20th century relations with Burma focused on Buddhist ideas: Prof

New Delhi February 24

One of the little known aspects of the relationship between colonial India, Burma (present-day Myanmar) and Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka) in the first half of the 20th century was the significant exchange of Buddhist ideas, said Gitanjali Surendran, a professor of history at Jindal Global Law School.

Speaking at the conference, “Asia on the Move: Histories of Mobility and the Making of Asia”, Surendran said over 30 million individuals left Indian shores during the 1850s, with 27 million heading to British colonies, including Burma, Ceylon and Malaya.

“Many of these 27 million individuals brought Buddhist ideas back to India, leading to significant reforms, including the establishment of Buddhist societies in the early 20th century advocating for the conversion of lower castes to Buddhism,” said Surendran.

“The Bay of Bengal became a hub of Buddhist activity, with pilgrims, relics, intellectuals and ideas traversing its waters. There are accounts of Buddhists journeying beyond India to Tibet. Buddhists from Ceylon and Burma played key roles in establishing the Buddhist pilgrimage trail and in the transportation and worship of Buddhist relics from India,” she added.

Before his conversion to Buddhism, Dr BR Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, visited Ceylon and Burma. He attended the sixth Buddhist council convened by then Burmese PM U Nu. “He travelled to these destinations to witness Buddhism in practice,” she said.