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It is notable that Hinduism largely followed an oral tradition to pass on knowledge, for which there is no record of historical dates. All dates here given ought to be regarded as roughly approximate, subject to further revision, and generally as relying for their validity on highly inferential methods and standards of evidence.
The Epic-Puranic chronology is a timeline of Hindu mythology based on the Itihasa (the Sanskrit Epics, that is, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana) and the Puranas.These texts have an authoritaive status in Indian tradition, and narrate cosmogeny, royal chronologies, myths and legendary events.
[9] [note 1] The subsequent period of the second urbanisation (600-200 BCE) is a formative period for Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism followed by "a turning point between the Vedic religion and Hindu religions," [12] during the Epic and Early Puranic period (c. 200 BCE to 500 CE), when the Epics and the first Purānas were composed.
[145] [note 18] Pennington, while concurring that the study of Hinduism as a world religion began in the colonial era, disagrees that Hinduism is a colonial European era invention. [146] He states that the shared theology, common ritual grammar and way of life of those who identify themselves as Hindus is traceable to ancient times. [146] [note 19]
According to Sundararajan, Hinduism is also known as the Vedic religion. [50] Other authors state that the Vedas contain "the fundamental truths about Hindu Dharma" [note 8] which is called "the modern version of the ancient Vedic Dharma" [52] The Arya Samaj is recognize the Vedic religion as true Hinduism. [53]
The following list enumerates Hindu monarchies in chronological order of establishment dates. These monarchies were widespread in South Asia since about 1500 BC, [1] went into slow decline in the medieval times, with most gone by the end of the 17th century, although the last one, the Kingdom of Nepal, dissolved only in the 2008.
[116] [117] The term Hindu, in contemporary parlance, includes people who accept themselves as culturally or ethnically Hindu rather than with a fixed set of religious beliefs within Hinduism. [64] One need not be religious in the minimal sense, states Julius Lipner, to be accepted as Hindu by Hindus, or to describe oneself as Hindu. [118]
The Puranas do not enjoy the authority of a scripture in Hinduism, [53] but are considered a Smriti. [54] These Hindu texts have been influential in the Hindu culture, inspiring major national and regional annual festivals of Hinduism. [55] The Bhagavata Purana has been among the most celebrated and popular text in the Puranic genre.