During all the period from 800 to 500 before Christ, the need of making peace offerings to the gods was insisted upon by certain sects. According to the creed of one popular sect, for example, if one should slay a hundred horses in sacrifice, he would be worthy of being exalted to the rank of a powerful god. Thousands of animals, principally horses, cows, pigs, and the like, were slain every day at this time. The whole land was filled with blood. Then came the reaction, a new sect arose, who, disgusted and wearied of sacrifices and sacrificing priests, declared all sacrifices as unnecessary and displeasing to the gods. The followers of Kali, the goddess of blood, and especially the Thugs, who came into prominence later on and who are described in connection with the worship of Kali, of course opposed this idea. Yet they were unsuccessful, their rival sect rapidly gained the popular favor, and, except at Kali’s altars, sacrifices almost disappeared. The great reformer, Buddha, the “Light of Asia,” gave great assistance to this doctrine. He taught, about the seventh century before Christ, that it was the duty of man to preserve life, and not to destroy it. The teaching that the souls of men after death passed into the bodies of animals also aided in this. Buddha’s teachings gained almost universal acceptance in India for a time; it looked as though it would root out Hinduism. But gradually the Hindu priests brought Buddhism back unto itself again. The priests declared that Gautama, the Buddha, was an incarnation of the god Vishnu, and by this concession won their way to the hearts of the people. Each of the gods had their own followers, and, as may be imagined, the sect that worshiped Vishnu received many new adherents. After this, Hinduism rapidly descended to its darkest, deepest degradation. Priestcraft was extended, rites were multiplied, and superstitious customs increased. For long years the people groaned under their heavy burdens, then sought--as, alas! how often they sought, but only to fail--to get back to the high ground of a purer religion. Reformers appeared, and the people gladly and quickly gathered around these reformers, thus forming new sects. To set forth the whole history of these sects would require volume after volume. In a general way, we may say that there are five large sects: the followers of Siva, of Vishnu, of Sakta, the sun worshipers, and the adherents of Ganesha. We might well add to these, and to the multitude of minor sects into which they are divided, the greatest of modern sects, which is called the Brahmo-Somaj. [Illustration: SCULPTURED IDOLS ON A PILLAR.]