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

   Card A says "scholars place" the earliest Vedas between about 1500 and 1200 BCE. Why a range of dates, Esme asks?

   • Scholars have no evidence, so they guessed a number between two years
   • The Vedas were written down at once on paper in that span
   • Followers disagree about when their religion began, so scholars split the difference
   • The Vedas carry no written date, so scholars estimate a span
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?

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

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

   • The word Hindu appears in the Vedas as the name of 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
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?

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

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

   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
9. 8.

   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 Ganges gave the word Hindu its root and flows through Pakistan
   • 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
10. 9.

    Card B says priests and students memorized the Vedas. Why would they do that, Tala asks?

    • Because the texts were short and easy to learn in a week
    • To hide the texts from anyone outside the priestly families
    • Because writing was forbidden by the rulers of ancient India
    • To keep the texts exact and pass them on before they were written
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?

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