can any one please tell me what are the causes that led to the formation of jainism a

can any one please tell me what are the causes that led to the formation of jainism and buddhism?

They were started essentially as a movement for reformation of the Vedic religion. Vedic religion at some time became too steeped in ritualism involving the brutal killing of animals for sacrifice in the Agna's. These movements started as a reaction to these violence for the appeasement of God. Hence, both these religions emphasis ed on compassion and non-killing to the extreme. The Hindu religion however absorbed the elements of non-violence and ahems from these religions and they were reduced to irrelevance in this country over a period of time.

Mahavira and Siddharta Gautama were very pampered men who decided to give it all up for spiritual fulfillment.

They lived during the Axial age, the era when most major religions took form (around 400BC). Towns were rising, populations were moving from the countryside, and there was a thirst for spiritual fulfillment in a world that made no sense.

Brahmanism didn't make as much sense to people as it used to, as animal sacrifices and ceremonies weren't as effective as when life was simpler in the countryside. There were all kinds of ascetics during that time trying to find a method that ended suffering and brought happiness. Mahavira and Buddha did their own searching and came up with their own methods. They simply managed to attract the most followers, and King Asoka's adoption of Buddhism meant Buddhism became a major religion through Asoka's power.

A Hindu told me there really isn't much in Jainism or Buddhism that isn't already in Hinduism.... they're just one of the many roads that constitute Hinduism, which is why Hinduism stayed but the other two died out in India.

There were great Hindu Seers who were side-tracked by peddlers of religion who made a lot of money and what not { as it is happening today } and religion became a handy instrument to mislead vast multitudes of people. { as it is happening today.}

Thinkers who loved people and society had to do something, and the resultant revolt led to the birth of Jainism and Buddhism.

he res a link to the second part of your question .
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/5minbud.htm

Often Hindutva bigots claim that Jainism and Buddhism are offshoots of Hinduism?..This is the biggest false hood. Jainism and Buddhism arose from the ancient Sramana tradition that had links with Indus Valley Civilisation. Sramanas were Prue-aryan and Prue-vedic renounce who propounded the doctrines of ? Karma, Jnana, Samsara, Moksa and Ahimsa as against the barbaric animal sacrifices of Vedics. Ultimately the ritualistic vedism adopted all the sramana concepts and gave way to the Upanishads.

Following is the testimony of the scholars:-
A.Dr. Vilas Sangave (2001) In : Facets of Jainology: Selected Research Papers on Jain Society, Religion, and Culture . Popular Prakashan: Mumbai ISBN 8171548393
?The jain communities is one of the very ancient communities of India. The existence of the Jain religion can not only be traced to the vedic period but even to the Indus valley period of the Indian History. The names of Jain Tirthankars are mentioned in the Vedas and there is evidence to show that the Indus valley people must be worshipping Rishabhdeva the first Tirthankar of the Jains along with the other deities. Thus Hoary antiquity is a special feature of the Jain community and it is pertinent to note that this feature is not present in other religious minorities in India.?

B.Mary Pat Fisher (1997) In : Living Religions: An Encyclopedia of the World's Faiths I.B.Tauris : London ISBN 1860641482
?The extreme antiquity of Jainism as a non-vedic, indigenous Indian religion is well documented. Ancient Hindu and Buddhist scriptures refer to Jainism as an existing tradition which began long before Mahavira.? Page 115

C.Joel Diederik Beversluis (2000) In: Sourcebook of the World's Religions: An Interfaith Guide to Religion and Spirituality, New World Library : Novato, CA ISBN 1577311213
Originating on the Indian sub-continent, Jainism is one of the oldest religion of its homeland and indeed the world having pre-historic origins before 3000 BCE, and before the propagation of Indo-Aryan culture?.Page 81

D.Dr. P.S. Jaini, (1979), The Jaina Path to Purification, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, p. 169
Jainas themselves have no memory of a time when they fell within the Vedic fold. Any theory that attempts to link the two traditions, moreover fails to appreciate rather unique and very non-vedic character of Jaina cosmology, soul theory, karmic doctrine and atheism.

E.Y. Masih (2000) In : A Comparative Study of Religions, Motilal Banarsidass Publ : Delhi, ISBN 8120808150
. ?There is no evidence to show that Jainsim and Buddhism ever subscribed to vedic sacrifices, vedic deities or caste. They are parallel or native religions of India and have contributed to much to the growth of even classical Hinduism of the present times.? Page 18
?We know only this much that the doctrine of karma-samsara-jnana-mukti is first seen in the clearest form in the shramanic tradition. It is now even accepted by orthodox bhramins. This doctrine is not clearly spelled out in Rgvedas and not even in the oldest parts of Upanishads called chandogya and Brhadaranyaka.? Page 149

F.Dr. A. N. Upadhye , A Cultural History of India, Clarendon Press, Oxford
"The origins of Jainism go back to the pre-historic times. They are to be sought in the fertile valley of Ganga, where they flourished in the past, even before the advent of Aryans with their priestly religion, a society of recluses who laid much stress on individual exertion, on practice of a code of morality and devotion to austerities, as means of attaining religious Summum Bonum." , P. 100

G.Robert J. Zydenbos
In the view of so many basic differences between the two traditions, [Jain and Vedic] it is amazing that there are still people who speak of Jainism as a ?heterodox sect of Hinduism? An Impartial study of the literary evidence, both Jaina and Brahamanical, leads to a conclusion that the latter offshoots of the vedic traditions (like Hinduism) have borrowed a lot from Jainism : the theory of karma and re-birth, the vegetarianism of the higher Hindu castes, perhaps also temple worship. Page 59