KHINGILA VS. BUDDHIST CAVES IBD

Sinopsis

This monograph is meant for the researchers of South Asian studies with aáfocussed interest on the history and art of the late fifth century CE.The new study proposes a reconstructive chronology of the times.áIt clarifies that the fifth-century rock-cut monuments of India were alláBuddhist with only a few exceptions. The excavations had begun in theápeaceful times of circaá461/462 CE. However, by circaá480 CE all the caveátemples were abandoned even before completion. The study re-examinesáthe cause of the abandonment and presents some new revelations.It was ca. 465 CE when the Hephthalite HÅ«á¹çs attacked the Early AlchonáHÅ«á¹çs in the Greater GandhÄüra region forcing the Buddhist monks toádisperse inter alia towards the Deccan, which was then peaceful. ManyBuddhist rock-cut sites were flourishing there under the Gupta-VÄükÄüṡaka-Traikūṡakas: Bagh, Ajanta, Ellora, MahÄüá¸ì, DhÄürÄüÅóiva (Jain), Banoṡī,áGhaṡotkaca, Nasik, Loá¹çÄüá¸ì, Kondavite, and Kanheri.The ousted Alchons led by MahÄüá¹úÄühi KhÄ«á¹àgÄ«la (r. ca. 440 to 492&ndash,496 CE) advanced into India and came up to the Narmada-Tapti valleys. Theánew intrusions witnessed many battles, particularly those of ca. 469,á472, and 477 CE wherein many great Indian emperors and kings wereáperished: KumÄüragupta I, NÄügabhaṡa, GhaṡÅìtkacagupta, Skandagupta,áNarasimhagupta, Narendra Sena, RavisÄümba, KumÄüragupta II, Hari á¹óeá¹ça,áand Dahrasena.These disturbances in India now forced the migrant GandhÄüran andáthe resident Deccani monks to escape to distant lands including Kucha ináCentral Asia. Consequently, there was catalysed the Kuchean Period III,áwhich witnessed the introduction of many GandhÄüran and Deccani ideas.Finally Buddhagupta ousted the Alchons in ca. 478 CE. The persistentádefeat had taught the Alchons a lesson. They now imbibed the Indianávalues of liberalism as statecraft, which allowed them unobstructed rule foráthe next one century and two decades (ca. 479&ndash,ca. 600 CE) when they ruledáfrom Greater GandhÄüra to the Narmada valley.The new picture comes out when we attempt to synchronise and iron out the anachronisms from the knownáchronologies of the Early Alchons, Early Guptas, VÄükÄüṡakas, Traikūṡakas,áGandhÄüra, and the rock-cut monuments of India and Kucha in the late 5thácenturyáCE. It is revealed that the monasteries were abandoned due to the attacksáby the Early Alchon HÅ«á¹çs.