An Archaeological Analysis of Early Buddhism and the Mauryan Empire at Lumbini, Nepal
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Durham E-Theses The Mauryan Horizon: An Archaeological Analysis of Early Buddhism and the Mauryan Empire at Lumbini, Nepal TREMBLAY, JENNIFER,CARRIE How to cite: TREMBLAY, JENNIFER,CARRIE (2014) The Mauryan Horizon: An Archaeological Analysis of Early Buddhism and the Mauryan Empire at Lumbini, Nepal , Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11038/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 Abstract The Mauryan Horizon: An Archaeological Analysis of early Buddhism and the Mauryan Empire at Lumbini, Nepal Jennifer Carrie Tremblay The archaeology of Buddhism in South Asia is reliant on the art historical study of monumental remains, the identification of which is tied to the textual historical sources that dominate Buddhist scholarship. The development and spread of early Buddhism from the third century BCE has been intrinsically linked with the Mauryan Emperor Asoka, and is consequently reliant on the identification of ‘Mauryan’ remains in the archaeological record. The aim of this thesis is to test the scholarly and physical evidence for the ‘Mauryan horizon’ that has shaped archaeological methodology in South Asia, by demonstrating challenges in the interpretation of the relationship between the Mauryan Empire and the spread of early Buddhism. The typical ‘markers’ of early Buddhism and Mauryan occupation are defined based on a historical study of South Asian archaeology, and the presence of these markers is tested at Lumbini, Nepal, using the 2011-2013 Durham University/UNESCO excavation data, and compared to published case studies representing a sample of site types across South Asia. The results indicate a pattern of cultural, religious, and structural continuity through the so-called ‘Mauryan Horizon’, and analysis of Mauryan and Buddhist ‘markers’ proves that the use of these materials as indicators of either date or site type is flawed and unreliable. The continuations of practice and culture across the Mauryan horizon demonstrate flaws in the accepted account of Buddhism’s state-sponsored propagation in South Asia by the Emperor Asoka in the third century BCE, and that archaeological investigations of early Buddhist sites below the ‘brick horizon’ are necessary. The collated evidence demonstrates the viability of Monica Smith’s network model of Mauryan imperial infrastructure, but shows that alternative agents of Buddhist propagation should be considered. The conclusions highlight the methodological problems of unquestioning reliance on textual sources in archaeological and historical research in South Asia. 1 The Mauryan Horizon: An Archaeological Analysis of Early Buddhism and the Mauryan Empire at Lumbini, Nepal Jennifer Carrie Tremblay Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of PhD Department of Archaeology Durham University 2014 2 Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................................... 1 Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................ 3 Table of Figures ................................................................................................................................... 7 Notes on Terminology ....................................................................................................................... 12 Statement of Copyright ..................................................................................................................... 12 Ackowledgements ............................................................................. 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Chapter 1: Introduction .............................................................................................................. 15 1.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 15 1.2 Research Context ........................................................................................................................ 16 1.2.1 Archaeologies of Religion ..................................................................................................... 17 1.2.2 The Life of the Buddha ......................................................................................................... 19 1.2.3 Asoka and the Propagation of Buddhism ............................................................................ 20 1.2.4 The Birthplace of the Buddha, Lumbini ............................................................................... 21 1.2.5 Archaeologies of Empire ...................................................................................................... 22 1.3 Aims and Objectives .................................................................................................................... 27 1.4 Chapter Breakdown .................................................................................................................... 28 Chapter 2: Literature Review ..................................................................................................... 34 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 34 2.2 Institutionalisation of Texts in the Archaeology of Buddhism .................................................... 36 2.2.1 Early Textual Scolarship in South Asia ................................................................................. 36 2.2.2 Early Archaeological Scholarship in South Asia.................................................................... 44 2.3 Monumentality in the Archaeology of Buddhism ....................................................................... 50 2.3.1 Focus on Architecture in the nineteenth century ................................................................ 51 2.3.2 In situ Conservation in the Twentieth century .................................................................... 53 2.3.3 Moving beyond the Monuments ......................................................................................... 55 2.4 The Cult of Asoka and the Mauryan Empire ............................................................................... 57 2.4.1 The Cult of Asoka ................................................................................................................. 57 2.4.2 The Mauryan Empire ............................................................................................................ 60 2.5 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................. 62 Chapter 3: Methodology............................................................................................................ 70 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 70 3 3.2 Models of Empire ........................................................................................................................ 71 3.2.1 Romila Thapar’s Metropolitan State Model ........................................................................ 72 3.2.2 Monica Smith’s Networks Model ......................................................................................... 73 3.3 Identifying Mauryan Markers in the Archaeological Record ...................................................... 75 3.3.1 Asokan Pillars and Edicts ...................................................................................................... 77 3.3.2 Urban forms ......................................................................................................................... 78 3.3.3 Monuments .......................................................................................................................... 79 3.4.4 Northern Black Polished Ware and the Ceramic Assemblage ............................................. 80 3.3.5 Punch-Marked and un-inscribed Cast Coins ........................................................................ 82 3.3.6 Terracottas and Ring Stones ................................................................................................ 83 3.4 Models of Early Buddhist Propagation in South Asia .................................................................. 84 3.5 Identifying Buddhist Markers in the Archaeological Record ...................................................... 85 3.5.1 Monuments ................................................................................................................... 86 3.5.2 Artefactual Identification of Buddhism ........................................................................