The decline of Buddhism in Tamil Country was not due to violent oppression, unlike what happened in North India. Instead, it was the result of a dual approach taken by the Hindu community in Tamil Country, which uprooted both the philosophical dominance and public support that Buddhism had enjoyed. Despite the fact that Buddhist philosophy had reigned supreme in India for a thousand years and that Buddhist scholars had never been defeated in philosophical debates, the rise of Adi Shankara in the 8th century had a profound impact on the region.
Shankara, a philosophical prodigy born in Tamil country in the early 8th century CE, had reportedly mastered all Buddhist and Hindu philosophies by the age of 16. He synthesized his knowledge and developed his own philosophy known as Advaita Vedanta, a non-dual philosophy that expresses Buddhist ideology using Hindu vocabulary and his tremendous logic to bridge the gap. Shankara reinterpreted entire Hindu texts using his logic, without negating Buddhism or Buddha. He simply demonstrated how the same Buddhist truths could be derived from his interpretation of Hindu texts. This can be compared to deriving Newtonian gravitational equations from the more sophisticated Einsteinian gravitational equations by making two simple assumptions. Shankara also dismissed the ritualistic part of Vedas, similar to Buddha. As a result, some sections of Hindus still consider him as "Buddha in disguise." Ultimately, Shankara defeated both traditional Hindu scholars and Buddhist scholars throughout India in debates and established his reinterpretation of Hinduism as the supreme philosophy in India, restoring Hinduism's prominence within intellectual circles.
On the other front, Buddhism encountered a fundamental challenge in attracting the masses, evident not only in Tamil Country but also in regions like Sri Lanka. Unlike some religious traditions where followers might pray to deities for personal wishes, Buddhism's focus on self-reliance and inner transformation posed a barrier to mass appeal. Buddhists couldn't pray to Buddha to fulfil their wishes, as he wouldn't come and intervene to solve personal problems. This aspect compelled many Buddhists to maintain connections with Hindu gods, as observed in Sri Lanka even Today. Similarly, Buddhists in Tamil country maintained connections with Hindu deities.
Then came the Bhakti movement in Tamil Country, bringing about a transformation in the religious practices of the Hindu community. This devotional movement simplified Hinduism, focusing on love and devotion as paths to salvation, while shedding the complexities of rituals and caste hierarchies. Tamil saints traversed the length and breadth of the region, propagating this movement.
The two-pronged attack on Buddhism – the philosophical synthesis by Adi Shankara and the Bhakti movement – proved to be increasingly challenging over time. While Shankara's logical prowess harmonized Buddhist and Hindu ideologies under a unified framework, the Bhakti movement resonated deeply with the masses by presenting a simpler, more emotionally accessible path to spiritual fulfilment. As a result, Buddhism struggled to maintain its ground and the decline began in the 8th century CE and extended over the subsequent centuries. By the 13th century, Buddhism had largely faded from the Tamil country, with Hinduism firmly reestablished as the dominant religious tradition.
As you can see, historical events are rarely the result of a single isolated cause; instead, they usually emerge from a complex interplay of various factors, circumstances, and dynamics. Human history is shaped by a multitude of social, cultural, economic, political, and individual elements that interact in intricate ways, leading to the outcomes we observe. Analyzing historical events requires a nuanced understanding of these multifaceted dynamics to truly appreciate the complexity of the past. Anyone who presents a simplistic narrative is either stupid or driven by a hunger for power and chauvinism.
