Hinduism began in the Indian subcontinent, with its earliest roots in the Indus River (Sindhu) Valley region of what is now northwest India and Pakistan. It is not tied to a single founder or exact starting moment, but grew over time from the religious practices of the Indus Valley civilization and later Vedic traditions in northern India.
Geographic origins
- The earliest identifiable roots of Hinduism are linked to the Indus Valley (also called Harappan) civilization along the Indus River, in present‑day Pakistan and northwest India.
- Over time, these traditions blended with the Vedic religion brought and developed by Indo‑Aryan groups in northern India, especially in regions such as the Punjab and the Ganges plain.
No single starting point
- Hinduism has no single historical founder or fixed date of origin; instead, it emerged gradually from a mix of local, Indus Valley, and Vedic beliefs and practices across the Indian subcontinent.
- Because of this long and complex development, many scholars simply describe its origin as “on the Indian subcontinent,” with early phases traceable by about 2000–1500 BCE, building on even older cultural roots in the region.
