History and Heritage: The Afterlife of Monuments

The Discovery and Dispersal of Relics: The Modern History of Buddhism
Illustrated lecture by Prof. Himanshu Prabha Ray, author and historian who is currently affiliated to the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, Oxford

Chair: Prof. Madhavan K. Palat

The relics of the Buddha are said to have been divided into eight soon after his parinirvana or passing away in the 6th century BCE. Textual accounts mention a second redistribution by the Mauryan king Ashoka in the third century BCE when 84,000 stupas were built over the Buddha’s relics across the Buddhist world. This talk shifts the focus to the nineteenth and twentieth century dispersal of relics, as these were discovered through archaeological excavations at stupa site. These sacred objects often became pawns in cultural diplomacy as colonial officials sought to cement ties with Buddhist countries through presentation of relics.