ORIGINS

The birthplace of Hinduism is Indus River Valley which runs

through northwest India into Pakistan. The Indus Valley
civilization, or "Harappan civilization" originated sometime
around 4,500-5,000 B.C.E. and reached its zenith between 2300
to 2000 BC. The two major known cities of the Indus Valley
civilization were Harappa and Mohenjodaro. Harrappa was first
excavated in 1921. These cities indicate a centralized state with
extensive town planning, common construction techniques,
regular weights and measures, as well as trade, farming and
domesticated animals.

The word "Hindu" originates from the Sanskrit word for river,
sindhu. The Indus River running through northwest India into
Pakistan received its name from the Sanskrit term sindhu. The
Persians designated the land around the Indus River as Hindu, a
mispronunciation of the Sanskrit sindhu. In 1921 archaeologists
uncovered evidence of an ancient civilization along the Indus
River, which today is dated to around 3300BC and thought to
represent one of the largest centers of human habitation in the
ancient world. The Indus Valley Civilization extend quite far
from the banks of the Indus River including parts of
contemporary Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and India. Scholars
believe that the Indus Valley Civilization had begun to decline
by 1800BC, possibly due to climate change. Because of its
location between the Indian Subcontinent and the Iranian
plateau, the area has seen many military invasions including
Alexander the Great, the Persian empire, and the Kushan
empire. In 712AD, the Muslims invaded the Indus Valley. To
distinguish themselves, they called all non-Muslims Hindus; the
name of the land became, by default, the name of the people and
their religion (Schoeps, 1966, p. 148).