(i) Introduction-Buddhism during the ancient period of Indian history: Buddhism acquired a dominant position in India under the rule of Emperor Ashoka (273-236 B. C.). As a consequence of the missionary propaganda, Buddhism spread all over India. Ashoka sent his son and daughter to propagate the teachings of Buddha in different parts of India. Buddhism also embraced several communities outside India, thus becoming a world religion. By the twelfth century A. D., Buddhism was on its way out from India. In northern India, Harshavardhana and the Pala emperors provided a lot of patronage of Buddhism. But the other royal families were staunch adherents of the Brahmanical sects.

(ii) Other sects, religions and Buddhism: At one time, it was believed that once Buddhism had adopted the Tantric practices, it started degenerating. Today, this explanation is not held. The other reason given was that Buddhist communities were peace loving and defenceless. The monasteries were the strongholds of Buddhism. The hordes of Muslim warriors that invaded India destroyed the monasteries, leading to a crumbling of Buddhism. Another explanation is that Hinduism offered a colossal challenge to Buddhism. Many of the Buddhist ideas and practices were absorbed into Hinduism. Not only that Hinduism adopted Buddhist practices and ideology, Buddhism also adopted certain Hindu practices, thus began the process of the Hinduization of Buddhism.

(iii) Decline of Buddhism due to internal causes: Besides these, there were some internal causes that led to its decline. Buddhism was dependent upon monasteries that did not have broad popular support but relied exclusively on royal patronage. So, when royal support declined, there was a subsequent decline of monasteries. Further, Buddhist monks were more interested in their own salvation, rather than converting people of their faith.

(iv) Buddhism in Nepal and other parts of Asia: Today, Himalayan Buddhism of direct Indian ancestry remains only in Nepal, where it is fused with Hinduism. Its priests are called Vajracharya, who are Tantric priests, and they are married persons. Because of this, this kind of Buddhism is also known as Vajracharya Buddhism. Buddhism of Tibetan origin survives in Ladakh, Sikkim, Bhutan, and also Nepal. It also survives with Tibetan refugees in India, whose settlements are in different parts.

(v) Buddhism and efforts of Mahabodhi Society: Certain focused attempts have also been made to revive Buddhism in the subcontinent. A Sinhalese monk, Anagarika Dharmapala, founded in 1891, a society for the revival of Buddhism. The society was called the Mahabodhi society, and one of its aims was to work towards Buddhist education. It also took the repair of Bodhgaya Temple.

(vi) Dr. Ambedkar and Buddhism: Conversion to Buddhism on a mass scale took place after Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution of India, embraced Buddhism on 14 October, 1956 in Nagpur (Maharashtra). Along with him, thousands of men of the community. called Mahars, the community to which Dr. Ambedkar belonged, were also converted to Buddhism. A community of leather-workers in Agra, called Jatavas, embraced Buddhism a little later. These Buddhists are often known as Neo-Buddhists (or Nav Buddhists). For some inspired Buddhists, Dr. Ambedkar is 'Bodhisattva Ambedkar'. In contemporary India, Buddhists of all types constitute around 8.0 per cent of the total population.