The nineteenth century gradually brought about a great Hindu renaissance along with the Indian freedom movement that expanded in the early twentieth century. It was not that Hinduism was dead. It continued as a vital spiritual tradition throughout the long period of foreign domination that began with Muslim rule in the thirteenth century. Hindu Dharma continued to produce a remarkable stream of great yogis, sadhus and swamis in all regions of the country, north and south.

New Hindu religious movements arose under such great figures as Tulsidas, Chaitanya, Swami Vidyaranya, Guru Nanak or Swami Narayan. But Hinduism remained contracted in India, struggling to survive. It did not communicate or express itself to the world. As Hindus were a conquered people they sought to placate their hostile rulers at the cost of self- abasement. This occurred on the level of religion as well, with Hindus compromising with hostile beliefs in hopes of better treatment, and many Hindus converting to the religions of the conquerors in hopes of a better material life.