Two old faiths : $b essays on the religions of the Hindus and the Mohammedans

"Two Old Faiths: Essays on the Religions of the Hindus and the Mohammedans" by J. Murray Mitchell and Sir William Muir is a study from the 1800's analyzing Hinduism and Islam. The authors compare these religions' history, beliefs, and principles and relate them to Christianity. It starts with Hinduism to explain its ancient beginnings and how its beliefs changed over long periods using the Vedas as a source. The first section discusses the complicated different layers of religious ideas developed over time and why understanding Hinduism is important for understanding its cultural and historical impact. The authors stress that the best way to study or learn about Hinduism is through a timeline, from start to finish, discussing the earlier concepts of Hinduism to the more complex concepts. The text gets the reader ready to learn about the history and philosophical views of Hinduism and introduces how those themes will be also used to analyze Islam later in the book.