History Freedom of religion in India

1 history

1.1 tradition of religious freedom
1.2 refuge religious persecution
1.3 religious disturbances , conflicts before 1947
1.4 communal violence during partition in 1947
1.5 conversion history

history

tradition of religious freedom

the plural nature of indian society in 3rd century bc encapsulated in inscription of ashoka:

king piyadasi (ashoka) dear gods, honours sects, ascetics (hermits) or dwell @ home, honours them charity , in other ways. king, dear gods, attributes less importance charity , these honours vow of seeing reign of virtues, constitutes essential part of them. these virtues there common source, modesty of speech. say, 1 must not exalt one’s creed discrediting others, nor must 1 degrade these others without legitimate reasons. 1 must, on contrary, render other creeds honour befitting them.”

emperor kharvela (born in family of rajarshi vasu) declares himself in inscription (approximately 2nd century bce):

sava pasa-nd-a-puujako, sava devaayatan-sanskaarako ।

i worshipper of sects, restorer of shrines. ।।

kharvela s self-description must contrasted other rulers around world, took pride in calling but-shikan or defender of (only true) faith .

badayuni in muntakhab-ut-tawáríkh reports mughal emperor akbar, had established din-i-ilahi faith, decreed following in ah 1000 (1551–1552 ce):

hindus who, when young, had pressure become musalmans, allowed go faith of fathers. no man should interfered on account of religion, , every 1 should allowed change religion, if liked. ...people should not molested, if wished build churches , prayer rooms, or idol temples, or fire temples.

the sikh gurus built freedom of religion in faith such extent while being persecuted minority under many mughal rulers aurangzeb, sikhs felt obliged fight religious freedom of others. sixth guru of sikhs, guru hargobind, had mosque built muslim disciples, instead of putting them under pressure adopt sikh faith. tradition of religious freedom continued under sikh empire, , other sikh principalities sikh rulers commissioned several gurdwaras, temples , mosques subjects of various faiths.

refuge religious persecution

india, traditional tolerance, has served refuge groups have encountered persecution elsewhere.

jews: jews in india granted lands , trading rights. oldest of 3 longest-established jewish communities in india, traders judea , israel arrived in city of cochin, in kerala, 2,500 years ago , known cochin jews. according recordings jews, date of first arrival given @ 562 bc. in 68 ad, more jews fled kerala escape attacks romans on jerusalem.
christians: christianity believed have come india in 1st century through saint thomas formed saint thomas christians in kerala. later in 15th , 16th centuries european missionaries brought in christianity in places such goa , mangalore. protestant missionaries came in 18th , 19th centuries north-east india.
parsi: zoroastrians greater persia arrived in india fleeing religious persecution in native land in 9th century. flourished in india , in 18–19th centuries intervened on behalf of co-religionists still in greater persia. have produced india s pioneering industrialist house of tata , 1 of 2 indian field marshals in s. f. manekshaw.
tibetan buddhists: apart sheltering tibetan buddhist refugees fled country after occupied china in 1959, india home dalai lama, high lama of gelug school of tibetan buddhism.
baha i: india has world s largest baha population of 4572 baha is, took refuge in india religious persecution in iran.

religious disturbances , conflicts before 1947

notable incidents of religious intolerance, conflicts , riots have occurred @ several points in time.

there persecution of buddhists , jains brahmanical hindu monarchs under influence of religious fundamentalists. examples include violent persecution of buddhists pushyamitra shunga in 2nd century bc, mass slaughter of buddhists in kashmir under reign of mihirakula, 5th century hun invader converted shaivism, persecution of vaishnavas pallava monarchs in south india, , brutal persecution of jains pandyan monarchs under tutelage of shaiva saints in tamil country.
various muslim rulers of present day afghanistan, sind, punjab, delhi sultanate , mughal era (such aurangzeb) have been perpetrators of religious intolerance towards hindus, jains, buddhists , sikhs , iconoclasm , imposition of jizya.
the goa inquisition carried out against hindu, muslim , jewish populations of goa under portuguese rule.

communal violence during partition in 1947

there widespread riots during partition of india in 1947 - there communal violence directed against hindu & sikh minorities in areas became pakistan while violence directed against muslim minorities in hindu/sikh majority areas.

conversion history

after advent of islam, when religious bias against non-islamic sects began severe, hinduism began take on distinctive identity. during 14th century, sikhism arose , drew fold number of people in punjab. christianity has history traces advent of saint thomas apostle in india around a.d.48. said have been followed bartholomew around a.d. 55. reported when vasco da gama visited calicut in 1498 ad, found on 2 lakh christians in kerala area. british government in beginning discouraged missionary work; however, in 1837, permitted entry of white missionaries in territory because of pressure evangelical lobby in british parliament.

religious conversion has sparked lot of attention , has caused hostilities in indian families. though conversion resolved pre-conversion crisis, resulted in more troubles in convert’s life. different kinds of hostilities were: being killed, threatened death, fear of future troubles or being disowned parents , friends.