Persecution of Buddhists

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Many Buddhists have experienced persecution from non-Buddhists during the history of Buddhism. Persecution may refer to unwarranted arrest, imprisonment, beating, torture, or execution. It also may refer to the confiscation or destruction of property, or the incitement of hatred toward Buddhists.

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[edit] Persecution in Central Asia

Central Asian and North Western Indian Buddhism weakened in the 6th century following the White Hun invasion who followed their own religions such as Tengri, Nestorian Christianity and Manichean. Their King Mihirkula who ruled from 515 BC suppressed Buddhism destroying monasteries as far as modern-day Allahabad before his son reversed the policy.

[edit] Persecution by Christians

Thích Quảng Đức, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, burned himself to death in Saigon in 1963. Thích was protesting the oppression of Buddhists led by U.S.-installed Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm's administration.

[edit] Persecution by Muslims

[edit] Persecution in India

According to Neo-Buddhist Dr. Ambedkar, "there can be no doubt that the fall of Buddhism was due to the invasions of the Muslims.”[1] He wrote: “Thus the origin of the word ["but", Persian for "idol"] indicates that in the Muslim mind idol worship had come to be identified with the religion of Buddha. To the Muslims they were one and the same thing. The mission to break idols thus became the mission to destroy Buddhism. Islam destroyed Buddhism not only in India but wherever it went. Bactria, Parthia, Afghanistan, Gandhara and Chinese Turkestan (…) in all these countries Islam destroyed Buddhism.”[2]

The Arabic invaders described Indian Pagans as But-parast, and idol-breakers as but-shikan. The word "but" is derived from Buddhism, but the Arabs used it for "Indian paganism" in general.[3] Therefore in Arabic chronicles it is not always evident if Buddhists, Hindus or other Indian religions are meant.

It was claimed[4] that the Buddhists helped bin Qasim in conquering parts of India. Al-Baladhuri recorded that two "Samanis" went to Qasim to negiotiate for peace, however he also recorded that it was the inhabitants of Nirum who sent the priests to Qasim.[5]

Muhammad bin Qasim also demolished temples and monasteries, e.g. he built at Nirun a mosque on the site of the temple of Budh.[6]

Around 1000 CE, Turkic, Persian and the Afghan Muslims began major incursions into India through the traditional invasion routes of the northwest. Mahmud of Ghazni (979-1030) established a base in Punjab and raided nearby areas. Mahmud is remembered for the ferocity of his attacks on non-Muslim religions. He demolished numerous monasteries alongside temples during his raid across north-western India. In 1193, Qutb-ud-Din, a Turkish commander, seized control of Delhi, leaving defenseless the northeastern territories that were the heart of Buddhist India. Later that year, raiders under Muhammad Khilji, one of Qutb-ud-Din's generals, destroyed Nalanda, the great Buddhist library; this event was a major milestone Indian Buddhism's suddenly precipitous decline. By the end of the 12th century, following the Islamic conquest of the Buddhist strongholds in Bihar and Bengal, Buddhists ceased to be a significant presence in India.

In 1200 Muhammad Khilji, one of Qutb-ud-Din's generals, destroyed monasteries fortified by the Sena armies such as Vikramshila, and sacked the great Buddhist university of Nalanda in 1193; his march across Northern India was a major milestone in Indian Buddhism's suddenly precipitous decline as he devastated the last vestiges of Buddhist political prowess by laying waste their fortified monasteries sending Buddhism into terminal decline.

[edit] Iconoclasm

[edit] Nalanda and other universities

Nalanda, Vikramasila, Jagaddala, Odantapuri and other Buddhist centers of learning and monasteries were destroyed by Muslim invaders. Many of the monks were killed during these destructions.[7]

[edit] Persecution in Kashmir and Ladakh

The Ladakh Buddhist Association has said: “There is a deliberate and organised design to convert Kargil’s Buddhists to Islam. In the last four years, about 50 girls and married women with children were allured and converted from village Wakha alone. If this continues unchecked, we fear that Buddhists will be wiped out from Kargil in the next two decades or so. Anyone objecting to such allurement and conversions is harassed."[8]

In 1989, there were violent riots between Buddhists and Muslims, provoking the Ladakh Buddhist Council to call for a social and economic boycott of Muslims, which was lifted in 1992.

[edit] Persecution in Thailand

Main article: South Thailand insurgency

A resurgence in violence by Muslim Pattani separatist groups in Thailand began in 2001. During 2004 there were at least 15 cases where Buddhists have been beheaded. [1], [2], [3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ B.R. Ambedkar: Writings and Speeches, vol.3, p.229 (Chapter “The decline and fall of Buddhism”).
  2. ^ B.R. Ambedkar: Writings and Speeches, vol.3, p.229-230.
  3. ^ Elliot & Dowson: History of India, vol.1, p.119, 120. Koenraad Elst: Who is a Hindu. 2001
  4. ^ e.g. by Veer Savarkar in his book "Hindutva"
  5. ^ Elliot & Dowson: History of India, vol.1, p.121. Elst 2001
  6. ^ Elliot & Dowson: History of India, vol.1, p.158
  7. ^ B.R. Ambedkar: Writings and Speeches, vol.3, p.232.
  8. ^ Tundup Tsering and Tsewang Nurboo, in: “Ladakh visited”, Pioneer, 4/12/1995.

[edit] Further reading

[edit] External links

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