Hinduism Video Questions

What is the History of Hinduism?

1. True or False, Hinduism is the third largest religion currently?

2. True or False, Hindus believe in reincarnation

3. True or False, the Hindu faith has multiple gods and goddesses?

The many Gods of the Hindu Faith

4. True or False, Hindu deities come in many forms?

5. How does a person who practices the faith pick a deity?

The Ganges River

6. List two facts about the Ganges River and its importance to the Hindu fatih?

The Caste System

7. True or false, all Hindus are born, married, and die within their caste system.

8. Who is at the top of the Caste system

a. Priest c. Farmers
b. Untouchables d. skilled workers

9. What is the purpose of the caste system?

Is India’s Caste System Still Alive Today?

10. True or False, India is currently closing the wealth gap.

11. Who is usually segregated within the caste system?

a. Brahmans c. Dalits/Untouchables
b. Sudras d. Vaisyas
c.
12. True or False the caste system is legal in India today, it was never outlawed.

Understanding the Caste System

In traditional India, society was organized

into hereditary social classes, known as
castes. Hindus believed that each person was
born into a particular social class. The social
classes are rigid and you cannot move
classes.

Organization of Castes: People were

organized in to 4 main groups. Within these 4
major groupings there are thousands of minor
sub-castes, each with its own special
occupations and rituals. At the bottom of the
castes are the untouchables, considered to be so lowly as to be outside the caste system. Untouchables
were given work no one wanted to do, such as sweeping the streets or handling
dead animals. Since the caste system was based on heredity, it
severely restricted social mobility in traditional India. Social mobility is the ability to move from one
social class to another.

The Caste System Today- Today, the caste system continues to operate in India. The government is
trying to over prejudices based on caste distinctions. It prohibits discrimination by caste and provides
special programs to aid the Untouchables. These attempts to end the caste discrimination have only
partially been successful.

13. What is meant by the term “caste system”?

14. How does one get into a particular caste?

15. How long does one remain in a particular caste?

16. When an Indian person has a child, what caste does that child go into?

17. Within the four main castes, how many sub-castes are there?

18. Who are the Untouchables? What do they do?

19. Today, how does the government protect Untouchables?

20. -22. What is your view of the Caste System? (2-3 sentences)

How Did The Caste System Organize Hindu Society?

The CASTE SYSTEM consists five separate classes (or castes) of people based on the writings of the VEDAS, a holy
Hindu book. A person was born into their particular caste and COULD NOT CHANGE their caste during their
lifetime.

Read the following accounts and determine what caste they belong to.

23. “On Monday, I must perform sacrifices to Shiva, the god of destruction. On Tuesday, I must perform sacrifices
to Brahma, the god of creation. On Wednesday, I must take a day off to catch up on my Global History homework
otherwise Ms. Bell will sacrifice me to the Shiva. On Thursday, I offer sacrifices to Vishnu, the god of preservation.
On Friday, I sacrifice again to Shiva. It is very hard to keep all the gods happy. It is even harder to keep Ms. Bell
happy. “

This speaker belongs to ----- caste because

24, . “Life for those of us in this caste is not easy. Everywhere we go people treat us like we are dirt, or worse they
treat us like we are high school freshmen. We must clean toliets, pick up dead animals from the street, and clean up
the waste products left behind by the sacred cattle in this city. Our only hope is having good karma. I would not
wanted to be reincarnated as a member of this caste.”

This speaker belongs to ----caste because

25. “Those in my caste must make important decisions for our society as well as defend it. My brother is
tremendously brave and fought against the evil people of OogaBookSeniorstown and defeated those
horrible creatures. I, too, have tremendous power but I don’t have to fight to get my way. I simply issue
commands to be followed and they are.”

This speaker belongs to ---caste because