Religious Beliefs in India

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Recommended: Describe the role of religion in Indian politics

When people list driving forces of society in different countries, the answers vary from government to economics and to education, among a vast list of other possibilities. In the case of the South Asian state of India, religion is one of the primary foundations for both their past social systems and current institutions and it is recognized as a predominately religious region. Though the country is constitutionally secular, religion plays one of the largest roles in society. The numerous theologies represented in India dictate the content of legislature, the status of citizens within the caste system, and even intellectual attainment.
India is a religious hotbed. Several faiths are represented throughout India’s history and current population. The country is even the birthplace of four different religions: Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism (Robinson, 2004). Several other religions are also embodied in India, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, which is the third highest population of Muslims in the world. Hinduism, however, is the largest religion within the country, claiming the majority of the population with roughly eighty percent of Indian citizens holding to the religious doctrine (Robinson, 2004). The remaining portion of the country is divided among the other main religions, with less than one percent left to claim other identification. The size of the religious population spans over almost the entire population, giving the institute of religion a voice of the majority in Indian society.
Religion plays a large role in India’s constitution and legislature, though India is the only secular country in the South Asian region. The other six countries, which include Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Maldives, Banglad...

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... the institution. Some Indian citizens are shunned for being born into a certain caste, while children’s intellectual attainment is decided by their faith’s economic position in society. Regardless of an Indian citizen’s chosen ideology, religion will continue to be a major factor in their life.

Works Cited

Barooah, V.K. (2011). Social identity and educational attainment: The role of caste and religion in explaining differences between children in India. University of ulster school of economics. Journal of Development Studies.
Mahmood, T. (2006). Religion, law, and judiciary in modern India. Brigham young university law school.
Robinson, Rowena. (2004). The sociology of religion in India (pp. 24-97). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Sharma, K.L. (2012). Is there today caste system or there is only caste in India?. Polish sociological review. (245-263).

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