...Zoroastrianism and Its Influences on the World With a membership of about 200,000, the importance of Zoroastrianism is far greater than its numbers suggest. Closely related to Judaism, Christianity and Islam, its concepts of Satan, angelology, demonology, a deliverer, future life, paradise and judgment in these religions may have been directly or indirectly derived from Zoroastrianism. Founded by the Iranian prophet and reformer Zoroaster in the 6th century BC, Zoroastrianism contains both monotheistic and dualistic features. Its concepts of one God, judgment, heaven and hell likely influenced the major Western religions. History of Zoroastrianism The origins of the Zoroastrian religion are shrouded in mystery. The prophet Zarathustra, later referred to by the Greeks as Zoroaster, founded Zoroastrianism roughly between the 16th and 10th centuries BCE. Zoroaster's birth date is also uncertain and modern scholarship currently suggests he lived in northern or eastern Iran or nearby such as in Afghanistan or southern Russia. In Zoroaster’s thirties he had a revelation in which he saw an angel who told him that there is only one true god and that God’s name was Aura Mazda (Clark, 1998). It is certain that by the year 549 B.C.E., Zoroastrianism had become a major world religion. It was Cyrus the Great, first ruler of the Persian Empire, who ordained Zoroastrianism as the official religion of his state. It was this same Cyrus that liberated the Jews from the occupation they...
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...Zoroastrianism at a glance Zoroastrianism is one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions. It was founded by the Prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra) in ancient Iran approximately 3500 years ago. For 1000 years Zoroastrianism was one of the most powerful religions in the world. It was the official religion of Persia (Iran) from 600 BCE to 650 CE. It is now one of the world's smallest religions. In 2006 the New York Times reported that there were probably less than 190,000 followers worldwide at that time. * Zoroastrians believe there is one God called Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord) and He created the world. * Zoroastrians are not fire-worshippers, as some Westerners wrongly believe. Zoroastrians believe that the elements are pure and that fire represents God's light or wisdom. * Ahura Mazda revealed the truth through the Prophet, Zoroaster. * Zoroastrians traditionally pray several times a day. * Zoroastrians worship communally in a Fire Temple or Agiary. * The Zoroastrian book of Holy Scriptures is called The Avesta. * The Avesta can be roughly split into two main sections: * The Avesta is the oldest and core part of the scriptures, which contains the Gathas. The Gathas are seventeen hymns thought to be composed by Zoroaster himself. * The Younger Avesta - commentaries to the older Avestan written in later years. It also contains myths, stories and details of ritual observances. * Zoroastrians are roughly split into two groups: ...
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...Bengal from the late 1750s onwards. Their paramountcy over India’s millions depended upon their thorough understanding of the cultures of the sub-continent which required a mastery in its languages.[i] The small circle of dedicated and assiduous students of India’s languages included Sir William Jones, the eminent jurist and polymath who resided in India between 1783 and 1794.[ii] After studying Sanskrit for just under three years he observed, in 1786, that Sanskrit, Greek and Latin and Old Persian had all descended from an original speech. His observation has proved correct; and, since his time, most learned philological opinion has accepted that, in terms of language classifications, the common source of these tongues was what is now called proto-Indo-European. Its geographical focus was presumed to be the area around the Caspian Sea. It is also generally accepted that the eastern branch of the Indo-European family of languages is known as the Indo-Iranian whose first speakers called themselves Aryans. Whether the Aryans, speaking some variety of Indo-European languages, invaded or migrated into Iran and India from their original trans-Caspian homeland or had actually originated in India and moved outwards to Iran and lands further west is a subject of continuing controversy.[iii] The purpose of this paper is three-fold: firstly, to provide a background to the historical Aryans by summarizing the main conclusions of philological scholarship on their role in Indo-Iranian...
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...speaking, India formed part of the Gondwana land and was attached to Antarctica and Australia, before it was liberated from the Antarctica complex about 135 million years ago and started drifting towards the north and finally joining South Asia about 45 million years ago. The Siwalik foothills of the north-western Himalayas served as home to the fossil primate genus known as Ramapithecus, which lived some 14 million years ago. Researches have also found that a species resembling the Australopithecus lived in India some 2 million years ago. Some anthropologists believe that the Chotanagpur region witnessed the transformation of Homo Erectus to Homo Sapiens. This claim is based on the findings of hand axes and blades in the region of Pathalgarwa and the discovery of Harappan pottery in the nearby areas. Early Civilisations Extensive archaeological excavations carried out at Mohenjodaro in the present Pakistan in 1922 brought to light the existence of a highly sophisticated and urbanized culture known as the Harappan Civilization in India, which dominated the north-western part of the Indian Subcontinent. It is believed that this civilisation covered an area of 1600 km from east to west and 1100 km from north to south, which exceeds the area occupied by contemporary civilisations like the Egyptian and Mesopotamian Civilisations. This civilisation is generally dated from about 2600 to 2000 B.C. However, Carbon-14 analysis of the structures at Mehrgarh...
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...------------------------------------------------- Culture of India From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Part of a series on the | Culture of India | | History | People | Languages[show] | Mythology and folklore[show] | Cuisine | Religion | Art[show] | Literature[show] | Music and performing arts[show] | Media[show] | Sport | Monuments[show] | Symbols[show] | * India portal | * v * t * e | The culture of India is the way of living of the people of India. India's languages, religions, dance, music, architecture, food, and customs differ from place to place within the country. The Indian culture, often labeled as an amalgamation of several cultures, spans across the Indian subcontinent and has been influenced by a history that is several millennia old.[1][2] Many elements of India's diverse cultures, such as Indian religions, yoga and Indian cuisine, have had a profound impact across the world. Contents [hide] * 1 Religions * 2 Perceptions of Indian culture * 2.1 Arranged marriage * 2.2 Wedding rituals * 3 Greetings * 4 Festivals * 5 Animals * 6 Cuisine * 7 Clothing * 8 Languages and literature * 8.1 History * 8.2 Epics * 9 Performing arts * 9.1 Dance * 9.2 Drama and theatre * 9.3 Music * 10 Visual arts * 10.1 Painting * 10.2 Sculpture * 10.3 Architecture * 11 Sports and martial arts * 11.1 Sports ...
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...Africa first people – 750,000 years ago started to move 1. moving in search of food c. Role of Climate – End of Ice Age 12000 BCE – large areas of N. America, Europe, Asia became habitable – big game hunters already migrated 1. Geographical changes - 3000 BCE Green Sahara began to dry up, seeds to forests – N. America 2. Effect on humans – nomadic hunters didn’t move so much a. Settle near abundant plant life – beginning of civilization b. Sedentary life w/ dependable food supply 3. milder conditions, warmer temperatures, higher ocean levels 2. Demography: Major population changes resulting from human and environmental factors 1. 2 million people during Ice Age – allowed for growth 1. big game gone 2. more usable land available 2. 50-100 million by 1000 CE 3. Regional changes altered skin color,...
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...published 1946 by The Signet Press, Calcutta Centenary Edition 1989 Sixth impression 1994 Printed at Rekha Printers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi 110020 and published by Neil O'Brien, Oxford University Press YMCA Library Building, Jai Singh Road, New Delhi 110001 To my colleagues and co-prisoners in the A h m a d n a g a r Fort Prison C a m p from 9 August 1942 to 28 March 1945 FOREWORD My father's three books — Glimpses of World History, An Autobiograpy and The Discovery of India — have been my companions through life. It is difficult to be detached about them. Indeed Glimpses was' written for me. It remains t h e best introduction to the story of man for young and growing people in India and all over the world. The Autobiography has been acclaimed as not merely the quest of one individual for freedom, b u t as an insight into the making of the mind of new India. I h a d to correct the proofs of Discovery while my father was away, I think in Calcutta, and I was in Allahabad ill with mumps! The Discovery delves deep into the sources- of India's national personality. Together, these books have moulded a whole generation of Indians and inspired persons from m a n y other countries. Books fascinated Jawaharlal Nehru. He sought out ideas. He was extraordinarily sensitive to literary beauty. In his writings he aimed at describing his motives a n d...
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...required by law at the time. These files may be used for any non-commercial purpose, provided this notice of attribution is left intact in all copies and subject to the sacred texts Terms of Service at http://www.sacred-texts.com/tos.htm Hogarth Blake presents this e-book FREE of charge; it may be used for whatever purpose you see fit. The only limitations are that you may not decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, modify, create derivative works based upon, sell, publish, license or sub-license the work or any part of it without the express written consent of Hogarth Blake Ltd. The work is provided as is. Hogarth Blake Ltd. makes no guarantees or warranties as to the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of or results to be obtained from using the work via hyperlink or otherwise, and expressly disclaims any warranty, express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Hogarth Blake Ltd. shall not be liable to you or anyone else for any inaccuracy, error or omission, regardless of cause, in the work or for any damages resulting therefrom. Hogarth Blake Ltd.. has no responsibility for the content of any...
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...required by law at the time. These files may be used for any non-commercial purpose, provided this notice of attribution is left intact in all copies and subject to the sacred texts Terms of Service at http://www.sacred-texts.com/tos.htm Hogarth Blake presents this e-book FREE of charge; it may be used for whatever purpose you see fit. The only limitations are that you may not decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, modify, create derivative works based upon, sell, publish, license or sub-license the work or any part of it without the express written consent of Hogarth Blake Ltd. The work is provided as is. Hogarth Blake Ltd. makes no guarantees or warranties as to the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of or results to be obtained from using the work via hyperlink or otherwise, and expressly disclaims any warranty, express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Hogarth Blake Ltd. shall not be liable to you or anyone else for any inaccuracy, error or omission, regardless of cause, in the work or for any damages resulting therefrom. Hogarth Blake Ltd.. has no responsibility for the content of any...
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...THE HANDY RELIGION AN SWE R BOOK JOHN RENARD Detroit The Handy Religion Answer Book™ C O P Y R I G H T © 2002 BY VI S I B LE I N K PRE SS® This publication is a creative work fully protected by all applicable copyright laws, as well as by misappropriation, trade secret, unfair competition, and other applicable laws. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine or newspaper. All rights to this publication will be vigorously defended. Visible Ink Press® 43311 Joy Rd. #414 Canton, MI 48187-2075 Visible Ink Press and The Handy Religion Answer Book are trademarks of Visible Ink Press LLC. Most Visible Ink Press books are available at special quantity discounts when purchased in bulk by corporations, organizations, or groups. Customized printings, special imprints, messages, and excerpts can be produced to meet your needs. For more information, contact Special Markets Director, Visible Ink Press, at www.visibleink.com or (734) 667-3211. Art Director: Mary Claire Krzewinski Typesetting: Graphix Group Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Renard, John, 1944The handy religion answer book / John Renard. p. cm. ISBN 1-57859-125-2 (pbk.) 1. Religions--Miscellanea. I. Title. BL80.2 .R46 2001 291--dc21 Printed in the United States of America All rights reserved ...
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