DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9541#0043
IXTKODUCTIOX.
21
menced in tlie first quarter of the 4th century, and completed about
A.D. 450.1
Between these two monuments there is no great difficulty in filling
up the architectural picture from the caves, at Nassick and Ajunta,
and other places in western India, and more materials will no doubt
eventually be discovered.
The history of this dynasty is more than usually interesting for
our purposes, as it embraces nearly the whole period during which
Buddhism reigned almost supreme in India. It became the state re-
ligion, it is true, two centuries earlier under Asoka, but there is no
reason for believing that the Vedic religion or Brahmanism vanished
immediately. During the first four centuries, however, of the Christian
Era we have not a trace of a Hindu building or cave, and, so far as any
material evidence goes, it seems that Buddhism at the time was the
religion of the land. It cannot, of course, be supposed that the Hindu
faith was wholly obliterated, but it certainly was dormant, and in
abeyance, and, to use a Buddhist expression, the yellow robes shone
over the length and breadth of the land.
It was during the reign of these Andras, though not by them, that
the fourth convocation was held by Kanishka, in the north of India,
and the new doctrine, the Mahayana, introduced by Nagarjuna—
a change similar to that made by Gregory the Great when he
established the Church, as opposed to the primitive forms of Chris-
tianity, at about the same distance of time from the death of the
founder of the religion. My impression is, that this convocation was
held in the last quarter of the 1st century of our era, probably 711.
Certain at least it is, that it was about that time that Buddhism was
first practically introduced into China, Thibet, and Burniab, and
apparently by missionaries sent out from this as they were from the
third convocation.
It was towards the end of the reign of the Andras that Fa Hian
visited India (a.d. 400). As his objects in doing so were entirely of a
religious nature, he dues not allude to worldly politics, nor give us a
king's name we can identify; but the picture we gather from his
narrative is one of peace and prosperity in so far as the country is
concerned, and of supremacy for his religion. Heretics are, it is
true, mentioned occasionally, but they are few and far between.
Buddhism was then certainly the religion of the north, especially in
the north-west of India ; but even then there were symptoms of a
change, in the central provinces and outlying parts of the country.
1 For complete details of these two
monuments and the dates, the reader is
referred to my ' Tree and Serpent
Worship,' which is practically devoted
to a description of tliese two monu-
ments.
21
menced in tlie first quarter of the 4th century, and completed about
A.D. 450.1
Between these two monuments there is no great difficulty in filling
up the architectural picture from the caves, at Nassick and Ajunta,
and other places in western India, and more materials will no doubt
eventually be discovered.
The history of this dynasty is more than usually interesting for
our purposes, as it embraces nearly the whole period during which
Buddhism reigned almost supreme in India. It became the state re-
ligion, it is true, two centuries earlier under Asoka, but there is no
reason for believing that the Vedic religion or Brahmanism vanished
immediately. During the first four centuries, however, of the Christian
Era we have not a trace of a Hindu building or cave, and, so far as any
material evidence goes, it seems that Buddhism at the time was the
religion of the land. It cannot, of course, be supposed that the Hindu
faith was wholly obliterated, but it certainly was dormant, and in
abeyance, and, to use a Buddhist expression, the yellow robes shone
over the length and breadth of the land.
It was during the reign of these Andras, though not by them, that
the fourth convocation was held by Kanishka, in the north of India,
and the new doctrine, the Mahayana, introduced by Nagarjuna—
a change similar to that made by Gregory the Great when he
established the Church, as opposed to the primitive forms of Chris-
tianity, at about the same distance of time from the death of the
founder of the religion. My impression is, that this convocation was
held in the last quarter of the 1st century of our era, probably 711.
Certain at least it is, that it was about that time that Buddhism was
first practically introduced into China, Thibet, and Burniab, and
apparently by missionaries sent out from this as they were from the
third convocation.
It was towards the end of the reign of the Andras that Fa Hian
visited India (a.d. 400). As his objects in doing so were entirely of a
religious nature, he dues not allude to worldly politics, nor give us a
king's name we can identify; but the picture we gather from his
narrative is one of peace and prosperity in so far as the country is
concerned, and of supremacy for his religion. Heretics are, it is
true, mentioned occasionally, but they are few and far between.
Buddhism was then certainly the religion of the north, especially in
the north-west of India ; but even then there were symptoms of a
change, in the central provinces and outlying parts of the country.
1 For complete details of these two
monuments and the dates, the reader is
referred to my ' Tree and Serpent
Worship,' which is practically devoted
to a description of tliese two monu-
ments.