How did the worship of Shiva develop from the earlier Vedic god Rudra?

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The evolution of Shiva from the Vedic god Rudra is a central development in the history of Hinduism.

In the early Vedas, Rudra was a marginal, fearsome deity known as the "Howler." He was often depicted as a divine archer associated with death and disease, though he also possessed a beneficent aspect as a healer. Because of his unpredictable and destructive nature, he was initially excluded from standard Vedic sacrifices, receiving only the polluting remainder to appease his wrath.123

Rudra’s status began to rise during the period of the Brahmanas (900–700 BCE). A significant turning point occurred in the Shvetashvatara Upanishad, one of the first theistic Upanishads, where Rudra was explicitly identified as Shiva and elevated to the position of the supreme deity, described as the creator, preserver, and destroyer of the universe.134

Following this, the rise of devotional movements and religious guilds between the 2nd century BCE and the 2nd century CE facilitated the growth of organized Shaivism, eventually leading to the establishment of sectarian orders like the Pashupata ascetics.54