Shaashi Ahlawat

This dissertation challenges prevailing narratives surrounding the alleged decline of Buddhism in medieval India, rejecting the notion of an abrupt end in the thirteenth century CE. It follows a microregional approach, presenting the Nalanda-Bihar-Sharif—NBS—region in eastern India as a case study to systematically critique traditional explanations rooted in text-heavy approaches. It challenges simplistic, monolithic views of religions, showcasing transformations in the built landscape across existing and newly introduced traditions in a changing socio-political environment in the NBS region from the fourteenth century onward. Ultimately, the dissertation reconstructs a longue durée history of medieval Buddhism in eastern India, combining an archaeological approach with reassessment of texts and inscriptions.