Social and Religious Ideas at the Time of Mahatma Buddha

Abstract

The sixth century B.C. was a period of great religious upheaval. Reforms all over the world protested against the existing social and religious evils and attempted to reconstruct a new socio-religious order. Confucius in china, Zoraster in Iran and Perm hides in Greece brought about social and Perm hides in Greece brought about social and religious awakening. In India, were two luminaries – Mahavir who founded Jainism and Gautam Buddha who gave birth to Buddhism. Buddha favoured middle path for human being. He protested against tyranny of the priest, the ritualistic form of religion, the brutality of caste, the dominance of Brahmins etc¹.