Short answers, pulled from the story.
The concept of dharma originated before 3000 BCE with roots stretching back to the Indus Valley civilization. This ancient tradition predates the written word itself and serves as the foundation for what is now known as Hinduism.
The six major orthodox schools of thought during the Gupta period are Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mimamsa, and Vedanta. These schools emerged between the 6th century BCE and the post-medieval period to offer distinct paths to understanding reality through logic, atomism, dualism, ritual, and metaphysics.
Buddhism was founded by Gautama Buddha between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. This tradition focuses on the Four Noble Truths and the concept of anatta while developing complex phenomenological psychologies known as Abhidharma.
The key texts of Daoism are the Dao De Jing attributed to Laozi and the Nan Hua Jing attributed to Zhuangzi. These works explore the deep nature of the Tao and the concept of nothingness while emphasizing harmony with the Way and effortless action.
The 19th and 20th centuries transformed Eastern philosophy through movements like the Brahmo Samaj in India and the May Fourth Movement in China. Thinkers such as Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Vivekananda, and Mao Zedong sought to reconcile traditional values with Western ideas and modernization.
The category of Eastern philosophy is considered a product of 19th-century Western scholarship because there is no single unified philosophical tradition in Asia. Instead, the term describes various autonomous traditions that have come into contact with each other and with Western thought over time.