Before the arrival of Islam, the predominant religions in Indonesia were Hinduism (particularly its Shaivism tradition) and Buddhism. Initially, the spread of Islam was slow and gradual.
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What was the first religion in Indonesia?
Despite comprising less than two percent of the population, Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in Indonesia. First brought to the archipelago by traders from India during the first century, Hinduism was once the predominant religion that was adopted by the most powerful ancient empires.
Was Indonesia a Hindu country before?
Hinduism is one of the six official religions of Indonesia. Hinduism came to Indonesia in the 1st-century through traders, sailors, scholars and priests.About 1400 CE, these kingdoms were introduced to Islam from coast-based Muslim traders, and thereafter Hinduism mostly vanished from many of the islands of Indonesia.
What is the traditional religion of Indonesia?
In the 2018 Indonesian governmental statistics, 86.7% of Indonesians identified themselves as Muslim (with Sunnis about 99%, Shias about 1% and Ahmadis 0.2%), 7.6% Protestant Christian, 3.12% Catholic Christian, 1.74% Hindu, 0.77% Buddhist, 0.03% Confucians, 0.04% others.
What was the original religion?
Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years.
Who brought Christianity to Indonesia?
Abu Salih Al-Armini
Arrival of Christianity in the Indonesian Archipelago
The first known source of Christian presence in the archipelago can be found in the encyclopedic work of Abu Salih Al-Armini, an Egyptian Christian who lived in the 12th century.
Was Indonesia a Buddhist country?
Buddhism is the second oldest religion in Indonesia after Hinduism, which arrived from India around the second century.The Indonesian archipelago has, over the centuries, witnessed the rise and fall of powerful Buddhist empires, such as the Sailendra dynasty, the Mataram, and Srivijaya empires.
Why is Bali so Hindu?
Possible factors: Bali was isolated from the trade routes that spread Islam; conditions after the fall of Majapahit made Bali a refuge for fleeing Javanese aristocrats; charismatic Hindu mystics like the Shaivite Dang Hyang Nirartha (see Wikipedia) helped rejuvenate Hinduism on Bali at the same time as Java was going
Why is Bali still Hindu?
In other cases, Hindus and Buddhists left and concentrated as communities in islands that they could defend. Hindus of western Java moved east and then to the island of Bali and the neighboring small islands, thus starting Balinese Hinduism.Bali became the only part of Indonesia to remain predominantly Hindu.
Who brought Islam in Indonesia?
The 15th century Muslim Chinese admiral, Cheng Ho, is often credited for helping spread Islam in the Indonesian island of Java.
Who is the God of Indonesia?
Sunda. According to Sunda Wiwitan beliefs of the Sundanese, a supreme god named Sang Hyang Kersa created the universe and also other gods such as Mother Goddess Batari Sunan Ambu and Batara Guru (identified as Shiva after the adoption of Hinduism). Many other gods were adopted from Hindu gods such as Indra and Vishnu.
Is Indonesia is Islamic country?
Indonesia contains the largest Muslim population of all countries in the world.But despite this Muslim majority, the country does not constitute a Muslim or Islamic country based on Islamic law. Instead, Indonesia is a secular democratic country, but with very strong Islamic influences.
What religion is most Indonesian?
Share of population Indonesia 2010 by religion
According to population census data in 2010, 87 percent of Indonesians declared themselves to be Muslim, followed by 9.87 percent who were Christian. Indonesia has the largest Islamic population in the world and for this reason is often recognized as a Muslim nation.
Who created God?
We ask, “If all things have a creator, then who created God?” Actually, only created things have a creator, so it’s improper to lump God with his creation. God has revealed himself to us in the Bible as having always existed. Atheists counter that there is no reason to assume the universe was created.
What was African religion before Christianity?
Polytheism was widespreaded in most of ancient African and other regions of the world, before the introduction of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. An exception was the short-lived monotheistic religion created by Pharaoh Akhenaten, who made it mandatory to pray to his personal god Aton (see Atenism).
What was the religion before Christianity?
Sometimes called the official religion of ancient Persia, Zoroastrianism is one of the world’s oldest surviving religions, with teachings older than Buddhism, older than Judaism, and far older than Christianity or Islam. Zoroastrianism is thought to have arisen “in the late second millennium B.C.E.
Who brought Catholicism to Indonesia?
the Portuguese
Catholicism in Indonesia began with the arrival of the Portuguese in search of the Spice Islands in the 16th century. Currently, East Nusa Tenggara is the only province in Indonesia where Catholicism is the majority, around 55% of its population.
Who first inhabited Indonesia?
Austronesian people, who form the majority of the modern population, are thought to have originally been from Taiwan and arrived in Indonesia around 2000 BCE. From the 7th century CE, the powerful Srivijaya naval kingdom flourished bringing Hindu and Buddhist influences with it.
Is Thailand a Hindu?
Hinduism is a minority religion in Thailand followed by 0.02% of its population as of 2018. Despite being a Buddhist majority nation, Thailand has a very strong Hindu influence. The popular Thai epic Ramakien is based on the Buddhist Dasaratha Jataka, is a Thai variant of the Hindu epic Ramayana.
Can Balinese eat pork?
Bali’s classic pork dish, babi guling, is an odd find in a country that has the largest Muslim majority population in the world.
What religion is Jakarta?
Religion in Indonesia
| Percentage share (of total population) | Absolute numbers (in millions) | |
|---|---|---|
| Muslim | 87.2 | 207.2 |
| Protestant | 6.9 | 16.5 |
| Catholic | 2.9 | 6.9 |
| Hindu | 1.7 | 4.0 |
