Buddhism in India: Challenging Brahmanism and Caste

by Gail Omvedt

This book is an historical survey of Buddhism in India and shows how over a period of 2500 years, Buddhism has been engaged in a struggle against caste-hierarchy. It has challenged Brahmanism, the main exploitative system of traditional Indian society, and instead endeavored to build religious egalitarianism.

Genres: History, Buddhism, India, Religion, Nonfiction, Theology

316 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2003

About the author

Dr. Gail Omvedt is an American-born Indian scholar, sociologist and human rights activist. Omvedt has been involved in Dalit and anti-caste movements, environmental, farmers' and women's movements.

She was born in Minneapolis, and studied at Carleton College, and at UC Berkeley where she earned her PhD in sociology in 1973. She has been an Indian citizen since 1983.

In recent years she has been working as a consulting sociologist on gender, environment and rural development, for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Oxfam Novib (NOVIB) and other institutions.

Wikipedia

Reviews

[Kamakana · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you like this review i now have website: www.michaelkamakana.com

280819: just had reminder from efriend Abhijit that buddhism is not itself always free of violence, fundamentalism, communalism, note the ongoing conflicts in myanmar and sri lanka...

280914: this is a fascinating sociology/history following the development of buddhism and hinduism, in india, from a quietly marxist perspective. the reader needs to have some knowledge of buddhist doctrines, but this is not theory, more an immediate, practical, grounded exploration of these modes of thought. there are some attempts revealed to explain the rise of caste, the rise of devotional faiths, the dimming of buddhism, the how, the why, the where. this is an interesting corrective to appreciating buddhism solely on a philosophical level, such as i do somewhat. there is some criticism, such as the conceptual dissonance between law of karma and no-self, some valourization, such as egalitarian sangha. well-written, timely, as witness the rise of fundamentalist interpretations of all religions and how buddhism is a useful refuge from which to combat this...

[Ankit Rathore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written book about bringing some truth to the history of India. Often the forces of modern propaganda makes people overlook that almost for a millennium, Indian masses were mostly trying to follow the teachings of Buddha, and there were constant conflicts and reinterpretations of major ideologies.

This book throws some light on all of them, trying to picture an ancient Indian society from economical, political and social viewpoints. It makes some interesting connections which one might not have thought about before, but just like the teachings of Buddha, it doesn’t force it upon you. You are free to look for evidence yourself.

It’s worth the time, and I would even say, must-read for Indians.

[Rahul Bhalerao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazingly brilliant and scholarly insight on the cultural history and conflicts within Indian society and faith. There is also absence of element of bias which is often found prominently in the writings of Indian authors. Especially the emerging Dalit and Buddhist scholars are often criticized for biased opinions by the majority of Brahminical Indian scholars. This gem of a work, being written by a foreign origin author is free from such bias and criticism. For majority of Indians this may come as a revolutionary eye-opener.

[Shashank Balakrishnan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gail Omvedt delves into the origins of Buddhism, its metaphysics and ethics, the role it played in shaping the socio-cultural and political landscape of its time, its development over the centuries, and its disappearance and eventual rediscovery in the land of its birth. The ethics propounded by Buddhism and Brahmanism are compared by studying common themes found in their literature.


Two things in the book stand out:

1. The claims in the book are rigorously backed with primary sources. For this, the author has relied on both canonical works and non-canonical texts such as Jataka stories.

2. Certain Pali words are presented in their native un-Sanskritised form, to convey their Buddhist meanings as accurately as possible.


The lack of historical writings in ancient and medieval India makes any attempt to study Indian history extremely difficult, which makes this book even more impressive.

[Jessica Zu · Rating 5 out of 5]

critical caste philosophy applied to buddhist studies & buddhist philosophical mode of analysis applied to the problem of caste. an amazing book. I disagree with her on many points--but mostly along the lines of sharpening, finding new evidence, refining ... this approach opens a new field. following her footsteps.

[Travula · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read I would say to understand India's philosophical evolution. Most people's understanding today of India is that Hinduism is basic religion that has existed all along which is not true.

[Katie Barsaleau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!