Where and when Hinduism began, and what its followers believe and practice

Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   How Hinduism began (cards A to D). Card A, a summary, in our words: Hinduism grew out of the Vedic religion of ancient India. It has no single founder and no single starting date. Scholars place the earliest Vedas between about 1500 and 1200 BCE. Card B, how the Vedas were kept, in our words: priests and students spoke the Vedas aloud and passed them on by memory for many centuries before they were written down. Followers believe the Vedas are sacred knowledge. Card C, the name, in our words: the word Hindu comes from Sindhu, a Sanskrit name for the Indus River. Persian speakers used a form of the word for the land and people beyond that river. Followers are called Hindus, and the religion is Hinduism. Some followers also call it sanatana dharma, "the eternal way." Card D, a map note: the Indus River flows through what is now Pakistan, and the Ganges River flows through northern India. Today India and Nepal are the two countries where most people are Hindu.

2. 1.

   Card A says Hinduism grew out of the Vedic religion and has no single founder. Which claim does it support about the start of Hinduism, Ari asks?

   • It is the oldest religion in the world, as the Vedas settle
   • It grew out of older practices, with no one founder
   • It began when one teacher announced it in about 1500 BCE
   • It began when the Vedas were first written down by priests
3. 2.

   Card A places the earliest Vedas about 1500 BCE. If this year is 2026 CE, about how many years ago was that, Bo asks?

   • About 1,500 years ago
   • About 500 years ago
   • About 3,500 years ago
   • About 35,000 years ago
4. 3.

   Card B says the Vedas were spoken and remembered for many centuries before they were written. What does that mean for dating them, Jun asks?

   • No writing date marks when they began, so other clues are needed
   • The priests refused to share them, so they cannot be dated
   • They were lost and found again, which gives their exact date
   • They were written first and then memorized, so the writing gives a date
5. 4.

   Card C explains the word Hindu. What does Kira learn about how it came to name the religion?

   • People beyond the Indus River were named for the river
   • Hindus named themselves after a river in ancient Persia
   • A founder of the religion chose the name Hindu for his followers
   • The word Hindu appears in the Vedas as the name of the religion
6. 5.

   Card A says there was no single founder. Card C says the name Hindu came from a river. How do the cards fit together, Luz asks?

   • They conflict, because card C names a founder and card A does not
   • Neither card points to a founder; the name came from a river
   • They show that Hinduism began in Persia, where the word was used
   • They show that the name Hindu is older than the Vedas
7. 6.

   Card A gives a range for the earliest Vedas, about 1500 to 1200 BCE. How many years wide is that range, Milo asks?

   • 2,700 years
   • 300 years
   • 30 years
   • 200 years
8. 7.

   Card B says followers believe the Vedas are sacred knowledge. Which sentence is written the way a history book would write it, Noah asks?

   • Scholars agree that the Vedas are sacred knowledge
   • The Vedas are just old poems with no religious meaning
   • The Vedas are sacred knowledge given to humankind
   • Followers believe the Vedas are sacred knowledge
9. 8.

   Card A says Hinduism grew out of the Vedic religion. What does that show about change over time, Pia asks?

   • Beliefs and practices developed gradually over many centuries
   • Hinduism stayed exactly the same as the Vedic religion
   • The Vedic religion was replaced by a brand new religion
   • Hinduism appeared fully formed in one year, with no earlier roots
10. 9.

    Cards C and D name two rivers. Which statement matches both cards, Ren asks?

    • Both rivers flow through Nepal, one of the majority-Hindu countries
    • The Indus flows through northern India and the Ganges through Pakistan
    • The Indus is the word's root and flows in Pakistan; the Ganges is in India
    • The Ganges gave the word Hindu its root and flows through Pakistan
11. 10.

    Card C says some followers call the religion sanatana dharma, "the eternal way," while others use the word Hinduism. What does that show Zee about names?

    • The name "the eternal way" settles that the religion has no beginning
    • The names show that followers disagree about the religion's meaning
    • A tradition can have more than one name, used by followers and others
    • The outsiders' name is the correct one, because it came first