1st Edition

Archaeology of Religion in South Asia Buddhist, Brahmanical and Jaina Religious Centres in Bihar and Bengal, c. AD 600–1200

By Birendra Nath Prasad Copyright 2021
    770 Pages 16 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    In the religious landscape of early medieval (c. AD 600-1200) Bihar and Bengal, poly-religiosity was generally the norm than an exception, which entailed the evolution of complex patterns of inter-religious equations. Buddhism, Brahmanism and Jainism not only coexisted but also competed for social patronage, forcing them to enter into complex interactions with social institutions and processes. Through an analysis of the published archaeological data, this work explores some aspects of the social history of Buddhist, Brahmanical and Jaina temples and shrines, and Buddhist stūpas and monasteries in early medieval Bihar and Bengal. This archaeological history of religions questions many ‘established’ textual reconstructions, and enriches our understanding of the complex issue of the decline of Buddhism in this area.

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    1. Introduction 2. Geographical Background 3. Distribution Pattern and Spatial Contexts of Support Systems of Buddhist, Brahmanical and Jaina Religious Centres in Early Medieval Bihar 4. Distribution Pattern and Spatial Contexts of Support Systems of Buddhist, Brahmanical and Jaina Religious Centres in Early Medieval Bengal 5. Social Bases of Patronage to Buddhist, Brahmanical  and Jaina Religious Centres: A Study of Dedicatory Inscriptions on Sculptures 6. Evolution of the Patronage Base of Buddhist  and Brahmanical Religious Centres: A Study of  Inscriptions on Copper Plates, Stone, Terracotta  Seals and Sealings, and Metal Vases 7. Some Aspects of the Archaeology of Some Excavated Buddhist Sites of Early Medieval Bihar and Bengal 8. Concluison

    Biography

    Birendra Nath Prasad is Assistant Professor at the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.