6_Glorious_Epochs_of_Indian_History

142 SIX GLORIOUS EPOCHS OF INDIAN HISTORY
dence of the Lord and which had been the place of piligri-
mage for the world-wide Buddhist followers, had been sadly
rendered desolate and were overgrown with wild and thick
forests*'.
347. Nevertheless, this moribund Buddhism was not
altogether wiped out of India, before the advent of the
Muslims. The Buddhists were more numerous in the north­
western frontier states like Sindh and Kamboj and even in
Bengal in the east than in the rest of India*'. It is said that
the modern state of Bihar derives its name from the fact
that there once existed far too many Buddhist Viharas,
stoopas and other 'Buddhaparasthas'*'. Since tbe Vedic
states were prosperous everywhere, this Buddhist sect had
no guts to carry on its traitorous activities or to enforce its
religious rites and faith on non-Buddhists, whether it had
the will to do so or not. And so long as they followed their
religious faith harmlessly they, their organisations, their
institutions, and their viharas were never interfered with in
any way by the Vedic kings. That they enjoyed complete
religious freedom is admitted by the Chinese travellers open-
heartedly*".
348. What then made these millions of Buddhists, living
in the various states of India before the Muslim onrush,
dwindle into non-existence thereafter ?
349. Some time ago historians, and especially western
historians, had a presumption that sometime in the past or
at frequent intervals, the Vedic rulers must have massacred
these Buddhists and destroyed them root and branch, or
reconverted them to Hinduism forcibly. In order to find
some credence to this theory of theirs, they examined the
historical records of the times most scrupulously but even
after taking into consideration a few trifling exceptions they
could find no proof to establish any deliberate, pre-planned,
or systematic attempt on the part of the Vedic rulers to
annihilate the Buddhists completely.
349-A. At last the more conscientious of these historians
declared*!, honestly that this presumption of theirs was