1 - Changing Patterns of Sangha-State Relations in Ancient India

The paper seeks to examine the patterns of interaction between the Buddhist sangha and the state in ancient India and how that shaped the Buddhist communities and knowledge production at large. As a gathering of wandering ascetics, the early sangha maintained a respectful distance from political corridors. The founder attracted the attention of monarchs, but Buddha limited himself to the role of a friendly counsel. But as the sangha grew both in numbers and resources, it sought protection. At this juncture, the Maurya king Ashoka was in search of ways to unify the diverse populace of his large kingdom. Thus, a period of strong engagement between the state and the sangha emerged. After the Mauryas, there was a slight eclipse in the sangha-state relationship due to the Brahminical reaction of the Sungas but it was counterbalanced by the keen interest of Indo-Greeks and Kushanas in Buddhism. The revival of Brahminical orthodoxy during the Gupta period weakened both political and social support to the sangha until the policies of Harshavardhana brought Buddhism back to the political centrestage. The changing relations with royal dispensations shifted the focus of the sangha from an emphasis on monastic rules and social ethics to that of philosophical debates and competing ideologies.   

Co-Author 1
Dr Radha Krishna Baror, University of Rajasthan