How Jose became 'H'ose : Hose , Hindu, and Biscoff.
How Jose became 'H'ose: In the age of conversions and renames, two news articles, and a few words
The fringe elements within the already extreme BJP, figures like Yogi, want to change the name of the cities. See this article. https://www.ndtv.com/hyderabad-news/hyderabad-municipal-election-yogi-adityanath-leads-grand-roadshow-in-hyderabad-ahead-of-civic-polls-2331495
Before extreme elements make this renaming pitch and greedy and violent thirst for votes, let us look into the history behind the term "Hindutva", also the root word "Hindu". We know that in the US, a person with a name that starts with a 'J' sound may be called an 'H' sound because of the Spanish influence, and Jose may sound like 'H'ose. There is a similar story for the name "Hindu' too.
(Courtesy from http://artstudio.co.za/index.html)
The word Hindu is often misunderstood and misused, and many people have no idea how the term originated. In India, some politicians use Hindu and Hindutva labels with communal overtones to promote or oppose some ideology or party. To the rest of the world, Hindu and Hinduism refer to a set of people belonging to a definite religious system.
The fact is that BOTH the words "Hindu" and "India" have a foreign origin. The word "Hindu" is neither a Sanskrit word nor is this word found in any of India's native dialects and languages. The word "Hindu" does not originate as a religious word, and there is no reference to the word "Hindu" in the ancient Vedic Scriptures.
The Persians used to refer to the Indus river as Sindhu. Indus is a major river that flows partly in India and partly in Pakistan. However, the Persians could not pronounce the letter "S" correctly in their native tongue and mispronounced it as "H." Thus, for the ancient Persians, the word "Sindhu" became "Hindu." The ancient Persian Cuneiform inscriptions and the Zend Avesta refer to "Hindu" as a geographic name rather than a religious name. When the Persian King Darius 1 extended his empire up to the borders of the Indian subcontinent in 517 BC, some people of the Indian subcontinent became part of his empire and army. Thus, the ancient Persians referred to these people as "Hindus" for a very long time. The ancient Greeks and Armenians followed the same pronunciation, and thus, gradually, the name stuck.
The ancient Greeks used to mispronounce the river Sindhu as Indos. When Alexander invaded India, the Macedonian army referred to the river as Indus and the land east of Indus as India. The Greek writers who wrote about Alexander preferred to use the same name. For the Arabs, the land became Al-Hind. The Muslim rulers and travelers who came to India during the medieval period referred to the Indian subcontinent as "Hindustan" and the people who lived there as Hindus.
Thus, if we go by the original definition of the word Hindu, any person living in the land beyond the river Indus is a Hindu. Hinduism is a broad category of faiths or religions practiced by the vast land on another side of the river. Hindu is a secular word, and Hinduism denotes any faith practiced by the people living in the Indian subcontinent.
The proper word for those who follow the Scriptures of The Vedas is "Sanatana Dharma," not "Hinduism," as is commonly used. Similarly, India has Budha Dharma and various other Dharmas(Religions), which had different concepts of God/s, and Adivasis(Tribals) had an altogether different belief system. Within the Sanathan Dharma, the caste system divides Hindus into four main categories - Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and the Shudras. Sanathana dharma excludes the millions from this slavery/hierarchy(caste) system, and they are outcasts not part of "Hindu." Many of these groups hid their heads behind the bushes to save themselves from mutiny, even in recent history.
The dominance of the priestly class, Brahmins, helped the Hindu unity. Also, the religious and political churns of the centuries held them under an umbrella of hierarchy. In that process, many groups lost their Gods and languages. This historical conversion is enormous. Many Puranas, predominantly compiled during the Gupta period (4-5th century CE) and widespread devotion of Kirshna/Ram started much later. People identified themselves as Vaishnav or Shiv faiths rather than Hindu even one or two centuries ago. The conversion towards those main Gods from the various faith groups is enormous. Fortunately or unfortunately, these gods were merged and co-existed, and different sects within the Indian community started accepting the brahminic version of the Gods and incorporated them. In other words, we could say the Hindu religion is a modern religion that took the current shape within the last 2-3 centuries along with the social/political compulsions.
Explained why belgians are protesting against the name change of a beloved biscuit, see this artcle. https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-why-belgians-are-protesting-against-the-name-change-of-a-beloved-biscuit-7072092/
88-year-old biscuit company, a family business grew bigger wants to change its brand name to Biscoff from the 'traditional' term "Speculoos". The advertising experts say that the name being 'Bsicoff' had been created for an American market. Now as part of globalization Biscoff took off and the original name "Speculoos" remained mostly in Belgium and Europe. They have relabelled some of the "Speculoos" from the other European market to Biscoff. Now the CEO going to stop using the term "Speculoos" on its biscuits even within Belgium and go with "Biscoff" as part of a better brand awareness strategy.
The company possibly underestimated the nostalgia that biscuit evokes, many expressed displeasure and called for a boycott of the company. While many in the US still enjoy the Biscoff with no clue of "Speculoos".
During the political, power, religious churns many religions also became the 'Biscoff' and acquired tastes of the masses. Now, Biscoff has created brand awareness and more money towards profit from the original root "Speculoos".
The fringe elements within the already extreme BJP, figures like Yogi, want to change the name of the cities. See this article. https://www.ndtv.com/hyderabad-news/hyderabad-municipal-election-yogi-adityanath-leads-grand-roadshow-in-hyderabad-ahead-of-civic-polls-2331495
Before extreme elements make this renaming pitch and greedy and violent thirst for votes, let us look into the history behind the term "Hindutva", also the root word "Hindu". We know that in the US, a person with a name that starts with a 'J' sound may be called an 'H' sound because of the Spanish influence, and Jose may sound like 'H'ose. There is a similar story for the name "Hindu' too.
(Courtesy from http://artstudio.co.za/index.html)
The word Hindu is often misunderstood and misused, and many people have no idea how the term originated. In India, some politicians use Hindu and Hindutva labels with communal overtones to promote or oppose some ideology or party. To the rest of the world, Hindu and Hinduism refer to a set of people belonging to a definite religious system.
The fact is that BOTH the words "Hindu" and "India" have a foreign origin. The word "Hindu" is neither a Sanskrit word nor is this word found in any of India's native dialects and languages. The word "Hindu" does not originate as a religious word, and there is no reference to the word "Hindu" in the ancient Vedic Scriptures.
The Persians used to refer to the Indus river as Sindhu. Indus is a major river that flows partly in India and partly in Pakistan. However, the Persians could not pronounce the letter "S" correctly in their native tongue and mispronounced it as "H." Thus, for the ancient Persians, the word "Sindhu" became "Hindu." The ancient Persian Cuneiform inscriptions and the Zend Avesta refer to "Hindu" as a geographic name rather than a religious name. When the Persian King Darius 1 extended his empire up to the borders of the Indian subcontinent in 517 BC, some people of the Indian subcontinent became part of his empire and army. Thus, the ancient Persians referred to these people as "Hindus" for a very long time. The ancient Greeks and Armenians followed the same pronunciation, and thus, gradually, the name stuck.
The ancient Greeks used to mispronounce the river Sindhu as Indos. When Alexander invaded India, the Macedonian army referred to the river as Indus and the land east of Indus as India. The Greek writers who wrote about Alexander preferred to use the same name. For the Arabs, the land became Al-Hind. The Muslim rulers and travelers who came to India during the medieval period referred to the Indian subcontinent as "Hindustan" and the people who lived there as Hindus.
Thus, if we go by the original definition of the word Hindu, any person living in the land beyond the river Indus is a Hindu. Hinduism is a broad category of faiths or religions practiced by the vast land on another side of the river. Hindu is a secular word, and Hinduism denotes any faith practiced by the people living in the Indian subcontinent.
The proper word for those who follow the Scriptures of The Vedas is "Sanatana Dharma," not "Hinduism," as is commonly used. Similarly, India has Budha Dharma and various other Dharmas(Religions), which had different concepts of God/s, and Adivasis(Tribals) had an altogether different belief system. Within the Sanathan Dharma, the caste system divides Hindus into four main categories - Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and the Shudras. Sanathana dharma excludes the millions from this slavery/hierarchy(caste) system, and they are outcasts not part of "Hindu." Many of these groups hid their heads behind the bushes to save themselves from mutiny, even in recent history.
The dominance of the priestly class, Brahmins, helped the Hindu unity. Also, the religious and political churns of the centuries held them under an umbrella of hierarchy. In that process, many groups lost their Gods and languages. This historical conversion is enormous. Many Puranas, predominantly compiled during the Gupta period (4-5th century CE) and widespread devotion of Kirshna/Ram started much later. People identified themselves as Vaishnav or Shiv faiths rather than Hindu even one or two centuries ago. The conversion towards those main Gods from the various faith groups is enormous. Fortunately or unfortunately, these gods were merged and co-existed, and different sects within the Indian community started accepting the brahminic version of the Gods and incorporated them. In other words, we could say the Hindu religion is a modern religion that took the current shape within the last 2-3 centuries along with the social/political compulsions.
Explained why belgians are protesting against the name change of a beloved biscuit, see this artcle. https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-why-belgians-are-protesting-against-the-name-change-of-a-beloved-biscuit-7072092/
88-year-old biscuit company, a family business grew bigger wants to change its brand name to Biscoff from the 'traditional' term "Speculoos". The advertising experts say that the name being 'Bsicoff' had been created for an American market. Now as part of globalization Biscoff took off and the original name "Speculoos" remained mostly in Belgium and Europe. They have relabelled some of the "Speculoos" from the other European market to Biscoff. Now the CEO going to stop using the term "Speculoos" on its biscuits even within Belgium and go with "Biscoff" as part of a better brand awareness strategy.
The company possibly underestimated the nostalgia that biscuit evokes, many expressed displeasure and called for a boycott of the company. While many in the US still enjoy the Biscoff with no clue of "Speculoos".
During the political, power, religious churns many religions also became the 'Biscoff' and acquired tastes of the masses. Now, Biscoff has created brand awareness and more money towards profit from the original root "Speculoos".
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