Buddhism paved the way for democracy and socialistic pattern of society

Dr.B.R.Ambedkar

I disagree with the view that Hinduism has all along been the religion of India. Hinduism is the latest development of social
thought in India.
The religion of India has undergone three changes. Vedic religion which was practised first gave way, in course of time, to Brahmanism and this in turn to Hinduism. It was during Brahminic period that Buddhism was born. This was because Buddhism opposed inequality, authority and division of society into various classes which Brahminism had introduced in India.
It is easy to practise the Vedic religion. In it, performance of yagya (yajnas) is the main puja. The Vedic Aryans used to worship innumerable gods. They used to please them by performing yagyas. The puja to be performed for these gods should necessarily be sacred and superb. In those Agrarian times, cows were the chief wealth of the Aryans. Therefore, they used to sacrifice cows to honour their deities. In this way, Vedic Dharma encouraged violence. Brahmins succeeded in organising the society only by adopting Vedic yagyas. The Brahmins also divided the society into four sections (Varnas) Brahmins, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. The division of the society into four varnas (Castes) created great inequalities. They said that the Brahmins were born of the Brahma’s mouth and Shudras from his feet.
Can anybody believe that the basic principle of any religion could be to divide the society? Yet, this is what Brahminism has perpetuated. On the other hand, equality is the main feature of Buddhism. The religion of the Buddha gives freedom of thought and freedom of self-development to all. To abjure violence is another essential teaching of Buddhism. It has never taught to achieve salvation by sacrificing animals or any living being to propitiate Gods. I would say that the rise of Buddhism in India was as significant as the French Revolution. Prior to the advent of Buddhism, it was impossible to even think that a Shudra would get throne. History of India reveals that after the emergence of Buddhism, Shudras are seen getting thrones. Verily, Buddhism paved way for establishment of democracy and socialistic pattern of society in India.
Buddhism was at its climax of popularity in the reign of Asoka. How such a great and popular religion lost ground in India is a painful phenomena.
Causes for its fall

Enlighten and empower women The Revolutionary Tamil Poet Baarati Dhaasan ( 29.04.1891 - 21.04.1964) Say you women need no freedom to speak? Think you they are a burden to earth? Untill women’s slavery is not ended, Our land will never be really free! If you treat woman a mere dumb creature Man will be no better than a tortoise drawn into its shell If they are kept as senseless geese Their offspring will be reduced to the same condition - From: Sanjeevi Parvathatthin Saaral (The slope of the Sanjeevi mountain)

Buddhism appears to have met strong opposition in 185 B.C. when the last Mauryan King was assassinated by his Chief Commander. This was one of the lawful actions of the Brahmins to save their religion. But it is a pity that the historians have not given sufficient importance to this incident. While going through the Buddhist literature, I find that 90% followers of the Buddha were Brahmins. Brahmins used to come to the Buddha for discussion and argumentation, and when defeated, used to become faithful to the Buddha and ultimately accepted Buddhism. The Buddhist literate is full of such incidents. Therefore, how is it that Buddhism that had flourished amongst the majority of Brahmins was later on destroyed by the Brahmins themselves.
In my opinion the main reason for this was the family deity’s (kula deva) worship. In India like the village deity and national deity, there were family deities also who were worshipped through the Brahmins. The priests who used to go for worshipping these deities started influencing the affairs of the State through the queens. Asoka after embracing Buddhism discontinued this practice and removed the idols of such deities. Asoka said, “As I venerate the Buddha, the Enlightened One, there is no need to worship any other deity.” This action of Asoka disturbed the Brahmins very much as it ended their unfair means of livelihood and exploitation. They pledged to take revenge for this loss.
The Brahmins were of the view that after death, kings go to hell because of their errors and omissions. Therefore, they did not agree to be rulers but preferred to be the Chief Advisers to the Kings. In order to take revenge for the loss they suffered on account of stoppage of Kulapuja (family deity’s worship). Brahmins gave up the approved motto of being advisers only and tried to grab power. With the help of their well-wisher Kshatriyas, they also organised an united Brahmin-Kshatriya axis against Buddhism. The ascendancy of Brahminism again in Indian society, is one of the reasons for the downfall of Buddhism.
The religion of the Buddha got the severest blow from the Muslim invasion. They destroyed the Buddhist idols and killed the Bhikkus. They mistook the great Nalanda University as the Fort of Buddhists and killed a large number of monks thinking that they were soldiers. The few Bhikkus who escaped an onslaught fled away to the neighbouring countries like Nepal, Tibet, and China.
[From: Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s writings and Speeches. Vol.17, Part Three. Pages 406-409]