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Buddhism in Kamarupa

By Maheswar Neog

Vol. 27 · No. 2June - 1951pp. 144–150English

Summary

This survey evaluates the presence of Buddhism in ancient Kamarupa (Assam) through inscriptions, archaeology and literature. Copper‑plate grants of Kamarupa kings use terms like ‘dharma’ and ‘tathagata’, but these words may denote Hindu as well as Buddhist concepts. Archaeological evidence is scant: only a few Buddhist images and stupas have been found, often imported from Bihar and incorporating Saivite motifs. The Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang reported that there were no monasteries in Kamarupa and that Buddhists practised secretly. Later Tantric texts, such as the Kalika Purana and Yogini‑tantras, list Kamarupa and the goddess Kamakhya as Vajrayana pithas, but these references reflect medieval Tantric syncretism rather than early Buddhism. The article concludes that Buddhism never had a strong foothold in Kamarupa; the region remained predominantly Brahmanical, with limited Buddhist influence and later Tantric amalgamations.

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Conclusion

On the basis of epigraphic, archaeological and textual data, the article concludes that Buddhism was never widespread in Kamarupa. The few Buddhist images and Tantric references are late and syncretic, while Hiuen Tsang’s testimony of an absence of monasteries underscores Buddhism’s marginal status. Kamarupa’s religious life was dominated by Brahmanical and Sakta traditions.

Key passages

Chosen by AI from the article's text. Each one is checked word for word against the text before it is shown.

  • “In the Nidhanpur grant of Bhiskaravarman, king of Kimariipa of the seventh century A.D. (verse 3) occurs the word dharma and 10 the Gauhati grant of Indrapila of the eleventh century A.D. 15 the descrip- tion of a spot tathagatakaritidityabbatiirakasatksiasanabbavisa, “1૯ Bhavisa with the still existing charter of holy Aditya (or Sun God) made by Tathagata” (as rendered by Dr. Hoernle).”
  • “Hiuen Tsiang who visited Kamariipa in the first ha'f of the seventh century remarks that there was no Buddhist monastery in the land, and that “‘whatever Buddhists there were 10 it performed their acts of devotion secretly’” (Watters, On Yuan Chwang, ૪૦. મ, p.186).”
  • “The later and degenerate form of Buddhism called ટે or Tantric Buddhism, “a queer mixturc of monistic philosophy, magic and crotics, with ત small admixture of Buddhist ideas” (Winternitz, History of Indian Literature, vol. 11, p. 388), 15 considered by scholars to have origi- nated in the seventh century A.D.”

Works cited in this article

  1. Mabamabopadhyaya Prof. D. V. Poddar Commemoration Volume, 1950, p. 26
  2. Watters, On Yuan Chwang, ૪૦. મ, p.186
  3. Indian Historical Quarterly, vol. XXVI,- Dec., 1950, p- 333
  4. Ep. Ind., XX, pp. 22-23, Second Apsidal Temple, Insc. F.
  5. Dr. N. Ray, Theravada Buddbism in Burma, pp. 14-15

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In this issue

Vol. 27 · No. 2
103–108The Manicapuri CaveThillaisthanam Natarajan Ramachandran109–118The Sraddhasagara of Kulluka BhattaDinesh Chandra Bhattacharya119–128LankaSashi Bhusan Chaudhuri129–137The Arthasastra Material in the RaghuvamsaDasharatha Sharma138–143Srimad Bhagavata—Place of its OriginJitendra Nath Banerjee144–150Buddhism in KamarupaMaheswar NeogCurrent article151–160The Antiquities of BiharsarifAdris Banerji161–165A Note on the Genealogy of the AngriasUpendra Nath Sarkar166–169A Note on the Chronology of the SailodbhavasDineshchandra Sircar170–173The Arya‑Manjusri Mula‑Kalpa on Candragupta IKailash Chandra Ojha174–176The Spread of the Saka Era in South IndiaDineshchandra Sircar177–182Select Contents of Oriental Journals

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