History of Buddhism in India with Reference to the Culture in Tamil Nadu

Abstract

        Buddhism was one of the centrifugal forces of Tamil Nadu. The role of native scholars of Tamil in Buddhism is notable and invigorated by this religion at a point of time. These studies are by and large either historical or academic criticisms of the literary merits of works of Buddhist content and orientation in Tamil. In this context, this paper attempts at studying the logic and philosophy as expounded in the Tamil Buddhist texts with special reference to Manimekalai, Tolkappiyam, Maturai Kanci and a few other texts. This paper also explains about the introduction and importance of Buddhism in Tamil Nadu along with how it spread through the Tamil nation and in special the paper portrays the strand of Buddhism in Cankam age and how the Buddhist scholars broadened their process of Nativization along the Tamil nations with an emancipator dialogue as propounded by Ayothee Thassar.