.COM . en . 29 December 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161229174650/http://www.dawn.com/news/1105830 . live .
  25. https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/10113/%E2%80%98no-hindus-will-be-left-after-30-years%E2%80%99
  26. Web site: Why India is Not a Secular State . 3 February 2022 . 23 May 2022 . 30 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220430155125/https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/why-india-is-not-a-secular-state/239584 . live .
  27. Web site: Is there a Hindu bias in India's secular Constitution? A 2005 academic paper suggests as much . 2 February 2020 . 23 May 2022 . 8 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220508174729/https://scroll.in/article/951661/is-there-a-hindu-bias-in-indias-secular-constitution-a-2005-academic-paper-suggests-as-much . live .
  28. Web site: Why painting of Ram in India's Constitution matters . . 26 January 2021 .
  29. Web site: Article 343(1) in the Constitution of India 1949 . 23 May 2022 . 15 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220515072735/https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1881449/ . live .
  30. Web site: Cow protection was a sensitive subject in India even when the Constitution was being framed . 7 July 2021 .
  31. Web site: Article 48 in the Constitution of India 1949 .
  32. Web site: 2017-06-17 . Declare India a 'Hindu Rashtra': Hindu convention resolution . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210501091251/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/declare-india-a-hindu-rashtra-hindu-convention-resolution/story-Nu4lUVWtQZ9ETPQ9BfuYVM.html . 1 May 2021 . 2021-09-02 . Hindustan Times . en.
  33. Web site: 13 August 2022 . 'Hindu Rashtra' draft proposes Varanasi as capital instead of Delhi . 5 September 2022 . 5 September 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220905072837/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/seers-prepare-constitution-of-hindu-rashtra-101660332478751.html . live .
  34. Web site: 12 June 2022 . India to become Hindu Rashtra by 2025, hints organiser of All India Hindu conference . 5 September 2022 . 13 August 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220813181937/https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/india-to-become-hindu-rashtra-by-2025-hints-organiser-of-all-india-hindu-conference-1117613.html . live .
  35. Web site: 2020-07-29 . Plea in SC seeks to remove words 'socialist', 'secular' from Constitution's preamble . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210610054646/https://www.firstpost.com/india/plea-in-sc-seeks-to-remove-words-socialist-secular-from-constitutions-preamble-8650391.html . 10 June 2021 . 2021-09-02 . Firstpost.
  36. Web site: Does India belong to only Hindus? Nearly 75% of Hindus say 'No', finds CSDS survey . 14 June 2019 . 12 April 2024 . 30 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240530104426/https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/does-india-belong-to-only-hindus-nearly-75-of-hindus-say-no-csds-survey . live .
  37. Web site: Key findings about religion in India . 29 June 2021 . 12 April 2024 . 9 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210709232643/https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/06/29/key-findings-about-religion-in-india/ . live .
  38. Web site: Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 explained: What you need to know . 2024-07-23 . 3 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240403045032/https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/citizenship-amendment-rules-2024-rules-explained-what-you-need-to-know-124031200146_1.html . live .

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