The modern period (19th–21st century)
From their small coastal settlements in southern India, the Portuguese promoted Roman Catholic missionary activity and made converts, most of whom were of low caste; the majority of caste Hindus were unaffected. Small Protestant missions operated from the Danish factories of Tranquebar in Tamil Nadu and Serampore in Bengal, but they were even less influential. The British East India Company, conscious of the disadvantages of unnecessarily antagonizing its Indian subjects, excluded all Christian missionary activity from its territories. Indeed, the company continued the patronage accorded by indigenous rulers to many Hindu temples and forbade its Indian troops to embrace Christianity. The growing evangelical conscience in England brought this policy to an end with the renewal of the company’s charter in 1813. The company’s policy then became one of strict impartiality in matters of religion, but missionaries were allowed to work throughout its territory. Thus, Christian ideas began to spread.
Articles from Britannica encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
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Hinduism - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
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Hinduism is the world’s oldest major religion. Some traditions of Hinduism date back more than 3,000 years. Over the centuries, however, its followers-called Hindus-have accepted many new ideas and combined them with the old ones. More than 800 million people practice Hinduism worldwide. Most of them live in India, where Hinduism began.
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Hinduism - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
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The major religion of the Indian subcontinent is Hinduism. One of the oldest of the world’s religions, Hinduism dates back more than 3,000 years, though its present forms are of more recent origin. In the early 21st century, more than 90 percent of the world’s Hindus lived in India, and the religion had nearly one billion adherents worldwide.
The topic Hinduism is discussed at the following external Web sites.
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