New social values and beliefs can also produce social change. Conflict between the old and new values leads to the creation of a completely new value system. For example, during the Mughal rule in India, the Sufis started writing in Hindi. This led to the development of Hindi literature. Urdu also grew as a hybrid of Hindi and Persian. Arabic words also crept into this new language. Akbar, one of the most powerful Mughal emperors propagated the concept of a state religion called Din-i-Illahi-a synthesis of Hinduism and Islam. Besides this, Hindu and Muslim kings both recognised literary and artistic abilities in individuals from both the communities. The teachings of Islam greatly influenced Kabir and Nanak.

Sociologists have considered the role of cultural factors in bringing about social change. On the one hand, they consider the inter-relationship between religions and social structure as one aspect of culture; on the other hand, they analyse the moral code of various religions and their impact on the character of its economic system.

One of the conclusions is that the moral code of Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam did not create the necessary wisdom and understanding that was required for the development of capitalism. Cultures associated with these religions were more concerned with the otherworldly pursuits. Therefore, they did not lay emphasis on economic development and material achievements.

As opposed to this, the moral code of Protestantism emphasised the "this-worldly" aspect, i.e. the individuals should work hard, accumulate wealth, invest, value their time and be focussed on achievement-oriented goals while living in this world. These cultural values present in the Protestant ethics led to a spirit of capitalism in Western Europe. Thus, we see a correlation between our religious beliefs and their influence on the structure of our institutions.