The Ancient and Medieval Architecture of India: A Study of Indo-Aryan Civilisation c7.9

c7.9

The great bulk of the population in early Buddhist times, says Professor Rhys Davids, or at least 70-80 per cent., lived in villages, and the entire literature of early Buddhism mentions hardly a score of towns of any considerable size as existing in the whole vast territory, from Kandahâr nearly to Calcutta, and from the Himâlayas southwards to the Run of Kutch.¹ Buddhism did not succeed any more than Christianity has done in effacing social and racial distinctions. The four varnas, or colours, representing so many ranks of social precedence, were recognised distinctions in early Buddhist village communities,² though the rigid barriers of the caste system did not exist. In spite of the colour bar, however, India's melting-pot long before the third century B.C. had profoundly altered the social and political conditions which prevailed when the Aryans were disputing with Dravidians, Kolarians, and with wild aboriginals classed as Rakshasas, or demons, for possession of the soil. The former had adapted themselves perfectly to their Indian environment, and had intermarried to such an extent with the civilised tribes which had preceded their immigrations or invasions, that it only needed the moving of a common spiritual impulse to make India a nation. And this impulse came from Asoka's propaganda of the teaching of Buddha.