Influx of traders and refugees from the West carrying the Christian and Islamic faith along with their preachers and armies attracted some attention of some illiterate people and those in the periphery of the social structure, while the invading armies destroyed all the symbols of the local faiths. Onslaught of Judeo-Christian culture was well countered by the revival of devotional Bhakthi Yoga and Visishta-adhvaitha theory of Sri Ramanuja which modified the principles of Non-dualism. Turkish invasion, Persian influx, Zoroastrian refugees and Moghul rule bringing the Islamic and Parsi beliefs lead to the appearance of Sri Madhva and other leaders with Dhvaitha philosophy of Dualism and later by Sufiism, Kabir Panthis and Sikhism. Thus, the onslaught of varying faiths that often came with political power, occasionally by large influx of refugees and preachers could not make any inroads in Hindu religious thoughts due to its flexibility.

There were divisions of followers of Siva, Vishnu and Sakthi and those who followed the rituals of Veda as the ultimate in the practice of Hinduism. There was fight among these groups along these lines. There was also division of the community horizontally through a caste system as a result of these invasions of alien thoughts and struggle for survival. Later with independence struggle against alien rules and a new renaissance, unification of various segments of society has been taking place. During the 400 years of invasion and occupation and later rule by the Islamic kings of Turkey, Persia and Mogul kingdom in many areas all over India, their rule led to a decline of Hindu faith along with destruction of the Temples and also the very fabric of Hindu culture in some areas. Some cultural traditions and the dress and language also got the Islamic influence. Later 200 years of British rule brought the Western influence of the language, tradition and culture.