Final answer:
The Aryans utilized Hinduism to solidify their control over the Indian subcontinent by establishing and institutionalizing a rigid caste system, creating a societal hierarchy that benefited the ruling classes and maintained social order.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Aryans used Hinduism to establish control by using Hinduism to establish a caste system and social hierarchy. This system, known as varna, categorized society into different groups based on inherited status. At the top were the Brahmans who had authority over religious matters. Below them were the Kshatriyas, the warrior class, and the Vaishyas, comprising merchants and commoners. This hierarchy remained rigid with laws preventing upward mobility, ensuring that the societal structure based on divine order was maintained. Those at the top benefitted from this configuration, as it guaranteed their continued dominance and control over resources and the lower castes.
The Vedic religion brought by the Aryans evolved into Hinduism, which laid the foundations for this caste system. The Vedas, hymns from the Aryans, played a significant role in establishing this hierarchy. The ethnoreligious stratification ensured a stable control over the diverse and fragmented Indian subcontinent by integrating religion into the governance and social fabric.