Manasara Series (I. A Dictionary of Hindu Architecture; II. Indian Architecture according to Manasara-Shilpashastra; III. Manasara on Architecture and Sculpture: Sanskrit Text; IV. Architecture of Manasara: Translation; V. Architecture of Manasara: Illustrations; VI. Hindu Architecture in India and Abroad; VII. An Encyclopaedia of Hindu Architecture) v2.c16.384

v2.c16.384

"Whatever may have been the causes, the fact is abundantly established that the restoration of the Brahmanical religion to popular favour, and the associated revival of the Sanskrit language, first became noticeable in the second century, were fostered by the western Satraps during the third, and made a success by the Gupta emperors in the fourth century. These princes, although perfectly tolerant of both Buddhism and Jainism, and in two cases personally interested in the former, were themselves beyond question orthodox Hindus, guided by Brahmin advisers, and skilled in Sanskrit. An early stage in the reaction against Buddhist condemnation of sacrifice had been marked by Pushyamitra’s celebration of the horse-sacrifice towards the close of the second century. In the fourth, Samudragupta revived the same ancient rite with added splendour; and in the fifth, his grandson repeated the solemnity. Without going further into detail the matter may be summed up in the remark that coins, inscriptions, and monuments agree in furnishing abundant evidence of the recrudescence during the Gupta period of Brahmanical Hinduism at the expense of Buddhism, and of the favour shown by the ruling powers to classical Sanskrit at the expense of the more popular literary dialects, which had enjoyed the patronage of the Andhra kings.”¹