8/2/2019 Bronkhorst.revival Brahmanism
1/2
JohannesBronkhorstUniversitdeLausanne
Anthropole4118
CH-1015Lausanne
[email protected]
TheMahbhrataandtherevivalofBrahmanism
abstract
Recentyearshavewitnessedtheriseofaneedtorethinkthehistoryof
Brahmanism.Variousfactorsindicatethatitmakessensetothinkthatthis
traditionunderwentamajortransformationduringthefinalcenturiespreceding
theCommonEra.Itseemsnolongerpossibletolookuponbrahmanicalculture
andreligionasthemoreorlessuniversalbackgroundofmostotherculturaland
religiousdevelopmentsintheIndiansubcontinent.Quiteonthecontrary,
Brahmanismpresentsitselfasinitiallybelongingtoageographicallylimitedarea,
withitsheartlandinthemiddleandwesternpartsoftheGangeticplain.Itwasin
thisregionthatBrahmanismwasatthattimethecultureofalargelyhereditary
classofpriests,theBrahmins,whoderivedtheirlivelihoodandspecialpositionin
societyfromtheircloseassociationwiththelocalrulers.Thissituationchanged.
Themostplausiblehypothesisastothereasonsofthischangeseesalinkwiththe
politicalunificationofnorthernIndia,begunbytheNandasandcontinuedbythe
Mauryas.BoththeNandasandtheMauryashadtheirhomebaseintheregion
calledMagadhaandhadnoparticularinterestinBrahminsandtheirsacrificial
tradition.AsaresultBrahmanismasaninstitutionwasunderthreat;iteitherhad
tofacedisappearance,orreinventitself.Itdidthelatter.Brahmanismunderwent
atransformationwhichenabledittosurviveandultimatelyflourishinchanged
circumstances.
ItwillbearguedinthispaperthattheMahbhratacanbelookeduponas
anelementinthisbrahmanicalproject.Farfrombeingamerecollectionof
storiesandgeneralgoodadvice,itwasaninstrumentinthehandsofagroupof
peoplewhoweredeterminedtochangetheworldinawaythatsuitedthem,and
