Articles/Chapters by Abhishek Amar
This chapter will study the issue of the decline of Buddhism with the onset of Islamic rule in th... more This chapter will study the issue of the decline of Buddhism with the onset of Islamic rule in the thirteenth century Magadha (South Bihar region). The attack of Bakhtiyār Khaljī on Buddhist monastic establishments including Nalanda has been repeatedly emphasized as one of the key factors that led to the decline of Buddhism in the region. This understanding has emerged out of the colonial framing of Indian
history within religious categories, which has been sustained by uncritical readings of Islamic and Buddhist texts in Indian nationalist historiography of the twentieth century. This explanation treats material-culture as only a supplementary source to the historical record and presents Buddhism as purely monastic and a monolithic religion. Through a careful examination of epigraphic, archaeological and
textual materials, this chapter will study the condition of three principal monastic centers of Udaṇḍapura, Nalanda and Telhara in the thirteenth century. How did the establishment of Muslim rule in Delhi and
Lakhnauti affect those centers? How did these monasteries continue to exist in the thirteenth century Magadha? How did the establishment of Islamic rule in South Asia impact the relationship between monastic establishments and local polities in the thirteenth century Magadha?
The rn.(ht of the edaor to be idcnl!fied as the author of the editorial mater ia l, and of the au... more The rn.(ht of the edaor to be idcnl!fied as the author of the editorial mater ia l, and of the authors for thelf indm<lual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 19&8.
The rn.(ht of the edaor to be idcnl!fied as the author of the editorial mater ia l, and of the au... more The rn.(ht of the edaor to be idcnl!fied as the author of the editorial mater ia l, and of the authors for thelf indm<lual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 19&8.
This paper examines the practices of pilgrimage and ritual at the Bodhgaya, a site of paradigmati... more This paper examines the practices of pilgrimage and ritual at the Bodhgaya, a site of paradigmatic importance within the Buddhist world. This paradigmatic importance of Bodhgaya emerged after the nirv¢´a (death) of the Buddha and was subsequently recorded in the Buddhist Pali and Sanskrit literature and archaeological and other remains at the site. With the subsequent growth of different Buddhist schools, tenets, philosophy and literature, the simplistic conception of the Buddha [his body], his life events and important sites, as reflected in the early Nikaya literature were also transformed in to a much more complex biography. Based on this change in the conception of the representations of the Buddha in the Buddhist literature, this paper will analyse the emergence of the multi-layered sacred landscape of the Bodhgaya and the religious practices involved there. Therefore this paper, while taking into account the textual, archaeological and inscriptional sources, will explore the linkages between the contemporary perceptions of Buddha [and Bodhgaya] and the practices of pilgrimage and rituals.
Bodhgaya -a UNESCO world heritage site -is the place where the Buddha attained enlightenment and ... more Bodhgaya -a UNESCO world heritage site -is the place where the Buddha attained enlightenment and is, in many ways, the birth-place of the Buddhist religion. The emergence of a Buddhist shrine and a major monastic establishment at Bodhgaya has been attested from pilgrim's accounts, epigraphic data, archaeological excavations of the Mahabodhi temple complex and the partially excavated mound surrounding the temple, which is spread over approximately one square kilometre.
Religions and Trade, 2013
Material Religion: The Journal of Objects, Art and Belief, 2012
Religions of South Asia, Jan 1, 2010
Religions of South Asia, Vol 3, No 1 (2009). ...
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (Third …, Jan 1, 2012
Books by Abhishek Amar
K. P. Jayaswal Research Institute, 2017
This gazatteer presents the archaeological, architectural and sculptural remains of 417 sites /v... more This gazatteer presents the archaeological, architectural and sculptural remains of 417 sites /villages in the Gaya district. It includes 25 maps and 160 images to illustrate the rich material assemblage from the district. The brief description of each site presents a detailed description of every archaeological feature such as mounds, monuments and sculptures to evaluate their nature.
Digital Humanities Scholarship by Abhishek Amar
In the first phase, the project seeks to examine the multiple layers of the history of fifty-five... more In the first phase, the project seeks to examine the multiple layers of the history of fifty-five important shrines within the Hindu pilgrimage city of Gaya (known for funerary rituals) through a study of textual, archaeological, and art-historical remains. Based upon extensive surveys of Gaya shrines conducted in 2011, 2013, and 2015, I have analyzed the geo-spatial information, nature and usage, and historical layers of these shrines, as well as their links with the local community. In order to organize and present this archive, I have worked with the DHi team at Hamilton to develop a metadata schema to collate and organize the dataset into analytical categories. While creating these categories, I have engaged with the themes of transformation of sacred centers, rematerialization, history-making, and relationship between religious texts and material culture. In this chapter, I will discuss some of these themes and enumerate multiple steps including development of a metadata schema, organization of data and geo-spatial information, and presentation formats that were adapted to develop this archive.
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Articles/Chapters by Abhishek Amar
history within religious categories, which has been sustained by uncritical readings of Islamic and Buddhist texts in Indian nationalist historiography of the twentieth century. This explanation treats material-culture as only a supplementary source to the historical record and presents Buddhism as purely monastic and a monolithic religion. Through a careful examination of epigraphic, archaeological and
textual materials, this chapter will study the condition of three principal monastic centers of Udaṇḍapura, Nalanda and Telhara in the thirteenth century. How did the establishment of Muslim rule in Delhi and
Lakhnauti affect those centers? How did these monasteries continue to exist in the thirteenth century Magadha? How did the establishment of Islamic rule in South Asia impact the relationship between monastic establishments and local polities in the thirteenth century Magadha?
Books by Abhishek Amar
Digital Humanities Scholarship by Abhishek Amar
history within religious categories, which has been sustained by uncritical readings of Islamic and Buddhist texts in Indian nationalist historiography of the twentieth century. This explanation treats material-culture as only a supplementary source to the historical record and presents Buddhism as purely monastic and a monolithic religion. Through a careful examination of epigraphic, archaeological and
textual materials, this chapter will study the condition of three principal monastic centers of Udaṇḍapura, Nalanda and Telhara in the thirteenth century. How did the establishment of Muslim rule in Delhi and
Lakhnauti affect those centers? How did these monasteries continue to exist in the thirteenth century Magadha? How did the establishment of Islamic rule in South Asia impact the relationship between monastic establishments and local polities in the thirteenth century Magadha?