During the Kushana Period

[Full title: Political and Religious History of Orissa (6): During the Kushana Period]

In or around first century CE, the Mahayana form of Buddhism began to gain popularity and predominance in the country. Kaniska the Kushan emperor acted as a period of revivalism of royal patronage to Buddhism. It was under his sway Mahayana Buddhism rapidly spread to the northeastern region of India and also to central and eastern India. The Satavahana were over-powered by the Kushanas, who were Mahayanists. The Kushanas looked upon the Buddha as the living universal Lord savior and started the practice of worshipping him in pantheistic forms. This idea gave birth to various iconographic shapes to Buddha and other Buddhist pantheons. Buddhism experienced an all round development during this phase. The northwest region (Gandhara) witnessed a very high stage of development in a new art form i.e. the Indo–Greek art. It is believed that here for the first time Lord Buddha was represented in iconic form. Contemporary to Gandhara, in Mathura region another school of art came up i.e. the Mathura school of art. The fourth Buddhist council also took place during this period and the result was the coming of a new form of Buddhism that became popular as Mahayana Buddhism (followers of the great vehicle). More people were attracted towards Mahayana form of Buddhism; it gained popularity not only in India but also in central Asia, China, Ceylon, etc.

It is not clear whether the Kushanas had direct supremacy in Orissa. But in the first and second century CE, Orissa also inclined towards the growing popularity of Mahayana Buddhism and Orissa made remarkable contribution in the development of Mahayana Buddhism (Mishra 1999:131). This is evident from the Puri-Kushan coins reported in good numbers from different parts of Orissa (Chauley 2000:445). They are datable to the first-second century CE, and it won’t be fair to assume that it was due to the direct rule of the Kushans here. By this time Orissa was well known as a Buddhist center and was frequently visited by pilgrims from far and wide (As it is evident from the chronology found at Lalitgiri and Langudi). Further ancient Orissa was well connected with trade routes with South, Central and Western India (Patnaik 1993:48). So, it can be assumed that the presence of Puri-Kushan coins was the result of both trade and pilgrims (Tripathi 1986:33).

Archaeologically, two evidences have been found that refer to the Kushan influence. The excavations at Lalitgiri (Dist. Jajpur) (Chauley 1999:445) yielded an inscription from the pedestal in front of the Chaityagriha. The nature and content of it is not known yet but paleographically it can be dated to first-second century CE. The Shell script is Brahmi of Kushan period. Another, evidence is a medallion of the Bodhgaya type found here and the chaitya window, designed in the form of a five hooded snake with beautiful coils having twenty-one perforations (Plate-I) establishes the continuation of the monastery during the Kushana period.

Moreover, during excavations at Langudi, a few inscriptions along with railing pillars and lenticular sockets have been found, which together with the finds of Lalitgiri can be dated as contemporary to Bodhgaya and Sanchi. Mention may be made of the ruins of a stupa with railings, suchi, coping stone and the exposed stupa at Langudi (Plate-X & XI), Aragarah hill and apsidal chaityagriha at Lalitgiri amply attest to their origin to around first-second century CE. Discovery of a few Yaksha images, now on display in the State Museum Bhubaneswar is also believed to be the workmanship of Kushana era.

After first century CE the epigraphical document which reveals the Buddhist influence in Orissa is the Bhadrak stone inscription of Maharaja Gana. The inscription refers to some charities granted by a king to a Buddhist Sramana of certain Arya samgha. This evidently proves the establishment of a Buddhist society, which was under the said Mahakulapati and was also aided by the local ruler. The inscription on paleographic grounds can be dated to second–third century CE (Rajguru 1976:2). Whereas the Nagarjunakonda inscription issued in the 14^th regnal year of Iksvaku King Virapurushadutta, who ruled in the second half of the third century refers to Sri Lankan monks preaching in Tosali and it is believed they were teaching Hinayana Buddhism (Mitra 1978:6).