The  earliest  evidence  for  elements  of  Hinduism  date back to the late Neolithic to the early Harappan period (5500–2600BCE). The beliefs and practices of the pre-classical era (1500–500BCE) are called  the "historical Vedic  religion".  Modern  Hinduism  grew  out  of  the  Vedas, the  oldest  of  which  is  the  Rigveda, dated  to 1700–1100BCE. The Vedas center on worship of deities such as Indra, Varuna and  Agni,  and  on  the  Soma ritual. They performed fire-sacrifices, called Yajna and  chanted  Vedic  mantras  but  did  not  build  temples or icons. The  oldest  Vedic  traditions  exhibit  strong  similarities to Zoroastrianism and with other Indo-European religions. During  the  Epic  and  Puranic  periods,  the  earliest  versions  of   the  epic  poems  Ramayana   and Mahabharata were written roughly from 500–100BCE,  although  these  were  orally  transmitted  for  centuries prior to this period. The epics contain mythological stories about the rulers and  wars  of  ancient  India, and are interspersed with religious and philosophical treatises. The later Puranas recount tales  about  devas  and  devis, their interactions with humans and their battles against demons.

Three major movements underpinned the naisance of a new epoch  of  Hindu  thought:  the  advents and spread of Upanishadic, Jaina, and Buddhist philosophico-religious  thought  throughout  the  broader  Indian  landmass. The Upanishads, Mahavira (24th Tirthankar of Jains) and Buddha (founder of Buddhism) taught that  to achieve moksha or nirvana, one did not have to accept the authority of the Vedas or the caste  system. Buddha  went  a step further and claimed that the existence of a Self/soul or God was unnecessary. Buddhism adapted  elements of Hinduism into their beliefs. Buddhism (or at least Buddhistic Hinduism) peaked during the reign of Asoka  the Great of the Mauryan Empire, who  unified  the  Indian  subcontinent  in  the  3rd  century  BCE. After  200CE, several schools of thought  were  formally  codified  in  Indian  philosophy,  including  Samkhya,  Yoga,  Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Purva-Mimamsa and Vedanta. Charvaka, the founder of  an atheistic  materialist  school, came  to the fore in North India in the sixth century BCE. Between 400BCE  and 1000CE,  Hinduism  expanded  at  the expense of Buddhism.

Though  Islam came to India in the early 7th century with the advent of Arab traders and the conquest of Sindh, it started to become  a  major  religion  during  the  later Muslim conquest in the Indian subcontinent. During this period  Buddhism  declined  rapidly  and   many   Hindus  converted   to   Islam. Some  Muslim  rulers  such  as Aurangzeb destroyed Hindu temples and  persecuted  non-Muslims, while  others, such  as  Akbar, were  more tolerant. Hinduism underwent profound changes in large  part  due  to  the  influence of  the  prominent  teachers Ramanuja, Madhva, and Chaitanya. Followers of the Bhakti movement moved away from the abstract concept of   Brahman,  which  the  philosopher  Adi  Shankara  consolidated  a   few  centuries  before, with  emotional, passionate devotion towards the more accessible avatars, especially Krishna and Rama.

Indology as an academic discipline of studying Indian culture from a European  perspective  was  established  in the 19th century, led by scholars such as Max Müller and John Woodroffe. They  brought  Vedic,  Puranic  and Tantric literature and philosophy to Europe  and  the  United  States. At  the  same  time, societies  such  as  the Brahmo  Samaj  and  the  Theosophical  Society  attempted  to  reconcile  and  fuse  Abrahamic   and  Dharmic philosophies, endeavouring to institute societal reform. This period  saw  the  emergence  of  movements  which, while highly innovative, were rooted in indigenous tradition. They were based on the personalities and  teachings of individuals, as with Shri Ramakrishna and Ramana Maharshi.  Prominent  Hindu  philosophers,  including  Sri Aurobindo and Swami Prabhupada (founder of ISKCON), translated, reformulated  and  presented Hinduism's foundational texts for contemporary audiences in new iterations, attracting followers and attention  in  India  and abroad. Others such as Swami  Vivekananda, Paramahansa  Yogananda,  B.K.S.  Iyengar  and  Swami  Rama have also been instrumental in raising the profiles of Yoga and Vedanta in the West.