Early History of the Dekkan down to the Mahomedan Conquest c15.2

c15.2

DURING this period the religion of Buddha was in a flourishing condition Princes and chiefs calling themselves Mahâbhojas and Mahâraṭṭhis, merchants (Naigamas), goldsmiths (Suvarṇakâras), carpenters (Vardhakas), corn-dealers (Dhânyakaśreṇis) druggists (Gândhikas), and ordinary householders (Gṛihasthas) caused at their expense temples and monasteries to be excavated out of the solid rock for the use of the followers of that religion It has been mentioned that in the first part of this period the country was exposed to the inroads of foreign tribes, such as Yavanas or Bactrian Greeks, Śakas, and Pahlavas These afterwards settled in the country and adopted the Buddhist religion For, among the donors and benefactors whose names are recorded in the cave inscriptions, there are a good many Śakas and Yavanas But some and especially the Śakas seem to have adopted Brâhmaṇism The Buddhist temples were provided with *chaityas* or tombs in imitation of those in which some relic of Buddha was buried, and these were objects of worship The monasteries contained cells intended as residences for Bhikshus or mendicant priests