Outcome of the interactions between islam and south asian religions in the period 1450–1750.

            Different cultures face each other when different groups of people encounter each other. Religion is no exception; religion is actually one of the most outstanding parts when describing the culture of a society, as it usually has enormous power of unifying members, and consequently is defining a society. Synchretic religions are basically fusion of several religions that usually occur on the frontier of religious belts. Thus, it is worth taking notes of them when studying the history of cultural contact. Fundamentally, this is the background of curiosity which led to study this topic.
            To briefly introduce the contents and aim of this paper, readers should be able to find answers for these questions; what kinds of religious synchretism was notable of this era, how is the process of those synchretism is like, what are their characteristics when categorized under certain criteria, and what the synchretic religions with similar characters have in common.

II. Definition & Scope of Study

II.1 Definition

II.1.1 Religion
            Religion is an abstract term which is difficult to define. Thus, rather than putting too much effort to define it clearly, a generally acceptable definition, which can also satisfy animistic and traditional beliefs, also big components of synchretism, is borrowed from Oxford Dictionaries.

            "Religion is a set of belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods, generally accepted in certain society." (1)

II.1.2 Religious Synchretism
            One most obvious and definite key word of this paper is "synchretism". Encyclopediae and dictionaries showed difference in the definition of this word.

New Dictionary of the History of Ideas
            "Syncretism is the process whereby two or more independent cultural systems conjoin to form a new distinct system, especially in the history of religion." (2)

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions
            "Syncretism is the amalgamation of religious beliefs and practices in such a way that the original features of the religions in question become obscured." (3)

A Dictionary of Sociology
            "Syncretism refers to the worship of one god using the form or tradition of another god." (4)

Encyclopaedia Britannica
            "Religious syncretism is the fusion of diverse religious beliefs and practices." (5)

            All the sources basically agree on the point that synchretism, in religious context, is a phenomenon of amalgamation, where aspects of several religions are combined to form a new religion.
            However, each definition has to be modified to clearly indicate religious synchretism. The mistake of The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions is that the original features of mother religions do not necessarily need to be obscured. Actually, it is a very rare occasion that aspects of original religions are obscured; though doctrines may have been substantially changed through hybridization, rituals are hardly replaced perfectly if not in case of artificial synchretism. The problem of the definition from A Dictionary of Sociology is excessive specification. This statement is not general enough to represent the topic. In specific, this is observed from cases of imperfect synchretism (6), where two religions are rarely interwoven and characteristics of two mother religions are chosen to be combined without modification. However, in cases of perfect synchretism (6a), the religious aspects are well mingled and even the deities are confused, or identicated (like Hera, initially a monodea of certain Greek region, was identificated with the wife goddess of absolute God Zeus after the region being conquered by the Zeus-believers (6b)). On the other hand, the definition of Encyclopedia Britannica is not specified in one rather insignificant point. This definition does not show the necessity of the 'diverse religions' being independent. One counterexample is the Calixtus movement (7). Though the movement itself has synchretic characteristics, it is an attempt to unify several protestant churches, which are mutually related. Rather than visioning it as religious synchretism, this paper determines it as a modification movement inside one religion (and thus did not include this event in scope despite its relevance of period.)
            These judgments lead to the conclusion that this paper apprises the definition from New Dictionary of the History of Ideas the most, and restates the definition in accordance with it : "Religious Synchretism is the phenomenon which ideas of two or more independent religions are combined to form a new distinct form of religion."

II.2 Scope of Study

II.2.1 Horal Scope
            The period of interest is 1450-1750, widely identified as the Age of Discovery or the Age of Great Navigations. This period is characterized for a widened range of commercial, biological, and cultural exchange. Virtually all the big continents (except for the Arctic) got in touch to each other and got to actively interact in this era, as the result of numerous explorations. Highly expected result of heterogeneous interactions is cultural amalgamation, if not expulsion. Thus, this paper aims on visioning cultural exchanges, which is one most important characteristics of 1450-1750, strictly, religious exchange.

II.2.2 Spatial Scope
            As the title indicates, this paper is supposed to cast glance at synchrestic religious phenomena in all part of the world. However, under the primary criteria of regional analysis, virtually only three fragmented areas out of six big continents are under the scope of study, while religions have been colliding and consequently producing synchretism everywhere ever since human beings invented religions. However, it was an inevitable choice to selectively pick up some regions. As this paper tries to find the most significant driving force of this 'world coincidental religious phenomenon' ((7a) ?) from the encounter of heterogeneous cultures following the Age of Discoveries, the viewpoint was concentrated on the results of encounters along the path of navigation. Thus, less influential non-navigational synchretic religions were exempted from the scope, with exception of significant ones (8).

III. Method of Study
            To achieve the goal, in this paper practice a three step method. First, collect general information on religions of interest with special concern to their progress of synchretism. As a part of this task, remarkable events (only the ones which relate to synchretism) are recorded in form of narrative and timeline if needed, under the personal selection preventing it from being either a biography of the religious leader or an illogical missionary writing. Second, analyze the information and categorize the religions under certain criteria. A table is used for easy comparison and contrast. Third, lead out the conclusion based on the categorization, as religions of similar characteristics tend to have similar reason, similar impact on society, and so on. As continuously mentioning, this paper also focuses on the coincidence of advent of all these fusion religions. Thus finding a common driving force and common features of majority of them is one of the biggest goals of this paper.

IV. History of Religious Synchretism by Region

IV.1 South Asia

IV.1.1 Din-i-llahi
            Din-i-Ilahi is an artificial religion, which was created by Mughal Emperor Akbar (widely known as Akbar the Great), under the purpose of creating the religion of 'highest quality' by picking out and combining recommendable doctrines of all accessible religions.

IV.1.1.1 Synchretic History of Din-i-Ilahi & Timeline

How did Islam affect South and Southeast Asia?

How did religion Impact South Asia?

How did Islam change as it spread to Southeast Asia?

How did the beliefs and culture of Islam spread through the islands of Southeast Asia?