The decline of the Bodh Gaya Math and the afterlife of zamindari

The decline of the Bodh Gaya Math, a influential Shaivaite monastic institution in Bodh Gaya, significantly reshaped local power structures following India's independence. This study reveals how the abolition of zamindari (land revenue systems) and subsequent land struggles dismantled the Math's historical monopoly over the Mahabodhi Temple and surrounding lands, leading to new claims of social, political, and religious authority that undermined its former dominance. By analyzing institutional history and agrarian social relations, the research demonstrates how post-colonial land reforms altered the balance of power at one of Buddhism's most sacred sites, offering insights into the interplay between religious authority and economic change in South Asia.

Geary, D. (2013). The decline of the Bodh Gaya Math and the afterlife of zamindari. South Asian History and Culture, 4(3), 366–383. https://doi.org/10.1080/19472498.2013.808513