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It is nearly difficult to present a continuous narrative of Buddhism’s near-extinction in India’s plains. This is mainly due to a scarcity of archaeological evidence and a shocking lack of indigenous writing on the subject. Surprisingly, the issue has remained one of India’s most overlooked themes throughout its history. Apart from the history of Buddhism’s fall in India, other topics related to this decline are critically studied in this book. To understand the background of the Buddhist decline in India, it may be necessary to consider the history of decline in different parts of the Indian subcontinent. However, because of the inadequacy of the primary information, only a basic sketch can be constructed.
Buddhism’s Decline in India’s History
Xuanzang’s assessment of the state of Buddhism in India during the first part of the seventh century is extremely useful in this context. To begin with, given the scarcity of knowledge on the issue, Xuanzang’s account of the state of Buddhism (Sanskrit language origin) in various parts of the Indian subcontinent is rather exceptional in terms of its specificity and impartiality.
The Madhyade
Our literary source material uses the name Madhyade (Pli: Majjhima Desa) as a significant geographical entity. During his time, this region, the Buddha’s karma bhumi, and the cradle of Buddhism included fourteen of the sixteen mahajanapadas (excluding Kamboja and Gandhara). In this context, we will use it to approximately represent the present-day states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, eastern Haryana, northern Madhya Pradesh, northern Chhattisgarh, northeastern Rajasthan, and Nepal’s Terai area.
Bengal, Assam, and Orissa
During the beginning of the fourth century C.E., when urbanisation waned in Orissa and Bengal, at least some Buddhist monasteries must have begun to lose financial support. Xuanzang witnessed fifty deva temples and over one hundred viharas with over ten thousand monks when he visited Ua (Orissa). Another kingdom in the vicinity of Ua was Kalinga (S.W. of Ganjam, Orissa), which had more than ten viharas and over five hundred monks and one hundred deva-temples.
Sindh, Punjab, and the Northwest Sindh
According to an analysis of Islamic and Buddhist literary sources as well as archaeological evidence, Buddhism in Sindh was primarily confined to lower Sindh, with main concentrations in the central Indus delta, west bank of the Indus (the region known as Budhyah at the time of the Arab conquest), and an elongated belt extending along the east bank of the Indus from Mirpur Khas in the southeast to Sirar, just south of Roruka, the capital of Slovakia. Three hundred and fifty of the total four hundred and fifty Buddhist viharas belonged to the Sammatīya sect of the Huayna school, which had the overwhelming bulk of these Buddhists.
Kashmir
The post-Kua era appeared when Buddhism began to fade in Kashmir’s valley. Mihirakula (c. CE 5102542), a vehement anti-Buddhist, is supposed to have persecuted Buddhists and stripped them of any official support. Nonetheless, as in Kalhaa’s Rjataragi, his tactics did not result in the destruction of Buddhism in Kashmir, and we have an almost continual record of monarchs and nobles donating to Buddhist institutions. However, by the time Xuanzang arrived in India, Buddhism had reached its pinnacle in Kashmir, owing to the rise of activism. For example, Xuanzang laments the deterioration of Vajrayana Buddhism in the area of Tokhra in Kashmir, pointing out that in this region of Kashmir, Buddhism is in a bad state.
Western India
Though some urban communities survived until the seventh and eighth centuries in Gujarat, urbanisation in western India began to collapse towards the end of the fourth century C.E. in
several urban towns with Buddhist ties, such as Kumbhavat (Nasik), collapsed in the pre-Gupta period, Mahi–mat (Maheshwar) during the Gupta period, and Ujjain, Jet Uttara (Nagari), Banavasi, and Bharukaccha (Baruch) during the post-Gupta period, according to archaeological and literary evidence.
The role of Hindu Preachers
Harsavardhan pushed the Brahmins out of Kanauj’s religious council. Under Kumarila Bhatta’s leadership, these Brahmins escaped to the Deccan. Brahmanism made a comeback under Bhatta’s leadership. In addition, Adi Sankaracharya revitalised and deepened Hinduism’s origin. During his journey to India, he conquered Buddhist experts in religious debates held in various locations.
Muslim Invasion
The Muslim invasion of India nearly wiped out Buddhism. From 712 A.D. onwards, their invasions of India became more frequent and recurrent. As a result of these invasions, Buddhist monks have sought refuge in Nepal and Tibet. In the end, Vajrayana Buddhism faded out in India, its birthplace.
Loss of Royal Patronage
Buddhism lost its royal patronage over time. After Asoka, Kaniska, and Harsavardhan, no notable kings stepped up to support Buddhism. The growth of any faith is magically aided by royal sponsorship. In the end, the lack of such sponsorship for Buddhism paved the road for its demise.
Invasion of the Hunas
The ‘Huna’ invasion shook Buddhism. Huna chiefs like Toamana and Mihirakula were adamantly opposed to nonviolence. They assassinated Buddhists in India’s northwestern provinces. This terrified the region’s Buddhists, who were forced to either abandon Buddhism or go into hiding. During those times, no one ventured to share the Buddha’s teachings. As a result, Buddhism has become impoverished and feeble.
Reform in Hinduism
Buddhism had delivered severe damage to Brahminical beliefs of Hinduism origin. Hinduism, which was on the verge of extinction, began to reorganise itself. Hinduism’s origin is currently being simplified and made more appealing by abandoning the complicated system of ceremonies and rituals. Hindus eventually embraced the Buddha as a Hinduism origin incarnation and the nonviolence ideal. This aided in the revival of Hinduism origin and its resurgence in popularity. The fragrance of Buddhism’s blossom was taken away due to this. Buddhism’s demise became unavoidable.
Conclusion
Buddhism succumbed to the horrors of Brahmanism, which it had battled against at first. The Buddhist monks were increasingly isolated from the general public’s lives. They abandoned Pali, the people’s language, in favour of Sanskrit, the intellectual’s language. They also practised large-scale idol worship and accepted material donations from believers. Monks’ lives were made sumptuous by the plentiful offerings and lavish royal subsidies. By the seventh century AD, Buddhist monasteries had become hotbeds of corrupt activities that Buddha had outlawed.
