Greater Magadha
Greater Magadha is a concept in studies of the early history of India.[1] It is used to refer to the political and cultural sphere that developed in the lower Gangetic plains (Johannes Bronkhorst defines the region to comprise modern day Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh) during the Vedic age.
The
According to Bronkhorst, the sramana culture arose in "Greater Magadha," which was Indo-Aryan, but not Vedic. In this culture, Kshatriyas were placed higher than Brahmins, and rejected Vedic authority and rituals.[1][5]
Overview
The concept was developed in a book by the indologist Johannes Bronkhorst (2007),[1] where he defines the region to comprise modern day Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. They developed an ideological opposition to the sacrifice and ritual slaying of animals. Later this non-vedic traditions gave rise to religions or schools of philosophy such as Jainism which later gave rise to concepts like ahimsa.[6]
According to Bronkhorst, the śramana culture arose in "Greater Magadha," which was Indo-Aryan, but not Vedic. In this culture, Kshatriyas were placed higher than Brahmins, and it rejected Vedic authority and rituals.[1][5]
Out of the ideological opposition between these two cultural spheres – the
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e Bronkhorst (2007).
- ^ Samuel 2010.
- )
- OCLC 47208728.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-84511-625-5.
- OCLC 252916273.
- ISBN 9780814794531 – via Google Books.[full citation needed]
Sources
- OCLC 897004884.
- Samuel, Geoffrey (2010), The Origins of Yoga and Tantra. Indic Religions to the Thirteenth Century, Cambridge University Press
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