What is Hinduism? People know Hinduism by its name and practices, and call it a religion. Hinduism is known to be the largest religion in India . But what is Hinduism? Image: Wikimedia Hinduism, the name, is said to have been given by the British. As per the paper, "Who invented Hinduism" by David N Lorenzen (1999), the name Hinduism was first used in 1816 and again in 1817 by Raja Ram Mohan Roy , the social reformer who founded the Brahmo Samaj movement . While the origins of the name are still debated, Hinduism as a name certainly dates back to the very recent past of the 19th century. Is Sanatana Dharma the oldest religion of the world? What is referred to as Hinduism, is actually Sanatana Dharma (சனாதன தர்மம்). In fact, according to Deivathin Kural (தெய்வத்தின் குரல்) the collection of teachings by Maha Periyava, the Sage of Kanchi, Sanatana Dharma did not have a name when it was practised as the way of life, before the onset of organised reli...