Prelims 2010 · archive
MediumWhy did Buddhism start declining in India in the early medieval times?
- 1.Buddha was by that time considered as one of the incarnations of Vishnu and thus became a part of Vaishnavism.
- 2.Invading tribes from Central Asia till the time of the last Gupta king adopted Hinduism and persecuted Buddhists.
- 3.Kings of the Gupta dynasty were strongly opposed to Buddhism.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) 1 only
Buddhism was absorbed into Vaishnavism when the Buddha came to be seen as an avatar of Vishnu. The other two claims are wrong: Gupta kings patronised several faiths and did not oppose Buddhism, and central Asian invaders did not systematically persecute Buddhists.
- ✓ 1. The Buddha was counted among Vishnu's avatars, blurring Buddhism with Vaishnavism.
- ✗ 2. Invaders such as the Kushanas patronised Buddhism; the persecution claim is not supported.
- ✗ 3. Gupta kings were mostly Vaishnava but supported Buddhist centres such as Nalanda.
Remember · Buddhism declined partly by absorption: the Buddha became an avatar of Vishnu.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 3 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 3 “Regardless of their own inclination, rulers generally patronised Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, promoting a vibrant cultural pluralism.”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2010, General Studies paper. UPSC did not publish an answer key for 2010: the answer shown is the one the sources above support. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 24 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·