Buddhist India

In this work an attempt has been made to describe ancient India during the period of Buddhist ascendancy, from the points of view, not so much of the Brahmins as of the Rajputs. The two points of view obviously differ very much. In those parts of India which came very early under the influence of Buddhism there were surviving a number of small republics and four kingdoms of considerable extent and power and also a dozen or more smaller kingdoms. There was a tendency to absorb these domains and republics into the neigh­bouring kingdoms. This social condition of India in the sixth and seventh centuries bc was hitherto unnoticed by scholars either in Europe or in India who relied for their information exlusively on the books by Brahmin scholars. Because of the natural antipathy felt by the priests towards the free republics, they ignored the real facts and conveyed that the only recognised form of government was that of the?kings?under?the?guidance?and?tutelage?of?priests. About the Author T.W. Rhys Davids (1843-1922) was an English scholar of the Pali language and founder of the Pali Text Society. After passing his ICS exam he was posted in Ceylon. He is the author of several scholarly works?on?Buddhism.