The Rise of Buddhism

Buddhism originated in the 5th–6th century BCE in northern India. The holy book of Buddhism has produced a wealth of philosophical and doctrinal literature in various languages and schools. Founded by former prince Siddhartha, who later renounced his family in search of enlightenment, he was called Buddha and his philosophy, Buddhism. Buddhism’s core teachings are that all of life’s sufferings are caused by desires, and to end suffering, desires need to be renounced.

Enlightenment can be achieved by following the Noble Eightfold path (Eight rules that guide the life and morals of the followers to achieve enlightenment). Buddhism believes that all actions bring either rewards or retribution. Although Buddhism is not as widespread in India, where it originated, it has affected the culture of India in several ways. During the 6th century BC, the interlinking between social and political changes evoked the rise of Buddhism.

Political and economic causes for the rise of Buddhism

According to Buddhist sources, during the times of Mahajanapadas, named after a Janas tribe, who were settled in a particular place, but it is debatable about their place of residence since they were annexing areas around them and expanding rapidly, there are 16 Mahajanapadas, namely, Anga, Magadha, Vriji, Mallas, Kasi, Kosala, Vatsa, Kuru, Pancala, Gandhara, Avanti, etc. 

Let us discuss these Mahajanapadas, who were powerful monarchies, or Ganga-sanghas, and powerful kingdoms, or chiefdoms:

• Ganga-Sanghas: The clans of the Ganga Sangha, the heads of the Kshatriya clans, used to govern a territory based on assemblies jointly. Therefore, the Ganga Sangha is a way of controlling society through assemblies aimed at forming an egalitarian society, and the assemblies formed are not hereditary. Some of the important Ganga-sanghas were the Vrijjis, Mallas, and Chedis. A vast difference between these various Ganga-sanghas was that all of them were not open to unorthodox views, unlike some of the kingdoms
• Kingdoms: Unlike the Ganges Sangha, these kingdoms were ruled by hereditary rulers, with kings overpowered and seen as the epitome of the divine. The main power rested with the king, whose decisions were considered final. A king would have several ministers to help him arrange things and advise him on various choices, but in the end, the decision-making power was monopolised by the king

Some of the kingdoms are Magadha, Kosala, Avanti, etc. The kings of these kingdoms were mainly Kshatriyas. 

The different political systems severely influenced the people’s ideology in these regions in the 6th century BC. The emergence and growth of kingdoms started to weaken clan loyalty. This weakened Ganga-sanghas and strengthened the kingdoms. Kings also were portrayed as divine, and therefore, for them, sacrifices grew in importance, and so did for the common masses. The most important of these sacrifices were the ritual sacrifices. Almost all of these sacrifices were carried out by Brahmins. This led to a profitable arrangement between the Brahmins and the Kings, who were Kshatriyas. 

Thus, both monopolised power after taking charge of the highest positions in society. At the same time, the subcontinent was moving slowly towards the period of second urbanisation. Second, urbanisation could not have been possible without the increased surplus that farmers generated, which is closely related to the technological advancements, i.e. use of iron. Iron was extensively used to cut down trees in fertile marshy lands, and thus that land was also brought under cultivation. Increased land under cultivation meant higher production, which generated a surplus. This surplus could have supported a larger population which, as a result, led to an increase in population. 

People started to specialise, and there was a need for trade that would ensure non-agriculturists a regular supply of food. Thus, people became increasingly dependent on the trade of goods and services, which increased the importance of Vaishyas, a trading community. All these factors capture the political and economic changes that were taking place in the 6th Century BC. 

But, why did an entirely new religion become popular amongst the masses, especially the lower caste groups? The answer to this question is in the question itself. The caste system was one of the critical factors that made Buddhism look better to people.

The monastic system

The Buddha spread his message in a simple Prakrit language which was the spoken language of India. The Buddhists followed a system in which Buddhist monks followed a standard code of discipline, followed a common leader, and lived together in monasteries; the monks selected the monastery leader. Gradually, this monastic system was adopted into Hinduism with time and influence.

Respect for nature

Buddhist teachings emphasise non-violence and the sanctity of nature and animal life and its protection. It popularised the creed of Ahimsa Paramo Dharma.

Conclusion

 The social and economic context is responsible for the rise of Buddhism. We also discussed the monastic system and have seen how Buddhists respect nature. Their teachings emphasise non-violence, the sanctity of nature and animal life and its protection. We further focused on the context within which Buddhism arose. Buddhism gave India many things. It influenced the society away from social hierarchy and towards equality; it opened its doors to women and Shudras and challenged the orthodox philosophy of that era.