ABSTRACT
The religion and people discussed in this essay do not take their name from a founder or leader, such as Christ or Buddha, nor from a dominant principle, such as Islam, but from a geographical region. The region lies east of the river Indus, hence the name Hindustan 1 , given by successive Muslim invaders over many centuries. Later the various religions present in the region were grouped by outsiders under the name Hinduism. But it is only in the last two centuries that Hindus themselves have come to accept this name for their religion.
