This paper examines the non-religious factors contributing to the growth and acceptance of Buddhism in India. The rise of Buddhism occurred during a period of expanding bureaucratic empires. This article analyzes why the values and practices of Buddhism, in contrast to Hinduism, were well suited to the needs of expanding empires. In particular, Buddhism better satisfied the political and economic needs of the rulers and the economic and status needs of the merchants. This encouraged the adoption of Buddhism by the two social groups who served as the chief agents of change in the growing empires.
目次
I. The Needs of Empires 226 Expansion of Empires 227 Religion and Expanding Empires 228 II. The Political and Economic Needs of Rulers 229 III. Economic and Status Needs of the Merchant Class 231 The Rise of the Merchant Class 231 The Role of the Guilds 231 Rulers and Merchants 232 The Role of Religion for the Merchant 233 Caste and the Vaishya 233 Status Inconsistency and Social Mobility 233 Buddhism and the Merchant Class: Economic Factors 234 Buddhism and the Merchant Class: Social and Philosophical Factors 235 Conclusion 236 REFERENCES 237
