Introduction

• The medieval cultural milieu in early medieval society included a blending of divinity and humanity, with no sharp distinction between the two.

• Various beings moved between divinity and humanity, living ambiguously at their intersection.

• Royal genealogies often traced their ancestry to the sun or moon, indicating a connection between divine and royal power.

• The spirit world influenced everyday life, with celestial beings bringing victory in war and controlling human fates.

• Spirits of nature were believed to cause disease, drought, flood, and also bring fertility for animals, crops, and humans.

• Visible and invisible powers mingled unpredictably in early medieval society.

• Priests, rulers, mystics, and saints played a role in evoking divinity, with gods living within society.

• A diverse Hindu cultural complex spread across the medieval domains, blending local traditions with common features.

• Learned Brahmans were supported by rulers and local elites to organize temples and conduct ceremonies that incorporated local deities and practices.

• Brahmans rationalized and ritualized the local status hierarchy, defining local identities through the ritual vocabulary of varna and jati.

• Brahmanical cultural forms spread alongside other religions like Jainism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity.

• Competing royal patrons supported different religious specialists, often simultaneously, leading to cultural and religious competition.

• In the world of cultural politics, Brahmans defined Hindu orthodoxy in local terms, making their rituals and Sanskrit texts influential across medieval dynasties.

• Sanskrit prose, Puranic deities, and divine genealogy appeared prominently in royal inscriptions (prasastis), showing a royal agreement across South Asia and Southeast Asia.

• Many medieval Sanskrit prasastis describe royal conduct of Vedic rituals and support for Agrahara settlements, temple building, and temple rituals.

• The temple precincts were central to Brahmanical influence, where most inscriptions appeared and where identities were formed.

• The spiritual powers of Brahmans were intertwined with the gods that became central to medieval life.

• The chapter focuses on the condition of Brahmanism and other religions during the early medieval period of India.

Hindusim

• In the classical Gupta period, Brahmanism or Hinduism experienced a revival in the northern part of the subcontinent, especially in the Gangetic basin.

• During this period, Saivism and Vaishnavism dominated the religious field, competing with each other for supremacy.

• There was a spirit of religious toleration in the religious landscape, overriding narrow sectarian views.

• Temples grew in number and grandeur, and the production of images became limitless.

• Members of the same royal family often adhered to different religious cults, showcasing religious flexibility.

• The founder of the Pratihara dynasty was a devotee of Vishnu, but his three descendants were worshippers of Siva, Bhagavati, and the Sun god.

• The Pala rulers, though staunch Buddhists, employed orthodox Brahmans as hereditary Chief Ministers and participated in their religious ceremonies.

• The concept of Hari-Hara, which personified both Siva and Vishnu in one image, illustrated the spirit of religious harmony.

• The emergence of the Tantric cult had a profound influence on Buddhism, completely transforming it, and also impacted Hinduism.