A short history of Buddhism in Bangladesh

Part-1

The borders of Bangladesh were established with the partition of Bengal and India in 1947, when the region became East Pakistan which was the part of the newly formed nation of Pakistan.

Political and linguistic discrimination as well as economic neglect led against West Pakistan that crystal rectifier to the Bangladesh Liberation War  in 1971 and also the establishment of Bangladesh. In this way, Today’s Bangladesh could be a profane, democratic republic.

Though it should currently appear in such associate degree overpoweringly Muslim country however Buddhism in East Pakistan is not any minor player within the nation’s history. It’s the third major faith in broad however insure areas, such as Chittagong and and Hill track areas, Buddhists frame a strong percentage of the population.

There is no authentic record that Buddha came to any part of Bangladesh during His life to deliver any oration but recently research scholars have found one Asokan Pillar in Damrai near Dhaka and they are now trying to uncover how it came to Bangladesh. There are  several of alternative discoveries like two consecrate inscriptions found at Sanchi recording the gifts of two  inhabitants of Purnavardhan (Pundravardhan) to guess the existence of Buddhism in Bangladesh before the Christian era.

The borders of Bangladesh were established with the partition of Bengal and India in 1947, once the region became East Pakistan|Asian country|Asian nation} that was the part of the fresh fashioned nation of Pakistan.

Bangladesh was a central part of Vanga or ancient Bengal, supported the Pali texts’ records, one in every of the prime disciples of Buddha, Vangisa was hailed from this a part of the landmass. The Nagarjuna inscriptions dating from 3rd century AD indicate that Buddhism was followed in Bangladesh under Anoka’s rules. The name Vanga is mentioned within the inscriptions in many instances.

In the fifth Century AD, the Chinese pilgrim, solfa syllable Hsien visited Tamralipti (west geographic area, India) and located twenty fourBuddhist monasteries. within the Seventh Century, Huen –Tsang visited totally different elements of geographic area. In Samatata (in Noakhali district of existing Bangladesh), he found thirty monasteries with over 2000 monks and in Karnasuvarna (Northern Bengal) ten monasteries with 2000 monks. Additionally, in Tamralipti he found ten monasteries with a thousand monks. In Pundravardhana (Mahastan, in trendy Bogra district), he found twenty monasteries with 3000 monks. Archeological excavations at Mainamati within the Comilla district junction rectifier to the invention of Salvana Vihara that constitutes the ruins of the historic Kanakastupa Vihara witnessed by Huen Tsang.

These facts also are supported by several others’ accounts recorded by several Chinese pilgrims United Nations agency visited geographical area within the later years. a number of these monasteries were changed into world noted universities like Taxila, Udantapuri and Vickramasila.

Between 750 AD and 1150 AD Buddhism reached the head within the history of Bangladesh beneath the guidance of Pala Kings like Gopala, Dharmapala and Devapala. They were devout Buddhists and beneath their patronage many world known monasteries like Somapura Mahavihara, Shalban Vihara, Paharpur Dhegiha Vihara, Vickrampuri Mahavihara, Pandit Vihara were established in Bangladesh.

Between 1150 AD and 1760 AD, Buddhism began to disappear from the Bangladeshi soil. Following the decline of the Butea frondosa, Hindu senis (armies) came to rule geographic region, and crushed Buddhism,lLiving Buddhists people to the Chittagong area. In but a century later, the senas were swamped by the tide of Islam.

The Muslim invaders destroyed several monasteries with the institution of their rule out geographical area. They killed several Buddhist monks and administrated force conversion. Even now a days, some Muslim prayer foyer in Chittagong are known as Buddher Mokkan (Buddhist house or temple). These are thought of to be Buddhist temple established throughout the palas rule. Now, Buddhists represent a little over a million in Bangladesh.