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Abstract
consensus till date on what led to the disappearance of Buddhism from India.
chronological order, we would realize that the whole sequence of events was
initiated by the Buddhist monks when they had abandoned the community visits
and concentrated on their own salvation instead of helping the common people
and oppressed classes to end their sufferings. As the lay devotees were ignored,
Buddhism started losing the general support from the community. Subsequently,
the Brahmins took advantage of this situation and deepened the rift between the
common people and the Buddhist practitioners. They also manipulated the
reviving the existing Brahmanism. This was followed by the revival of Hinduism
Introduction
the land of its origin. Many scholars of Indian history and religion are devoted to
unraveling this enigma. Due to the lack of historical and archeological evidence,
the debate continues for centuries and there is no absolute consensus on this
matter till date.1 Two factors were generally cited as the main reasons for the
ultimate disappearance of Buddhism from India. The first one was the Vedic
revival, which drove the religion out the country and this was followed by the
invading hordes of the Prophet Mohammed, who razed the temples and
Conflicts of opinions prevail while identifying the probable factors leading to the
disappearance of Buddhism from India during the 12th century A.D. A few
scholars however, cherish the opinion that Buddhism never disappeared as such
from India and subsequently got incorporated into the Hinduism. They believe
another group of scholars who uphold the theory that Buddhism is a restatement
relate any ancient religion in India with Buddhism, it should be the existing
Sakyamuni Buddha during the 6th century B.C., who was a historical personality.
Buddhism came into existence in order to wipe off the existing four-tier caste
system in India laid down by the Aryans. As the status of women was remarkably
women in the society. Sakyamuni Buddha was the first historical personality who
rose against all odds to abolish discrimination and violence against women in the
Though Buddhism had been the dominant religion in much of the Gangetic plains
in the early part of the Christian era, but the Chinese traveler, Ven. Hsuan
Tsang, during his visit to India in the early years of the 7th century, had
had encountered many non-Buddhists. This was not surprising considering the
Shravasti was the capital city of the Lichhavis, a north Indian clan that came to
power around 200 AD and established their capital in Pasupatinath. In a long and
glorious period of reign extending through the early part of the ninth century,
they had endowed a large number of both Hindu and Buddhist monuments and
monasteries. However, during his visit, Ven. Hsuan Tsang witnessed a much
Kushinagar, the small village near Gorakhpur where the Buddha had gone into
Mahaparinibbana, was in a dilapidated state and Ven. Hsuan Tsang found only a
few Buddhists. Though in Varanasi, Ven. Hsuan Tsang found around 3000
Bhikkus or Buddhist monks, but they were outshadowed by more than 10,000
non-Buddhists. Hence, we can conclude that Ven. Hsuan Tsang had arrived in
India at a time when Buddhism was entering into a state of precipitous decline.
But even as Buddhism went into decline, it is remarkable that Nalanda, the great
the Muslim invasions of the second millennium. It was from Nalanda that Ven.
written in a single register of decline as the entire process of decline was gradual
Buddhism had altogether disappeared from India as a formal religion during the
13th century A.D.6 In order to explore the contributing factors for the decline and
sequential and chronological order. These factors could be arranged under the
the schisms within the Buddhist faith; the widening differences between the
clergy, Buddhist monks and laity; and the growing corruption within the sangha.
Buddhists by Brahmins; the defeat of the Buddhists by the great theologian Adi
followed by the Muslim invasions which had the effect of driving into extinction
single day and in any single event. Like the causal web of a disease, it was a
was gradual and lasted for many centuries. So, before we get into the details of
order and observe the interdependency of a previous event leading to the next.
the land of its faith had been focused on Buddhism‟s relations with Hinduism or
Brahmanism. Some scholars believe that Buddhism never got wiped off from
Indian society. On the contrary, it simply changed form and was later absorbed
into Hindu practices. They believe that Buddhism disappeared, not on account of
However, there is enough historical evidence to suggest that the Buddhists were
persecuted by Brahmins who were keen to assert their caste supremacy. The
hostility of the Brahmins was one of the major causes of the decline of Buddhism
in India."1,2,3,5
they were to his message of universal brotherhood and equality. As this directly
challenged their hegemony and the scriptures, the Brahmins had invented to
Buddhists. This was followed by the incorporation of many of the finer aspects of
Buddhism into the system of Hinduism so as to win over their "lower" caste and
newly converted Buddhist masses. However, the Brahmins made sure that these
The final blow of the Brahmins to wipeout Buddhism was to propound and
propagate the myth that the Buddha was merely another incarnation (avatar) of
the Hindu god Vishnu. The historical Buddha was thus turned into just another of
But the hostile attitude of Brahmanism alone could not explain the disappearance
Buddhism was always present right from day one. It was nothing new. If
Buddhism could survive and prosper for more than thousand years in spite of
Brahminical opposition, there was no reason for it to decline over the time. The
caste of Brahmanism which was next to the Brahmins. So, the Brahmins never
had any problem related to caste discrimination while accepting his teachings.
The first five disciples of the Buddha were the Brahmins. Most of the great
suggested that more than any other caste it were the Brahmins themselves who
However, some of the Brahmins did not like the way the outcaste and lower
caste community were rapidly getting converted into Buddhism and gaining
higher status in the society. The importance of the Brahmins in the Indian
This sense of insecurity among some of the Brahmins vitiated their minds with
jealousy which later got transformed into vengeance towards the contemporary
Buddhist followers.
Buddhism did not have any caste discrimination. As Buddhism rose to abolish the
caste system in the existing Brahmanism society, majority of the lower castes
and outcastes were getting converted into Buddhism in order to attain higher
social status. This sent a signal of uncertainty among the Brahmins who were
to dominate and rule the deprived section of the Indian society. This sense of
insecurity soon led to the development of jealousy and hatred in the minds of
the Brahmins who began to assault both physically and mentally and victimize
In recent years this view is championed not only by some Dalit writers, but also
believe that many Muslim monuments of recent era were actually Hindu temples
historians are inclined to the view that Hindu temples were often built on the
The Buddhists, who survived in India after the decline of Buddhism, were finally
absorbed into the Hindu caste system, mainly as Shudras. To lend legitimacy to
against Buddhists. Manu, in his Manusmriti, laid down that, “If a person touches
a Buddhist he shall purify himself by having a bath.” Aparaka ordained the same
in his Smriti. Vradha Harit declared entry into a Buddhist temple as a sin, which
could only be expiated for by taking a ritual bath. Even dramas and other books
for lay people written by Brahmins contained venomous propaganda against the
Buddhists. In the classic work, Mricchakatika, (Act VII), the hero Charudatta, on
inauspicious sight, a Buddhist monk coming towards us." The Brahmin Chanakya,
dedicated to gods and ancestors, then for those who are Sakyas (Buddhists),
Ajivikas, Shudras and exiled persons, a fine of one hundred panas shall be
7
imposed on him."
The Vedic revival during the 8th century A.D. was referred to as the revival of
the Gangetic plains of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. The Hindus of Rajasthan also
participated in this hostile revival activity. After the death of Harshavardhana, the
Rajputs were arising on horizons of North India. The Rajputs belonged to the
lineage from among the remnants of Hunas and other foreign hordes which were
broken down by the activities of kings like Baladitya and the local tibals. The
Rajputs were made prominent by the Brahmins for the specific purpose of
part of the history of India and played a key role in the revival of Hinduism.1,2,3,5
During this time, the popular devotion to the Buddha was sought to be replaced
by devotion to Hindu gods such as Rama and Krishna. The existing version of the
already begun. It was specially meant for the lower caste community (Shudras),
most of whom were Buddhists, in order to attract them away from Buddhism.
However, Brahmanism still prevented the Shudras from having access to the
Vedas. The Mahabharata was possibly rewritten to placate the Buddhist Shudras
some of the humanistic elements of Buddhism to win over the Shudras. Overall,
it played the role of bolstering the Brahminical hegemony. Thus, Krishna, in the
Gita, was made to say that a person should not violate the divinely ordained law
of caste. Eklavya was made to slice off his thumb by Drona, who found it a gross
violation of dharma that a mere tribal boy should excel the Kshatriya Arjun in
archery.7
The various writers of the puranas carried out this systematic campaign of
hatred, slander and calumny against the Buddhists. The Brahannardiya Purana
made it a principal sin for Brahmins to enter the house of a Buddhist even at
times of great peril. The Vishnu Purana alleged that the Buddha as Maha Moha
or the great seducer. It further cautioned against the sin of conversing with
Buddhists and lays. Those who merely talked to Buddhist ascetics should be sent
to hell. In the Gaya Mahatmaya, the concluding section of the Vayu Purana, the
town of Gaya was identified as Gaya Asura, a demon who had attained such
holiness that all those who saw him or touched him went straight to heaven.
The Vayu Purana story went on to add that Yama, the king of hell, grew jealous.
This was possibly because less people were now entering his domains. He
appealed to the gods to limit the powers of Asura Gaya. The gods, led by Vishnu,
were able to restrict his powers by placing a massive stone on the demon‟s head.
This monstrous legend signified the ultimate capture of Buddhism‟s most holy
Kushinagar, also known as Harramba, was one of the most important Buddhist
centres as the Buddha breathed his last there. The Brahmins, envious of the
people from going there. They spread a rumor that if one died in Harramba, he
would go straight to the heaven. This belief got deeply rooted in the minds of
the local community. So, when the Sufi saint Kabir died in 1518 AD at Maghar,
not far from Kushinagar, some of his Hindu followers refused to erect any
memorial in his honor there and instead set it up at Kashi. However, Kabir's
Muslim followers were less superstitious and they set up a tomb for him at
Maghar itself.7
The tendency of Hinduism to absorb rival faiths was evident from the fact that
many elements from other faiths had also gone into the making of Hinduism.
Though the doctrine of „ahimsa‟ or non-violence had originated with the Buddha
and had certainly found its greatest exposition in the Buddha‟s teachings, but by
the second half of the 1st millennium A.D. it had become an integral part of the
Hindu teachings. However, it is still not certain whether the Buddha was
Hinduism was eager to embrace as its own, certain values that Buddhism stood
The simplicity of the Buddha‟s message in emphasizing its stress on equality and
crusade against the bloody and costly sacrifices and ritualism of Brahmanism had
understood the need to appropriate some of these finer aspects of Buddhism and
discarded some of the worst of their own practices so as to be able to win over
the masses back to the Brahminical fold. Imitating the Buddhists in this regard,
the Brahmins, who were once voracious beef-eaters, had turned into
vegetarians.7
Hinduism
The great Brahmin philosopher, Adi Shankaracharya (c. 788-820 AD), took keen
some scholars to have hated Buddhism and engaged the Buddhist monks in
public debates and each time he had emerged triumphant. But this theory was
far from truth for the simple reason that, had he successfully defeated the
Buddhist monks in debates all the time and had no faith in Buddhism, then there
was no logic behind his undertaking the initiative to incorporate the finer aspects
of Buddhist teachings into Hinduism. So, by the time he had invited the Buddhist
He had also realized that all the Buddhist monks with whom he had debated
were not well-versed with the teachings of the Buddha. Due to their ignorance,
they were unable to preach the true meaning of the doctrine of the Buddha in an
effective manner. So, he took the initiative to include the finer aspects of
Buddhism into the core teachings of Hinduism. Under his supervision, the Vedas,
Bhagavad Gita and Puranas were rewritten incorporating these new aspects. The
The finer aspects of Buddhism were later incorporated into the Vedas, Bhagavad
8th century A.D. As a result of this, we do not find any major difference between
the teachings of Buddhism and Hinduism in modern era. Lay people and many
make any distinction between these. We should understand that Hinduism was a
Buddhism paved the way for refining the teachings of Hinduism which came into
remember that the finer aspects of Buddhism had been later incorporated into
Hinduism under the supervision of Adi Shankaracharya during the 8th century
A.D. 1,2,3
During the rule of the Kushanas and the Guptas (325-497 AD), both Buddhists
patronage had shifted from Buddhist to Hindu religious institutions from the
Brahmanism veered off into Vaishnavism and Saivism. This was followed by
some regional kingdoms subsequently developing into the major sites of power.
1,2,3,5
Shashanka, the Shaivite Brahmin king of Bengal was a ferocious oppressor of the
Buddhists. The single original source for all subsequent narratives about
Tsang during his visit to India in early part of the seventh century A.D.
But the exact reasons for his hostile attitude towards Buddhism were not known.
It was believed that the Brahminical revivalists had goaded the Hindu kings like
Shashanka had destroyed the Bodhi tree of Bodh Gaya and ordered the
destruction of all Buddhist images and monasteries in his kingdom. This biased
India.1,2,3,5,6
Shashanka had also murdered the last Buddhist emperor Rajyavardhana, elder
destroyed the Bodhi tree under which the Buddha had attained enlightenment.
He forcibly removed the Buddha's image from the Bodhi Vihara near the tree and
installed one of Shiva in its place. Shashanka is alleged to have slaughtered all
After the rule of Shashanka, the Pala kingdom was established in Bengal. Though
the Palas of Bengal had been hospitable to Vaishnavism and Saivism, but
came under the rule of the Senas (1097-1223), Saivism was promulgated and
Buddhism was neglected. 1,2,3 Another hostile Shaivite king like Shashanka was
Mihirakula who had completely destroyed over 1500 Buddhist shrines. His hostile
action was followed by the Shaivite, Toramana who had destroyed the
however, far more complicated than this. A recent study of the Bengal Puranas
proved that the Buddhists were mocked and projected as mischievous and
Brahmins. The Maha Bodhi Vihara at Bodh Gaya was forcibly converted into a
Shaivite temple.1,2,3,5,6,7
The controversy of the actual ownership of Maha Bodhi Vihara at Bodh Gaya
lingered till it was declared as a “World Heritage” by the UNESCO in recent years.
The cremation stupa of the Buddha at Kushinagar was changed into a Hindu
temple dedicated to the obscure deity with the name of Ramhar Bhavani. Adi
Shankaracharya was alleged to have established his Sringeri Mutth on the site of
7
a Buddhist monastery which he took over by force. At present, many Hindu
shrines in Ayodhya are believed to have once been Buddhist temples earlier. This
is also the case with other famous Brahminical temples such as those at
deny or disrespect the inner truths in the teachings of the Buddha. So, the
sort of a compromise between the Brahmins and the Buddhists on moral and
philosophical grounds. What Buddhism stood for to promote peace and harmony
in the society, had been later incorporated into certain strands of modern
Hinduism in order to make it more refined and acceptable to the society. Thus,
Though the Buddha is now incorporated into modern Hinduism as Lord Vishnu‟s
pantheon, but he should not be regarded as a god of the Hindu religion. It needs
to be emphasized once again that the Buddha was never a mythological figure as
Lord Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma or Rama, but he was a real historical personality.4
disappearance of Buddhism from India as a parable about how a social myth had
order, we would realize that the whole sequence of events was initiated by the
Buddhist monks and clergy when they had ignored the teachings of the Buddha
This had made them over-satisfied and lethargic. They were often engaged in
visits and concentrated on their own salvation instead of helping the common
people and oppressed classes to end their sufferings. As the community was
ignored, the tight bonding between the lay devotees and the Buddhist
This restricted the spread of Buddhism in India and soon Buddhism started losing
the general support from the community. Subsequently, the Brahmins took
advantage of this situation and deepened the rift between the common people
and the Buddhist practitioners that included the monks and clergy. The Brahmins
This was followed by the revival of Hinduism and further decline of Buddhism.
Towards the end stage of the outright massacre of Buddhist followers and
invasion of India. During this time, majority of the surviving Buddhists in India,
who earlier belonged to the lower class Hindus, was forcefully converted into
Islam. Some of them of course, willingly adopted Islam as it did not have any
caste discrimination and was powerful enough to save them from the torture of
2. Jaini, P.S., Narain A.K., ed., 1980. The Disappearance of Buddhism and the
Survival of Jainism: A Study in Contrast. Studies in History of Buddhism.
Delhi: B.R. Publishing Company:181-91.
3. Ahir, D.C. 2005. Buddhism Declined in India: How and Why? Delhi: B.R.
Publishing.
6. Beal, S. 1884. Si-Yu Ki: Buddhist Records of the Western World. London:
Trubner & Co., reprint ed., Delhi: Oriental Books Reprint Corporation.