Vedic religion
noun
mass noun
- the ancient religion of the Aryan peoples who entered NW India from Persia c.2000-1200 BC. It was the precursor of Hinduism, and its beliefs and practices are contained in the Vedas吠陀教（古雅利安人信仰的宗教, 印度教的前身; 雅利安人约在公元前2000-1200年从波斯进入印度西北部, 吠陀教的教义与礼仪习惯均包含在《吠陀》中）。
Its characteristics included ritual sacrifice to many gods, especially Indra, Varuna, and Agni; social classes (varnas) that formed the basis of the caste system; and the emergence of the priesthood which dominated orthodox Brahmanism from c.900 BC. Transition to classical Hinduism began in about the 5th century BC.