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Preface
In my last book, I have traced the emergence of Hinduism from Christianity. While entry of Christianity into India was one of the major transforming event, were there other forces? In this book, I am trying to trace other cultural factors that formed Hinduism. No religion evolves independent of the culture of the society in which it is growing. New concepts and ideas enter the society from outside, but they are transformed by the dynamics of the various forces within, which flows from time immemorial to the present, into it. What I have tried in this book is to trace these forces. It deals with the various facets of the concepts that contributed to the change.
Definitely powerful personalities played a great role in forming these changes. Myths and legends developed around them, and finally, they were deified and worshipped.
Over and above this syncretism of religious conglomeration, groups and personalities that has vested interest did control the society. In order to achieve their supremacy they distorted learning, disfigured concepts, rewrote history and even erased whole periods of history that runs over to centuries.
"The ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas, i.e., the class which is the ruling material force of society, is at the same time its ruling intellectual force." "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people" Marx. By altering the contents of the opium, people are kept under chains. This has been continuously done everywhere in the world as it was in India.
I can hardly call this my book because in my effort to preserve the objectivity of the history of Hinduism, I have presented quotes from scholars and scientists around the world, which actually forms the entire book. My contribution is limited to linking them together into a coherent meaningful explanation.
My obeisance to all scholars of India and Indology.
M. M. Ninan February 2008
