INTRODUCTION: THE ESSENCE OF HINDU CIVILIZATION
I am the oldest living civilization on this Earth. I am the first code-giver, I encoded the mysteries of the universe on the walls. I am the seeker, tied to the land, a worshipper of nature. When others were in the jungle, engaged in mere reproduction, I was producing marvels of the highest engineering. When others hadn’t even designed a linguistic code, I aligned myself with the Creator. I am the only one who not only knows infinity but also understands what lies beyond zero and infinity. I am the Hindu.
Once, the society that stood at the heights of human consciousness, far ahead of any other civilization, is now struggling for its own existence. It searches for its identity, trying to regain its knowledge system, its valor, and its spirituality. Bharat, the land of righteousness, where Bhagwan Himself incarnated and taught the right way of life, is where Rishis and Munis were born, transforming this land into Bhagwat Bhumi. It is where the knowledge of the highest order took root, where the confluence of knowledge took place. It is the land where Bhaskaracharya gave the world the first book of mathematics, where Kanad spoke of the behavior of atoms. This is the land where Alexander kneeled—not because of our Ahimsa, but because of the swords that were born here.
Bharat, the cradle of civilization, stands tall through the ages, even the atrocities of invaders could not bring it down. But in just a few decades, the harm done has been so profound that Hindus have lost their collective consciousness and identity, now sinking into the abyss of darkness. The question is, what happened to its people, its society, that we now question our very existence?
In this article, the skin of the sheep will be peeled off, and the hidden truths will be exposed. We will discuss how it was done systematically, how we were indoctrinated and manipulated without even realizing it. How secularism became a new religion, an intoxicant, and to protect it, we began cursing our great knowledge system, our civilization, and our identity. What were the internal weaknesses of Hindu society that allowed these toxic ideas to penetrate so deeply, that instead of engaging in Purva Paksha, we embraced them like sweet oblivion.
What is HINDU Dharma.
If we want to know what happened to us , we should know who we are first. Hindu Dharma is not a religion, and should not be defined in conventional sense of religion. Hindu Dharam comprises ancient spiritual traditions deeply rooted in the quest for truth and realization. It offers a comprehensive way of life, encompassing a vast array of philosophies, traditions, practices, and beliefs that guide individuals toward a better way of life and understanding the nature of existence and achieving spiritual enlightenment.
In the words of Shri Ram Swarup, “Hinduism is not just a religion; it is a vast, complex, and many- sided spiritual and intellectual culture.” Hindu Dharma is an universal order, offering spiritual insights that are relevant to all of humanity, and not just those born into the Hindu tradition. The teachings of Hindu Dharma transcend geographical and cultural boundaries, making it a timeless and global spiritual path. It is Santana, the Eternal Religion, applicable to all men at all times. This concept highlights the timeless and universal principles that underpin Hindu Darma, such as karma (the law of cause and effect), Dharma (right duty), and moksha (liberation from the cycle of birth and death). Pluralism and tolerance were central of Hindu Dharma. Its inherent pluralism allows for a wide range of beliefs and practices, fostering a spirit of tolerance and respect for diverse viewpoints, for instance in a family one member could be devotee of Bhagwan Shiv, and other of Bhgwan Vishnu, or Maa Kali and all are living in harmony under one roof .This pluralistic nature is one of the strengths of Hinduism, enabling it to accommodate different paths to the divine without dogma or rigid boundaries.
HOW SUBJUCATION OF HINDUS WAS DONE ; A HISTORICAL COTEXT.
ISLAM
The condition of Hindus during the Islamic invasions and rule was heartbreaking and worthy of introspection. This period saw widespread massacres, the destruction of temples, and the systematic subjugation of Hindu society. Islam used physical power throughout the world to convert people. One of the strategies they used for this was destroying the knowledge system; in India, their prime targets were Brahmins and Indian universities. If a civilization lost its knowledge, it lost its collective consciousness and could be easily converted or subverted. This is still happening in India today.
Another tool used by Islam was Aestheticization. The Sufis were particularly installed in India for this purpose. They went to almost every village, highlighting the various social issues in Indian society, explaining how their way of worship was wrong, how Allah is great, and how Islam provides a better life, supplementing this with promises of Jannat, 72 hoors, and more. They knew that the game was long and required a strategic plan, and they were largely successful in this endeavor.
The third tool was hard power, as aptly assessed by Winston Churchill, who said, “While the Hindu elaborates his argument, the Muslim sharpens his sword.” There are millions of stories of atrocities which I couldn’t cover here, but a few examples highlight the breakdown of the Indian knowledge system and its honor:
Historian Will Durant accounts that Mahmud of Ghazni’s invasion of Somnath in 1025 saw the massacre of over 50,000 Hindus, and the temple’s wealth was plundered. Its destruction was symbolic, intended to break the spirit of the Hindus. Al-Biruni noted that Mahmud’s actions were
not just about plunder but were also aimed at humiliating the Hindus. Timur’s invasion in 1398 led to one of the most horrific massacres; he is recorded to have slaughtered 100,000 captives in Delhi alone, as per his own accounts in the Tuzk-i-Timuri.
The Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, a major center of Hindu devotion, was destroyed several times. The most notable destruction was by Aurangzeb in 1669, who built the Gyanvapi Mosque over its ruins, as mentioned in Maasir-i-Alamgiri and supplemented by Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, a French traveler who visited India during this period. Historian Sir Jadunath Sarkar records Aurangzeb’s fervent zeal in dismantling Hindu temples as part of his policy to enforce Islamic supremacy. To protect this single temple, many battles were fought, and lakhs of Hindus sacrificed themselves. Today, secular Hindus say we should promote communal harmony and not dig into the past; for them, Kashi Vishwanath is just a structure. They forget that this is the place where the Hindu knowledge system founds its origin.
Not just spiritual spaces, but almost every learning center was also destroyed. Ziauddin Barani, in his work Tarikh-i-Firozshahi, provides detailed accounts of the destruction wrought by Islamic invaders. These universities and temples were not only centers of learning but also symbols of Hindu cultural and intellectual life. Their destruction marked a significant loss for the Indian subcontinent, reflecting the broader impact of the Islamic invasions on India’s educational and cultural heritage.
The fourth strategy was the abduction and sale of Hindu women into slavery, especially in the markets of the Middle East. Al-Biruni, who accompanied Mahmud of Ghazni, noted the widespread sale of Hindu women and children as slaves in the markets of Baghdad, Damascus, and other Islamic cities. Amir Khusrau, a poet in the courts of several Delhi Sultans, wrote about the regular capture of Hindu women during raids and battles, who were then sold in the bazaars of Ghazni, Bukhara, and Samarkand. He glorified these acts in his writings, reflecting the core consciousness of Muslims and their hatred for infidels.
CHRISTIANITY
The Gospel of Matthew, one of the four gospels in the New Testament of the Bible, was written by Matthew, one of the twelve apostles of Christ. In it, he describes an instruction from Jesus, stating that pagans are uncivilized and instructing his followers to, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
How Conversion Started
The Reconquista (711–1492) was a centuries-long effort by Christian kingdoms in Spain and Portugal to reclaim the Iberian Peninsula from Muslim rule. By the time Columbus set sail in 1492, the
Reconquista had just been completed with the fall of Granada. This victory fueled strong religious zeal in Spain and Portugal, and there was a renewed focus on spreading Christianity beyond Europe. This crusading spirit became closely tied to the goals of exploration, as both Spain and Portugal sought to spread Christianity to newly discovered lands.
The Patronato Real (Royal Patronage) was a system established by the Catholic Monarchs in Spain, under which the Pope granted the Spanish and Portuguese crowns the authority to oversee the church’s missionary activities in their overseas territories. This system gave the monarchs control over appointing bishops, building churches, and organizing missionary work. Under this framework, Columbus’s voyages to the New World were not only commercial and exploratory missions but also missions to spread Christianity. He was accompanied by Catholic priests tasked with converting the indigenous populations of the Americas.
Portugal had a similar system called the Padroado, which granted the Portuguese crown authority over church matters in its colonies. Vasco da Gama’s voyages to India were supported by this system, and he was accompanied by missionaries who aimed to convert the people they encountered, particularly in Africa and India.
The Portuguese also established missions in locations like Goa, Malacca, and Brazil, intending to convert local populations to Christianity. Franciscans, Dominicans, and later the Jesuits played significant roles in these missionary efforts. The Franciscans and Dominicans were active in the Americas from the beginning of Spanish colonization, while the Jesuits, founded in 1540, became prominent in both Spanish and Portuguese colonies.
THE CASE OF INDIA
Christian missionary activities aimed at converting Hindus and undermining traditional Hindu practices began to accelerate during the British colonial period. Missionaries actively worked to convert Hindus, often portraying Hindu Dharma as primitive and superstitious, which contributed to a broader cultural subversion. Sir William Hunter, in his work The Indian Empire: Its People, History, and Products, describes the methods missionaries used to subvert Hindu social structures and encourage conversion.
James Mill’s The History of British India depicted Indian history as stagnant and barbaric, in sharp contrast to the perceived progressiveness of British rule, reinforcing a narrative that Hindu civilization was inferior.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy and the Brahmo Samaj: While not a missionary himself, Roy’s efforts to reform Hindu practices were influenced by Christian ideas and British support. The myth of Sati was debunked by historian Meenakshi Jain in her book Sati. David Kopf, in The Brahmo Samaj and the Shaping of the Modern Indian Mind, explores how these reforms, though progressive, also reflected significant Western and Christian ideological influences. The Brahmo Samaj propagated monotheism, often criticizing the pluralism that is core to Hindu Dharma, painting it with a monotheistic hue that could eventually facilitate conversion to Christianity.
After Independence, the conversion process continued, with government support at times assisting missionary efforts. While Islam used forceful methods, Christians adopted a subtler strategy, systematically creating divisions and hardships for Hindus. They used aestheticization of power and intellectual subversion, resulting in conversions and the uprooting of Hindu identity.
Today, many Hindus take pride in sending their children to convent schools, which have become symbols of elitism and intelligence. Christian missionaries established numerous schools, colleges, and universities, particularly in tribal and rural areas. These institutions provided education along with religious instruction, subtly influencing students’ beliefs. Schools in the Northeast and tribal areas, for instance, often combined academics with religious teachings, promoting Christianity as a superior faith.
In the name of social service, charity, and aid, missionaries particularly targeted underprivileged sections of society. These services often came with religious indoctrination, especially in South India. The book Indoctrination of Goa documents these conversion efforts. Sita Ram Goel highlighted that in South India, missionaries targeted actors first, using their influence to reach the masses—a tactic that proved highly effective. Missionaries adopted local customs and traditions to make Christianity more palatable to Indians, even reinterpreting Hindu symbols and practices. The concept of “inculturation,” blending Christian rituals with Indian traditions, allowed converts to retain cultural roots while adopting a new faith.
Christian missions received significant financial support from Western countries, which facilitated large-scale conversion efforts. After Independence, foreign funding for missionary activities
increased, with organizations like World Vision receiving substantial donations for conversion- related work.
Missionaries focused on economically and socially marginalized communities, such as Dalits and Adivasis. Promises of better social status, education, and economic benefits were powerful tools for conversion—this is aestheticization in practice. The Northeast of India, particularly Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram, saw major conversions among tribal populations due to targeted efforts. In some regions, demographic composition has been significantly altered. For instance, over 90% of Nagaland’s population is now Christian. Kerala, historically home to early Christian communities, also saw an increase in conversions in the 20th century due to missionary work.
This process has gradually distanced many Indians from their cultural roots, resulting in the loss of traditional worship, practices, and collective consciousness. Today, temple visits are often viewed as primitive, patriarchal, or contrary to individual liberty, while attending church is seen as fashionable, spiritual, and modern. However, we must recognize that, unlike Hinduism’s deep philosophical and spiritual offerings, Christianity and Islam primarily promote the belief in one “true” god, often coupled with efforts to convert or eliminate non-believers. Their approach, centered on doctrines that are centuries old, lacks the spiritual depth and diversity offered by Hindu Dharma.
Secularism: The concept of secularism, as it has been implemented in India, has primarily served to marginalize Hindu identity. Anand Ranganathan, in his book Hindus in Hindu Nation, covers this topic in depth. Unlike Western secularism, which separates religion from the state, Indian secularism has often meant the appeasement of minority communities at the expense of the majority.
Examples of this include the fact that Hindu temples are under government control, draining Hindu resources that could otherwise be used for the welfare of Hindu society. There should not be acts like the Waqf Act in a democratic country, yet it exists. There are many such instances. Secularism has portrayed Hindu Dharma as communal and regressive, while other religions are often shielded from criticism.
The consequence has been a deep-seated inferiority complex among many Hindus regarding their own tradition and culture. The culmination of this is that today, secular Hindus are arguably more detrimental to our nation and society than the Abrahamic façade. Secularism in India has led to the aestheticization of power and ideological subversion to such an extent that Hindus now think of their own culture, tradition, and civilization as barbaric and seek to eradicate it. The illusion of secularism is so pervasive that Hindus believe it has given them a “new breath.” Secularism itself has become a new religion for them.
Liberals, who criticize Hindu practices as backward or superstitious, have contributed to the erosion of cultural identity. This has particularly affected the younger generation, who are caught between the demands of modernity and the pull of their cultural roots.
The Marxists have controlled the Indian education system and, in doing so, have influenced the Indian mind. Hostile toward religion and ancient traditions, Marxists have viewed religion as the “opium of the masses.” In India, they have been particularly hostile to Hindu Dharma. The Marxist narrative focuses on highlighting Hindu traditions as oppressive, Brahmanical, and barbaric. They try to fit the Indian system into their model of “haves and have-nots,” portraying Brahmins as the “haves” and minorities as the “have-nots.” You can understand this when, during the exodus of Kashmiri Brahmins from the valley, the same logic was presented by Barkha Dutt. This narrative is echoed in every history book taught in schools and colleges.
Indian children grow up learning this propaganda, which is embedded in almost every school book. Instead of learning about their own traditions, they are taught the ideas propagated by forces that aim to break India. The Indian education system has played a central role in the subversion of Hindu consciousness. The curriculum, shaped by colonial legacies and Marxist influences, omits or distorts key aspects of our way of life, history, and culture. Students are taught to admire Western thinkers and philosophers, while their own rich intellectual traditions are either ignored or criticized. This has led to a generation of Hindus who are disconnected from their heritage and unaware of the greatness of their civilization. As Neeraj Atri ji pointed out, throughout the world, history is taught to boost the confidence of children, but India is the only country where history drives people into an inferiority complex, brainwashing them into becoming an anti-India force—Indians in blood, but Western in mind. This is the neo-colonialism at play.
In this process of ideological subversion, the media and popular culture have also contributed to the erosion of Hindu consciousness. Hinduism is often portrayed in a stereotypical and negative light,
reinforcing the narrative that it is a backward and regressive religion. Bollywood, which has a significant influence on the public psyche, frequently depicts Hindu practices as superstitious and outdated, while glorifying Western lifestyles and Islamic practices. Bollywood has played a key role in this. This has led to a deep sense of inferiority among Hindus regarding their own culture and practices.
Current Challenges to Hindu Society
Identity Crisis: The greatest challenge Hindu society is facing today is the crisis of identity. Many Hindus, especially the younger generation, struggle to reconcile their cultural heritage with the so- called modernity, which are Christian values like a wolf wearing the attire of sheep. The so-called modernity emphasizes individualism and sexual liberation, propagating that your mothers and sisters could be sexual mates and whatnot. The teachings of our tradition, which prioritize community, spirituality, and moral values, are losing their imprints from the Hindu mind.
Demographic Challenges: The changing demographics in India, and how we are losing the boundaries of Bharat, pose another significant challenge to Hindu society. Take the example of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Kashmir for that matter. The rapid growth of other religious communities, coupled with the phenomenon of religious conversions, threatens to alter the demographic balance in India. This could have far-reaching implications for the future of Hindu civilization.
Hindu Gurus: There was a time when Bharat produced great Hindu gurus, like Chanakya, Adi Guru Shankaracharya, and Samarth Ramdas and many more, who foresaw the challenges that were coming for our society, and they created their Purva Paksha for that. But today Hindu gurus lack this quality to some extent, they have to understand that they are torchbearers, they are to highlight the problems of Hindus, guide them properly. What they are doing is they are busy advising what to eat and what not, in discussing relationships. The most heinous crime they are doing is the Christianization of Hindu concepts; the way they are portraying Bhakti Marg is a huge concern, because they are distorting the core concepts of Hindu Dharma, blending Hindu dharma into a monotheistic color which will ultimately be replaced by monotheism.
Internal Divisions: The internal divisions within Hindu society, such as casteism, regionalism, and linguistic differences, all found their genesis in the last few centuries, which were obviously created to divide Hindus. Scholars like Dharmapal Ji and Rajiv Malhotra Ji had busted this myth of casteism; you can read their works. The way confused intellectuals, like Ambedkar, distorted the essence of Hindu concepts. Ambedkar had zero understanding of Hindu tradition and practices. He was just a stooge of Christian intelligentsia. If there was no Max Muller, there would be no Ambedkar.
Today, Congress is doing the same thing with Hindus, dividing Hindus on the basis of caste. The biggest challenge for Hindu society will come from Chandrashekhar Ravan and Rahul Gandhi; people think he is a joker but he is not, he will turn out to be the biggest asset of foreign forces, the biggest Breaking India force.
Hindus need to understand this, these divisions have been exploited by external forces to weaken Hindu unity for centuries. The lack of a cohesive and unified Hindu identity has left the society vulnerable to fragmentation and discord.
The time has come for a reawakening of Hindu consciousness. This requires a concerted effort to promote education that honors Hindu heritage and encourages the study of original Hindu texts. It is essential to foster a sense of pride in Hindu identity and to celebrate the achievements of Hindu civilization. Unity and resilience are essential for the survival and prosperity of Hindu civilization in the face of external and internal threats.
–Sawan Kumar
