Indian Buddhist Monasticism; Āndhra; Mahisaka district; Amaravati; Vaddamanu; royal patronage; Sada and Sātavāhana dynasties; nikāyas; Rājagiriyas
摘要
Despite the flourishing of Buddhism in the Āndhra region of Eastern Deccan between the 1st century BCE and the 2nd century CE, our knowledge of the role of political power in facilitating its institutional development remains very fragmentary. This article surveys evidence of the involvement of rulers of the Sada dynasty (r. late 1st century BCE–late 1st century CE) in the establishment of monasteries and stūpas in the Krishna and Godavari river valleys. In particular, it discusses an exceptional relief on a coping stone from Amaravati stūpa preserved at the British Museum, whose accompanying inscription has thus far been neglected. A close reading of the iconography of this exceptional piece, in the light of the study of its inscription, shows how the visual narrative is highly relevant to the issue of royal patronage in Āndhra during the period of the Sada rule. Indeed, I argue that the relief showcases the royal establishment of the monastic complex of Rājagiri. In fact, members of the lineage stemming from this monastery played a very important role in the development of the Amaravati stūpa, and endeavored to stress, visually and epigraphically, their proximity to the royal power.
目次
1. Introduction 1 2. Echoes of the Sadas’ involvement in establishing monasteries 7 3. Representing the royal establishment of a stūpa and vihāra on the Amaravati vedikā 15 4. Pussagutta, a “lord of Kaliṅga” active in the Mahisaka country 21 5. Rājagiriya monks and the Amaravati Stūpa 28 6. Emergence and self-representation of the Rājagiriya (-Paṇṇattivāda)s 33 7. Concluding Remarks 40 Conventions 41 Abbreviations 41 References 42 Figures 51
