Hinduism is not a Religion, It is a Misnomer

Hinduism as a religion has not been prophesied in any authentic scripture or old scripture before 1830. This is a misnomer, and still people use it widely to indicate a religion. The word Hindu is a geographical definition or name to address a group of people who are staying in the particular region. Hindu is not a religion, it is a region.

                                     

The Parsi and Arabs came to India. They were not aware about the name of the land (India). India is on the bank of river Sind. They started calling Hindu to the people who lived on the bank of river Sind. Initially it was Sindu, later it became Hindu. The Parsi and Arabs pronounce “S” as “H”, like “Saptah” became “Haptah”. Whoever is staying in this country and whatever religion he is following, is Hindu by geographical definition or name. The place where Hindu lives came to be known as Hindustan or the region which is watered by the river Sind or Hind is known as Hindustan. The European called the Sind river as Indus river. The place which is watered by Indus River, they called India. In this way our country got one more name “India”, and to the people, they called Indians. India is also a geographical name. Hindu or Hinduism is not a religion, the way Indian or India is not a religion. Both are geographical names. Others name of India are Aryavart, Bharat-Varsh, Bharat, Jambu Dweepa. The ancient name of India was Aja Nabha Varsha (Aja means Brahma, Nabha means navel or central portion). All these names have some legends are associated with them. But as per the constitution of India, India and Bharat, only these two names are official or constitutional.

Hinduism has been derived from the word Hindu. Hinduism was a name given in English language in the Nineteenth Century by the English people to the multiplicity of the beliefs and faiths of the people of the Indus land. The British writers in 1830 gave the word Hinduism to be used as the common name for all the beliefs of the people of India. According to the Hindu Scholars, Hinduism is a misnomer and the religion ‘Hinduism’ should be either referred to as ‘Sanatana Dharma’, which means eternal religion, or as Vedic Dharma, meaning religion of the Vedas. According to Swami Vivekananda, the followers of this religion are referred to as Vendantists.