Buddhism in Kashmir

Last updated

Buddhism in Kashmir
'Buddha and Adorants on Mt. Meru' from Kashmir, c. 700, Norton Simon Museum.JPG
'Buddha and Adorants on Mount Meru' from Kashmir, c. 700, Norton Simon Museum

Buddhism was an important part of the classical Kashmiri culture, as is reflected in the Nilamata Purana and Kalhana's Rajatarangini . Buddhism is generally believed to have become dominant in Kashmir in the time of Emperor Ashoka, although it was widespread there long before his time, enjoying the patronage not only of Buddhist rulers but of Hindu rulers too. From Kashmir, it spread to the neighbouring Ladakh, Tibet and China proper. Accounts of patronage of Buddhism by the rulers of Kashmir are found in the Rajatarangini and also in the accounts of three Chinese visitors to Kashmir during 630-760 AD. [1]

Contents

Origins

Buddhist sources attribute the origin of Buddhism in Kashmir to a monk of Varanasi, Majjhantika, who was also a disciple of Ananda. According to the Ceylonese Chronicle , after the conclusion of the Third Buddhist Council, Ashoka sent missionaries across countries to spread Buddhism. Majjhantika was sent to Kashmir and Gandhara (modern day Afghanistan). The story of Majjhantika is also told in several other Buddhist texts such as the Ashokavadana and Avadanakalpalata . However the Buddhist text Divyavadana states that several monks from Kashmir were invited by Ashoka to Patliputra (present day Patna, Bihar). However Kalhana describes the establishment of some Vihāras during the reign of King Surendra, predecessor of Ashoka. [2]

Surrendra

The first known ruler of Kashmir, Gonanda (mentioned by Kalhana in his Rajatarangini ), was related to Jarasandha, who ruled Magadha during the time of the Kurukshetra war. Surrendra was perhaps the first Buddhist ruler of Kashmir. He erected the first vihāras there. One of these, known as Narendrabhavana, was in the city of Sauraka (Suru, beyond the Zoji La.) The other vihāra was at Saurasa, corresponding to the village Sowur (Soura) on the shore of Anchar Lake to the north of Srinagar.

Mauryan period

Ashoka

Stupa Jayendra Vihar at Ushkur (Huskapur) near Baramulla, during excavations in 1869 Buddhist tope baramula1868.jpg
Stupa Jayendra Vihar at Ushkur (Huṣkapur) near Baramulla, during excavations in 1869

Kalhana's in his 12th century historical chronicle Rajatarangini, mentioned king Ashoka of Kashmir as a devout Buddhist who built many stupas [3] [4] and Shiva temples. [5] The provincial capital Srinagar, which he established, was 'resplendent with prosperity and wealth.' [6]

According to some Buddhist writers including Taranatha, the Buddhist preacher Madhyantika introduced saffron cultivation into Kashmir. Buddhism and Shaivism flourished side by side in Kashmir during Ashoka's time and received the Emperor's patronage in equal measure. Kalhana notes that Ashoka built two Shiva temples at Vijayeshvara (Bijbehara), and ordered several others renovated. In Vitastatra (Vethavutur) and at Shuskaletra (Hukhalitar) he built a number of viharas and stupas.

Ashoka's successors

Buddhism suffered a temporary eclipse during the reign of Ashoka's successors Jalauka and Damodara. Kalhana, asserted that a large number of Buddhist scholars were vanquished in debates with Jalauka's guru Avadhuta, and hence traditional observances were slowly revived. Later, however, Jalauka created a big vihāra, the Krityashramavihara in the vicinity of Varahamula (Baramulla), which still existed as late as the 11th century. The history of Kashmir after Damodara is not certain until the time of the Kushanas.

Kushana period

The Kushana period saw a great resurgence of Buddhism in Kashmir, especially during the reign of Kanishka. The fourth Buddhist Council was held in Kashmir, under the presidency of Katyayaniputra, in Kanishka's time. The south Indian Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna lived in Kashmir during the Kushana period.

Post-Kushana reaction

Enthroned Buddha with inscription, Gilgit Kingdom, circa 600 CE. Enthroned Buddha with inscription, Gilgit Kingdom, circa 600 CE.jpg
Enthroned Buddha with inscription, Gilgit Kingdom, circa 600 CE.

During the reign of Abhimanyu, which in Kalhana's chronicle follows that of Kanishka, Buddhist scholars under the guidance of Nagarjuna defeated the Shaivite clergy in debates, encouraging people to choose Buddhism. However, during the time of Chandradeva, revival of knowledge of the works of Patanjali, like the Mahabhashya which had become rare, led to a resurgence of Shaivism. By the time of Gonanda, the old philosophy was completely revived. Nothing is known about the religious affiliations of Pratapaditya, a scion of the Gupta dynasty, and his successors, except that they are stated to have ruled well, and accorded the fullest liberty of faith.

Buddhism is stated by Kalhana and Hiuen Tsang to have suffered severe setbacks under the Huns, especially under Mihirakula, whom Hiuen Tsang describes as a great persecutor of the Buddhists.

Meghavahana

Upon Mihirakula's death, Kashmir was ruled by Meghavahana, who belonged to the old ruling dynasty of Kashmir. Meghavahana was a staunch Buddhist, who issued a proclamation against killing of all animals at the very time of his coronation, and built numerous stupas.

Xuanzang in Kashmir

Xuanzang arrived in Kashmir taking the route from Tibet and Ladakh. He had a significant influence in spreading Buddhism in Kashmir. When he had first arrived in Kashmir, Buddhism was a widespread religion. He later proceeded to Harsha's empire to learn more about Buddhism.

Buddhist influence in Kashmir

WLA lacma Buddha Shakyamuni or the Jina Buddha Vairochana Kashmir WLA lacma Buddha Shakyamuni or the Jina Buddha Vairochana Kashmir.jpg
WLA lacma Buddha Shakyamuni or the Jina Buddha Vairochana Kashmir

In Kalhana's time, and before, there was apparently no distinction between "Hindus" and Buddhists in Kashmir. Kalhana himself used Buddhist terms and expressions as a Buddhist would.

Nilamata Purana was the text of the worshippers of Nila Naga; Naga worship was common in Kashmir. It mentions the prevalence of Buddhist worship in Kashmir.

Here are some quotes from Nilamat Purana from Kashmir (trans. by Dr. Ved Kumari) (link below). It correctly represents the religious spirit of ancient India.

709-710a. O Brahman, the god Visnu, the lord of the world, shall be (born as) the preceptor of the world, Buddha by name, at the time when the Pusya is joined with the moon, in the month of Vaisaksha, in twenty eighth Kali Age.
710b-12. Listen from as to how his worship should be performed in the bright-half, from that period onwards, in future. The image of Buddha should be bathed (with water rendered holy) with all medicinal herbs, all jewels and all scents, in accordance with the sayings of the Sakyas. The dwellings of the Sakyas (i.e. Viharas) should be whitewashed with care.
713. Here and there, the Caityas - the abodes of the god - should be provided with paintings. The festival, swarming with the actors and the dancers, should be celebrated.
714. The Sakyas should be honoured with Civara (the dress of a Buddhist mendicant), food and books. All this should be done till the advent of Magha.
715. O twice-born, eatable offerings should be made for three days. Worship with flowers, clothes etc. and charity for the poor (should continue for three days).

Kalhana's Rajatarangini mentions that a monumental metallic image of Buddha once stood in Srinagar, which was eventually destroyed by Sikandar Butshikan. A significant number of beautifully crafted Buddhist bronzes have survived.

A Buddhist bhikshu was present in Baramulla in the 13th century. The Kashmiri Pandits still worship the triratna symbol.

After the Islamization of Kashmir by sultans like Sikandar Butshikan, much of Hinduism was gone and a little of Buddhism remained. Fazl writes, "The third time that the writer accompanied His Majesty to the delightful valley of Kashmir, he met a few old men of this persuasion (Buddhism), but saw none among the learned." [8]

Buddhist art

Kashmir was a major center of Buddhist art, and there is evidence of significant influence of Kashmir style on 11-13th century Tibetan art. [9]

While Buddhism is now extinct in the valley of Kashmir, masterpieces of Buddhist art from Kashmir are present in many museums.

Buddhist Scholars of Kashmir

1. Vimalamitra

2. Kumārāyana

3. Kumārajīva

4. Vasumitra (Buddhism)

5. Śaṅkaranandana

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashoka</span> Emperor of India from 268 to 232 BCE

Ashoka, popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third Mauryan Emperor of Magadha in the Indian subcontinent during c. 268 to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, stretching from present-day Afghanistan in the west to present-day Bangladesh in the east, with its capital at Pataliputra. A patron of Buddhism, he is credited with playing an important role in the spread of Buddhism across ancient Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarnath</span> Historical city in Uttar Pradesh, India

Sarnath is a place located 10 kilometres northeast of Varanasi, near the confluence of the Ganges and the Varuna rivers in Uttar Pradesh, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kanishka</span> Kushan emperor (c. 127–150)

Kanishka I, Kanishka or Kanishka the Great was an emperor of the Kushan dynasty, under whose reign the empire reached its zenith. He is famous for his military, political, and spiritual achievements. A descendant of Kujula Kadphises, founder of the Kushan empire, Kanishka came to rule an empire extending from Central Asia and Gandhara to Pataliputra on the Gangetic plain. The main capital of his empire was located at Puruṣapura (Peshawar) in Gandhara, with another major capital at Mathura. Coins of Kanishka were found in Tripuri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Kashmir</span>

The history of Kashmir is intertwined with the history of the broader Indian subcontinent in South Asia with influences from the surrounding regions of Central, and East Asia. Historically, Kashmir referred to only the Kashmir Valley of the western Himalayas. Today, it denotes a larger area that includes the Indian-administered union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the Pakistan-administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Chinese-administered regions of Aksai Chin and the Trans-Karakoram Tract.

Kalhana was the author of Rajatarangini, an account of the history of Kashmir. He wrote the work in Sanskrit between 1148 and 1149. All information regarding his life has to be deduced from his own writing, a major scholar of which is Mark Aurel Stein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lalitaditya Muktapida</span> Maharaja of Kashmir under the Karkota dynasty (r. 724–760 CE)

Lalitaditya alias Muktapida was a Kashmiri monarch belonging to the Karkota dynasty of Kashmir region in the Indian subcontinent. The Tang dynasty chronicles present him as a vassal-ally of the Tangs. Lalitaditya acknowledges himself as vassal and submitted to the Tang Emperor of China in the Tang chronicles. However it's debated whether he was actually a Tang vassal knowing the Tang's history of exaggerations.

Shingara, better known as Sultan Sikandar Shah Miri, also by his sobriquet Sikandar Butshikan was the seventh Sultan of Kashmir and a member of Shah Mir dynasty who ruled from 1389 until his death in 1413.

<i>Rajatarangini</i> Book by Kalhana

Rājataraṅgiṇī is a metrical legendary and historical chronicle of the north-western part of Indian sub-continent, particularly the kings of Kashmir. It was written in Sanskrit by Kashmiri historian Kalhana in the 12th century CE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harsha of Kashmir</span> Maharaja of Kashmir

Harsha, also Harshadeva, was a Hindu king of Kashmir. He was given the epithet "raja-Turushka".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shah Mir dynasty</span> Muslim dynasty of Kashmir (1339-1561)

The Shah Mir dynasty or the House of Shah Mir, was a Kashmiri dynasty that ruled the Kashmir Sultanate in the Indian subcontinent. The dynasty is named after its founder, Shah Mir.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharada Peeth</span> Ruined Kashmiri Hindu temple and ancient centre of learning

Sharada Peeth is a ruined Hindu temple and ancient centre of learning located in the Neelum Valley of Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region. Between the 6th and 12th centuries CE, it was among the most prominent temple universities in the Indian subcontinent. Known in particular for its library, stories recount scholars travelling long distances to access its texts. It played a key role in the development and popularisation of the Sharada script in North India, causing the script to be named after it, and Kashmir to acquire the moniker "Sharada Desh", meaning "country of Sharada".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meghavahana</span> Ancient Kashmiri king

Meghavahana was ruler and founder of second Gonanda dynasty of Kashmir during middle of first millennium CE. Meghavahana was 80th ruler of the Gonanda line of rulers, he was followed by 81st ruler Pravarasena.

The Nilamata Purana, also known as the Kasmira Mahatmya, is an ancient text from Kashmir which contains information on its history, geography, religion, and folklore. It was used by Kalhana as one of sources of his history.

The Karkota dynasty ruled over the Kashmir valley and some northern parts of the Indian subcontinent during 7th and 8th centuries. Their rule saw a period of political expansion, economic prosperity and emergence of Kashmir as a centre of culture and scholarship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jalauka</span> King of Kashmir

Jalauka was, according to the 12th century Kashmiri chronicle, the Rajatarangini, a king of Kashmir, who cleared the valley of oppressing Malechas. Jaluka was reputed to have been an active and vigorous king of Kashmir, who expelled certain intrusive foreigners, and conquered the plains as far as Kannauj. Jalauka was devoted to the worship of the Hindu god Shiva and the Divine Mothers, in whose honour he and his queen, Isana-devi, erected many temples in places which can be identified.Ashoka’s death his mighty empire had fragmented into as many as four or five regional kingdoms each ruled by his sons or grandsons, among them Jalauka in Kashmir, who reversed his father’s policies in favour of Shaivism and led a successful campaign against the Graeco-Bactrians, themselves seeking to take advantage of the power vacuum in north-west India to reclaim Taxila.

The Second Gonanda dynasty, was a Kashmiri Hindu dynasty. According to Kalhana, this dynasty ruled Kashmir just before the Karkotas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gandharan Buddhism</span> Buddhist religion of ancient Gandhara

Gandhāran Buddhism refers to the Buddhist culture of ancient Gandhāra which was a major center of Buddhism in the northwestern Indian subcontinent from the 3rd century BCE to approximately 1200 CE. Ancient Gandhāra corresponds to modern day north Pakistan, mainly the Peshawar valley and Potohar plateau as well as Afghanistan's Jalalabad. The region has yielded the Gandhāran Buddhist texts written in Gāndhārī Prakrit the oldest Buddhist manuscripts yet discovered. Gandhāra was also home to a unique Buddhist artistic and architectural culture which blended elements from Indian, Hellenistic, Roman and Parthian art. Buddhist Gandhāra was also influential as the gateway through which Buddhism spread to Central Asia and China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zeashta Devi Shrine</span> Hindu temple in Jammu and Kashmir, India

Zeashta Devi Shrine or Zeathyar is a Hindu shrine located in Srinagar in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Primarily dedicated to a form of Shakti, Jyeshta/Zeashta Devi, this temple has been held in high reverence by Kashmiri Pandits since ancient times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashoka (Gonandiya)</span> (Gonandiya)

King Ashoka, of the Gonandiya dynasty, was a king of the region of Kashmir according to Kalhana, the 12th century CE historian who wrote the Rajatarangini.

The Indian subcontinent has a long history of education and learning from the era of Indus Valley civilization. Important ancient institutions of learning in ancient India are Takshashila, Kashmir Smast, Nalanda, Valabhi University, Sharada Peeth, Pushpagiri Vihara, Odantapuri University, Vikramashila, Somapura Mahavihara, Bikrampur Vihara, Jagaddala Mahavihara.

References

  1. ↑ Funayama, T., 1994, “Remarks on Religious Predominance in Kashmir: Hindu or Buddhist”, in Y. lkari (ed.), A Study of the Nilamata, Kyoto.
  2. ↑ Warikoo, Kulbhushan (2009). Cultural Heritage of Jammu and Kashmir. Pentagon Press. ISBN   978-81-8274-376-2.
  3. ↑ Sen, Sailendra Nath (1999). Ancient Indian History and Civilization. New Age International. p. 152. ISBN   978-81-224-1198-0.
  4. ↑ Pandit, Ranjit Sitaram (1935). River Of Kings (rajatarangini). p. 17, Note 102.
  5. ↑ Pandit, Ranjit Sitaram (1935), River Of Kings (rajatarangini) (in undetermined language), retrieved 2020-06-30
  6. ↑ Pandit, Ranjit Sitaram (1935). River Of Kings (rajatarangini). p. 17, Note 102.
  7. ↑ "Metropolitan Museum of Art". www.metmuseum.org.
  8. ↑ Kishori Saran Lal (1999). Theory and Practice of Muslim State in India. Aditya Prakashan. p. 110.
  9. ↑ Kashmir and the Tibetan Connection, Pal, Pratapaditya, Marg, Vol. 40 No. 2, March 1987, pp. 57-75
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.