2. Historical background of the rise of Buddhism

The sixth century B.C. was a period of unrest in India due to social prejudices, class-pride, so many religious speculations and Brahminical supremacy. society was divided into four distinct classes, viz. Brahmanas, Ksatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras and the Brahmanas reigned supreme in all respects. Although the royal power was in the hands of the Ksatriyas and the entire economy was controlled by the merchant-class, i.e. Vaisyas, still the Brahmanas tried to maintain their supremacy. Moreover, several heretical teachers and

-: 48 :sects, other than the Brahmanas, arose holding different views on the nature of God and the best means of attaining salvation. The prevalent Brahminical system of religion attached more importance to sacrifice and cumbrous ceremonies than to actual acts of piety. The simple worship of the Vedic times had degenerated into a lifeless mechanical system quite insufficient to satisfy the spiritual cravings of the more ardent spirits. The formalities of sacrificial rites as well as their expensiveness proved galling and onerous to many a householder. The cruelty of indiscriminate slaughter of animals for the period began to look eagerly for some better path to the goal of salvation, perfect emancipation from endless sorrow. The Brahmanas, in ministering to the spiritual needs of the people, had practically established a monopoly, which is lent itself to unscrupulous exactions and to the encouragement of the grossest superstition. The ascendency of the Brahmanas and their arrogant classpride were specially galling to the governing classes, the Ksatriyas, and also to the rich merchant class, the Vaisyas. They found themselves ousted from their position of supremacy and so they assumed a hostile attitude to the Brahminical religion which assigned to them a It is a comparatively inferior position in the society. significant fact that the reform movement was led by two

-: 49 :Ksatriyas of the royal family, Mahavira and Gautama, who received moral support from the merchant class. The reform movement was especially active in Magadha, the most developed and prosperous state of the period, and the neighbouring territories and was mainly a reaction against ritualism and animal sacrifice. Some historians, however, are of opinion that the activity of the reform movement in Magadha was due to the fact that the ruling families in Magadha and other Mahajanapadas of the day were not Indo-Aryans but hillmen of the Mongolian type not thoroughly Aryanised. The racial distinction between the Aryan Brahmanas and their semi-Aryanised pupils encouraged the growth of independent views on religion and philosophy. Moreover, these people regarded the Brahmanas as strangers and so resented their claim to the exclusive possession of superior knowledge and means of salvation. During the advent of the Buddha, many religious teachers, called Samana-brahmanas appeared and propagated their views freely among the people. According to Buddha, these teachers preached 62 kinds of philosophical speculations which were summarily rejected by the Buddha, as they would not bring the people peace and emancipation which they longed for. Among those teachers, six were renowned. They were: Purana Kassapa, Makkhali Gosala, Ajita Kesakambali, Pakudha Kaccayana, Sanjaya Belatthiputta and Nigantha Nataputta. They were known as "six heretical teachers".

-: 50 : : Of them, Purana Kassapa held a negative attitude towards morality by denying good and evil and their result. Makkhali Gosala was a fatalist, while Sanjaya Belatthiputta was a sceptic. Ajita Kesakambali was a materialist. Pakudha Kaccayana explained the universe by seven elemental factors and Nigantha Nataputta founded Jainism who believed in the relativity of all things. | It But when Buddha appeared and preached his new doctrine, it was welcome and readily accepted by the people of all classes. Even the highly intellectual Brahmanas accepted his doctrine to be the only means as ever has been preached which leads the genuine follower to the state of perfect peace and emancipation. would not be irrelevant if we mention that out of the 80 great disciples of the Buddhs, including Sariputta and Moggallana, the two chief disciples, the majority of them were Brahmanas. Professor T. Kimura' gives the historical reasons why the Buddha was accepted by all classes of people. They are as follows: 1 1. Buddha did not come from the Brahmana family; he was born in a Ksatriya family, the ruling family of the day. 2. He was born in Kapilavastu, a place where the Aryans could not yet spread their supremacy. 1. The Complete works of Taiken Kimura, Vol. III, Daihorin-kaku, 1943, 1943, p. 58.

-: 51 : 3. 4. 5. He chose the new rising nations, especially Magadha for the preaching of his Dhamma. He followed the Middle Path by avoiding the extremes of self-indulgence and selfmortification which were adopted by many religious teachers. (According to Buddha neither of the extremes could lead one to the state of perfect peace and liberation). Most of his believers were the merchants who were the influential persons in the society.