An Archaeological History of Indian Buddhism

265 Pages·2015·7.71 MB·English

by  Lars Fogelin

An Archaeological History
of Indian Buddhism

An Archaeological History
of Indian Buddhism
w
Lars Fogelin
1
1
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ix
A Note on Transliteration xi
1. Introduction: The Archaeology and History of Indian Buddhism 1
2. The Material of Religion 34
3. From the Buddha to Ashoka: c. 600–200 bce 70
4. The Sangha and the Laity: c. 200 bce–200 ce 104
5. The Beginnings of Mahayana Buddhism, Buddha Images,
and Monastic Isolation: c. 100–600 ce 146
6. Lay Buddhism and Religious Syncretism in the
First Millennium ce 180
7. The Consolidation and Collapse of Monastic Buddhism:
c. 600–1400 ce 202
8. Conclusion 225
Bibliography 235
Index 247
( vii )

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book is the product of almost twenty years of work on ancient Indian
Buddhism. I began studying Buddhist archaeology as a graduate student
at the University of Michigan in 1995. I continued my research while
working at Albion College, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and
the University of Arizona. During this time my research has been greatly
helped by the guidance and insights of my peers, professors, colleagues,
and students. I particularly thank Dr. Carla Sinopoli for her time, advice,
and encouragement. This book synthesizes, modifies, and extends on my
previous publications. This book would not have been possible without the
efforts of the editors and reviewers who have carefully combed through
my previous book and articles, poking holes in my arguments and sug-
gesting new avenues to consider. Small portions of this book were adapted
from previous publications. For the most part, these sections are only few
paragraphs. In some cases, I have adapted a few pages. These sections have
all been modified or amended based upon my current understanding of
Buddhism and the needs of this particular work.
I would like to thank my colleagues and mentors in India. In particu-
lar, Dr. Himanshu P. Ray and Dr. Aloka Parasher-Sen have helped shape
my thinking about ancient India. While conducting research in India,
I received the invaluable assistance of the American Institute of Indian
Studies. Without their efforts to obtain permits and facilitate introduc-
tions, my archaeological research would never have occurred. The research
that informs portions of Chapter 4 of this book was greatly facilitated
by the Andhra Pradesh Department of Archaeology and Museums, par-
ticularly Dr. B. Subrahmanyam and Dr. E. Sivanagi Reddy. I also thank
the many students from Deccan College and Jawaharlal Nehru University
who have worked with me in the field over the years.
In the last two decades, my research has been supported by several
organizations. The greatest assistance has come from the Wenner-Gren
Foundation, who supported my dissertation fieldwork in India (Gr. 6597)
and allowed me to dedicate the 2012–2013 academic year to writing this
( ix )