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 grew out of older practices, with no one founder
   • It began when the Vedas were first written down by priests
   • It is the oldest religion in the world, as the Vedas settle
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 35,000 years ago
   • About 1,500 years ago
   • About 500 years ago
   • About 3,500 years ago
4. 3.

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

   • Followers disagree about when their religion began, so scholars split the difference
   • The Vedas were written down at once on paper in that span
   • Scholars have no evidence, so they guessed a number between two years
   • The Vedas carry no written date, so scholars estimate a span
5. 4.

   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
   • No writing date marks when they began, so other clues are needed
   • They were written first and then memorized, so the writing gives a date
6. 5.

   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
   • Hindus named themselves after a river in ancient Persia
   • People beyond the Indus River were named for the river
   • A founder of the religion chose the name Hindu for his followers
7. 6.

   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 Hinduism began in Persia, where the word was used
   • They show that the name Hindu is older than the Vedas
8. 7.

   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
   • 300 years
   • 2,700 years
   • 200 years
9. 8.

   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 sacred knowledge given to humankind
   • The Vedas are just old poems with no religious meaning
   • Followers believe the Vedas are sacred knowledge
10. 9.

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

    • 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
    • Beliefs and practices developed gradually over many centuries
11. 10.

    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 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
    • The Indus flows through northern India and the Ganges through Pakistan